- 1). Work a 2-inch putty knife behind the cove base starting at a corner. Push the knife downward between the cove base and the wall, always starting at the top of the cove base. When enough is loosened, grab it by hand and tear off as much as possible.
- 2). Scrape as much of the big chunks of glue off as possible with the putty knife as the cove base is being removed.
- 3). Apply a solvent to the areas where there is stuck on glue. Some paint thinner or mineral spirits on a rag can be used for this purpose. Let the solvent soak in to the glue for an hour or so.
- 4). Scrape the solvent-soaked glue with a paint scraper that has a razor blade. Be careful to do as little damage to the wall as possible. If all the glue does not come off on the first try, then reapply the solvent and repeat.