Pro Handyman Blog

If you’ve ever replaced a door frame and tried to get the molding off in one piece, you know it can be a challenge. Door molding is typically nailed into the frame and then caulked around the perimeter.

Even being careful is no guarantee that the strip of molding will come off in one piece.

Start by using a sharp utility knife and running it around the perimeter of the molding. The idea here is to cut completely through the caulking at the edges of the molding. If you don’t cut through all of the caulking and start to lift the molding, the caulking will also lift the paint on the wall along with it.

Once you have cut through the caulking, start at one end of the molding and slowly pry it up. You can use a standard screwdriver or a putty knife to get it started. Try to goose up the molding over a large area rather than a small one. Builder grade molding is usually finger-jointed and will break if too much pressure is applied to it.

Once you have a corner lifted slightly, continue down the length of the molding so that it all lifts uniformly. You would be surprised at how little pressure is needed to snap the molding.