If you’re replacing existing trim, it’s simply out with the old and in with the new. You can pretty much just rip out the old trim, taking care not to damage walls in the process.

If you want to reuse the old trim, however, perhaps after remodeling, you’ll want to remove it carefully without damaging it. Here’s how to proceed:

If paint is binding the moluding to the wall, use a utility knife to score the paint along the edges of the moulding. Then use a stiff putty knife to separate the moulding slightly from the wall and create a space for pry bars. Slide the putty knife back and forth until you hit the finishing nails that hold the moulding to the wall.

1. Insert a pry bar at one set of nails and place a scrap of wood behind the bar to protect the wall. Pry gently outward to bow the molding away from the wall and loosen the nails. Move to the next set of nails and repeat the process until you’ve loosened the molding along its entire length.
2. Sometimes the nails won’t loosen, and prying will cause the nails to pull through the molding. If the nails are stuck, use a nail set to drive them about three quarters of the way through the molding’s thickness. You need not go all the way through.
3. Work with a pair of pry bars to remove the molding, leapfrogging the bars in turn to gradually ease the moulding away from the wall without cracking or breaking it. With the moulding off, use a hammer or pry bar to remove any nails that remain in the wall. If you’re planning to reinstall the moulding, label each piece as you remove it. This will save much time and confusion later.