How to Remove Wood Paneling From a Plaster Wall

If you have a home that has not been updated in a few decades, then you probably have a room or two with paneling. Wood paneling was usually installed with nails hammered through the wood paneling and into the plaster walls, but sometimes adhesive was also used. Nailed paneling and paneling with adhesive are removed in the same manner, but paneling installed with nails only is less likely to cause damage to the plaster underneath.

Things You'll Need

• Crowbar
• Claw hammer

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Slide the crowbar behind a seam in the paneling. Seams are located at wall corners. You may also press on a piece of panel and look for the gap between where one panel ends and another panel begins to find the seam.

   • 2

     Lift the paneling away from the plaster to loosen the nails holding the paneling in place.

   • 3

     Use the claw end of the hammer to remove the nails from the paneling.