Replacing old skirting without disturbing plaster

[several]

I have tall old skirting boards in my living room, about 10 inches in height. I know that there's no plaster behind the boards. They are fixed into wooden wedges in the brickwork and I assume that they would put on prior to plastering.

I'd like to replace them because they're tatty and in various places the mould is different in different parts of the room. I just know though that if I remove them, half of the plaster will pull off wall and I don't want that to happen.

Any tips in this situation?

 

[Burnerman]

Use a Stanley knife along the top edge of the skirting to minimise the plaster coming away.....it won't be fool proof but it's worth a try!
Further work with a bolster chisel sharpened to a fine edge may help.
John

 

[gregers]

if you are throwing the old skirts away?.then you could split the boards say in the middle and then gently prise the top part off working along the fixings that way you HOPEFULLY wont have to repair damage to the top of the skirts/plaster.