Train Photography

im trying to remove a picture rail from the plaster lounge wall, but its pulling off the paster, any advice?

except don't do it, ( its been nailed and glued to the wall for quite a few years )

Public Comments

1. Try cutting the glue away using a utility knife. If that doesn't work you should at least score the plaster at the edge where it meets the rail. That should help from pulling off the plaster not actually affixed to the rail. Also try to insert a putty knife between the rail and the wall to create separation between the plaster and the rail. Then be ready to patch the plaster, because its likely that no matter what you do some will come off.
2. put down some dust sheets and score along the top and bottom of rail try and put a scraper between the rail and wall and seperate the joy of no more nails
3. Sounds like you're not going to satisfied with the after effects (glued and screwed?). It sounds like you'll have to replaster the areas affected.
4. I agree with Librarian - there is nothing you can do to stop it. Some plaster loss is inevitable. My hall is a mass of holes in the plaster at the moment for exactly the same reason. Just fill them in again after you have taken off the rails, sand them down, and you'll never know the difference!
5. ordinarily this does tend to happen,especially in older houses because if you look at the nails that are holding up your picture rail you will notice they are huge!!similar to floor board nails.the best thing to do is pull them off then do some extensive polyfillering.the downside can be (as this happens in my house) on the outside walls,when it is damp weather,you get 'ghosting' where the picture rail was.weird hey?
6. if it is a old hse it will be nailed with old type cut nails . these are small flr board nails. run a filler knife along the bottom between the wall and rail. then using a small block of wood as a fulcrum put a thick old chisel or a small jemmy lever down and off it will come . you will be left with a hole to fill . when filling the holes wet them first put in filler but do it in 2 sessions. giving first filling to dry then it won.t shrink
7. dead easy score along top and bottom of picture rail and use old chisel and split the old rail off not from behind but from the front face obviously youcant use it again.same for architraves skirtings window battens just split them off and the visible screws or nails can then be removed.also if you want to remove nails from architraves removed etc dont knock them back thro face as this will damage the face simply pull thro from back with some pincers..
8. Put a dado rail up some years ago. The guy at the hardware shop recommended "No Nails", but added," hope you never want to take it down, you`ll have to replaster the wall" If the glue is No Nails, afraid your in stuck.
9. Afraid you are going to have to get the filler out there is no way around it. If you dont like filling and want a quick repair job then follow the link. It may cost more but the time it saves is massive.