Removing skirting after skimming!

[SJRSJR]

Due to a change of plan I'm in a bit of a pickle!

Have had the hallway walls skimmed to the old original skirting. Now instead of carpeting the floor we want to tile it and to get a neat finish we think we need to remove the skirting. The skirting is old and if it's like the living room it will be nailed into noggins in the wall.

Any advice on how to do it without cracking the plaster? I've seen instructions to score along the top edge with a Stanley knife but does that really do the trick? I thought of using a multitool to cut deep into the plaster which could then be covered by new skirting because the floor height will have been raised by backerboard and tile. Or is it not worth the risk? Thanks

 

[foxhole]

Just use a small square of sheet ply or mdf above the skirting to spread the load when levering off the old skirting.Minor damage is inevitable but most will be covered by new skirting.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Yes, use a cold chisel as a lever, with some sheet wood between the wall and the chisel. Don't worry too much about damage to the plaster, Easifill soon repairs any holes, though minimising damage makes sense.

 

[phatboy]

Don't worry about a little damage, of you remove the skirting and replace with the same size after tiling, it will be 20mm higher, and cover any minor damage. Or you could get bigger skirting.

 

[SJRSJR]

Thanks, I'll go for it