Debary, FL on Oct 28, 2011

I finished my 1st project and it is lovely.

So now I want to try another project. I have 36" white formica with chair rails throughout my home. I have tall, messy dogs.

I want to replace the chair rails and leave the formica. It appears they are grouted. How can I remove the chair rails without tearing down the walls. Oh, there are also a few small nails in the chair rails.

26 Comments Displaying 25 of 26 comments | See Previous

Sherrie S Debary, FL

Oh crap, wrong word. They are caulked. Remember I am not an expert - YET!
They are caulked on the edges and they are sort of a pvc/plastic.
So you can see I need help AND when I'm done it will be beautiful.

on Oct 28, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

I messed up the question. I hope I resolved that.

on Oct 28, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Lol, ok no problem Sherrie. Yes, slice along that caulk with a razor knife. Then use a stiff putty knife and a hammer to gently nudge it down behind the trim. Try to pry it off if you can (prying near the nails will make this easier). If it has been glued in place, odds are you will not be able to remove it without messing up the wall behind it. Use drywall joint compound to smooth out those areas that get damaged.

on Oct 29, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Dan, I'm going to try to remove a small area and see how bad this job is. Now that I decided to do the chair rails I will also have to do the molding at the bottom of the formica. I hope molding is the right word and I'm not sure of spelling.
The dogs are free to roam and I have an easy time cleaning up WHITE formica.
This now seems like a bigger job as the formica is throughout the house.

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Let me know how it goes for you there Sherrie. If you run into any problems, we're here to help. :)

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Dan, I learned a little more & decided this is NOT a job I will take on.
I am particular about the finshed project and I only know enough to begin it and already I know it is outside my ability
BECAUSE:
The house and job are too big for a beginner who wants it done right in a timely manner.

on Oct 30, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Sherrie, it takes a good person to admit their limits. Glad to see you have realized you may be out of your skill set. Debary is outside my coverage area (would be about 1-1/2 to 2 hour drive each way for me). There are a bunch of other contractors here on Hometalk who are a bit closer to you though. You can search for them in the bar at the top of any page on the website here. If you need any more advice, please ask. :)

on Oct 31, 2011 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Dan, sorry you don't want to drive to Debary. After giving up on DIY I contacted a vendor I am very familiar with. I also suggested he join Hometalk because there are so many talented and nice people here. I am certain he can benefit by doing so.
I'll let you know how the chair rail/molding project goes. Some rooms are not too bad but I will have all rooms completed so they all match.

on Nov 10, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Yes, please let me know how things go. And good job inviting the contractor to here, always room for more!

on Nov 10, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

I have my own project - all of the cedar steps into the sun room and all of the molding now has to match the shelf. I will use your methods again because they worked perfectly on the shelves. This is a big room so I can stay busy while planning my next project. Thank you again.

on Nov 10, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Happy to help. If you have any questions with that project feel free to ask of course. And don't forget to post us some pics when you have things all set!

on Nov 11, 2011 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

On November 10 the vendor I knew visited to measure the rooms & prepare a quote. Haven't heard from him since. So, I decided my friend and I will begin with Dan's suggestions on how to remove the chair rail. I will start in the smallest room. When we do a job it is really great but it takes a long, long time to do it correctly. By the way the cedar steps and all of the molding is finished in the 20 x 20 sunroom. They now match the shelving. Phew!

on Nov 18, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

That stinks that they have not replied back to you. Have you tried calling or emailing them at all? Either way, good luck with giving this a shot on your own. Yes, start in the smallest area first. It will give you some experience and confidence to continue on in a larger area. Good luck, let us know if you need anything!

on Nov 19, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Dan, I'm not going to bother calling. I'll get started and see if he responds. Then I'll ask why he waited so long. I don't expect instant service but I would like to be informed. Maybe he doesn't want to do the job. I do know he is qualified for the job.
I will start my project in a hidden/small area just in case.

on Nov 19, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Lol, I got ya. Good luck and keep us posted!

on Nov 20, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Well the area is not really hidden. It will be a constant reminder to do more because it looks really ugly now.
However, we removed the border, chair rail and molding quite quickly on one small wall. They also had glue that could be scraped off and that, too is done.
I will post the ugly area so I can get the design people to help me when I am ready to make it pretty.

on Nov 20, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Good to hear things are moving along for you. See, it wasn't as difficult as you first expected it to be. :)

on Nov 21, 2011 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Ok Dan, the border on all the walls, the chair rail & moulding are all removed from the formica. Nails, caulk and some kind of glue were used. Most of it was reasonably easy to remove because formica is tough.
The border above the chair rails left some tiny pieces that seem impossible to remove but it must be done since I now want the room repainted before installing chair rails and moulding. ...»

See Dan? Not as easy as you think. Room remains very ugly.

on Dec 02, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Sherrie,
Sorry for the late reply, just returned home from vacation. Hmm, is the remaining glue stuff on the drywall itself? You might just need to bite the bullet and scrape/dig it off there and then use the drywall joint compound to skim it back smooth.

on Dec 06, 2011 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Dan, we did the scrape and now are slowly filling in the scrapes. Next is paint. Then the real job. I am sure I will be back here for advice after the paint job. Thank you very much.

on Dec 06, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Always happy to help with whatever I can. Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck with things!

on Dec 07, 2011 · Like 0
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Dan, you are the perfect person to answer my next question.
I recently had my master bathroom painted PINK (not for guys).
Now I want my master bedroom to be a lighter PINK. Lowes didn't make it light enough. Can I add more white to the pink? It is 100% acrylic and interior semi gloss paint. Both pink & white are from the same company. ...»

This must be done tomorrow. The room is a wreck and needs a lot more work to complete the job.

on Dec 09, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Sherrie, is it possible to have the original mixing company fix it for you? Either way you should be able to custom mix things yourself if you want. However, add very small amounts of the white at a time as it's tough to go back darker unless you have additional red/pink paint on hand. Once you do a mixture, paint some on a section of wall and wait for it to dry before deciding if it is what you seek or not. Using a hair drier will speed up the drying time. Make sure that you mix enough at ...»
one time to do the entire area you will be painting. Trying to make a second batch that matches your first mixture will be very, very tough. This whole process can be a bit time consuming.
If time is really of the essence, you might just have to go and buy new paint tinted how you want it. If you bring back what you have left from the old stuff, you might be able to get credit for it. No promises there though.

on Dec 10, 2011 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

Thanks Dan. I took the pink back to Lowes but I think they wanted to save their white paint. We have some of the same brand paint & will mix it carefully.
We are starting late today but should get it done today.

on Dec 10, 2011 · Like 0
Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Good luck with it Sherrie. Please let me know how it all goes for you. :)

on Dec 11, 2011 · Like 0

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