With a firm hand and the willingness to follow the correct procedures, painting baseboards with carpet isn’t a daunting task!
As a house owner or tenant, you know the cost of new carpets, so it will be a great pain if they get messy while painting your baseboards. There are a few ways to avoid spills on your carpet. Even if you’ve never painted before, if you follow the rules and use the right tools, your baseboards will look great without a spill on your carpet when you’re done.
In this article, you will learn and explore the necessary procedures to paint baseboards with carpet.
Contents
The Stages and Steps You Need to Follow to Get a Decent Baseboard Look After Painting
Stage One
- Step 1: Lay a protective cloth or tarpaulin along the wall. Place a protective cloth or tarpaulin along the wall part you intend to paint before screeding, masking, and painting. This will save your carpet from being damaged by paint or the fallen bristles from the painting brush.
Adjust the corners of the protective cloth as you stretch out to paint over a portion of your space. If you don’t even have a protective or drop cloth, use a plastic cover instead. When in a more extensive area, adjust your protective material on the floor while you keep painting.
- Step 2: Use masking tape and paper to cover the ground section of your wall. Use masking or packing tape to safeguard the protective paper that covers the portion of the floor section (carpet) and the upper edge of the wall above the baseboard. Your masking tape’s end should be aligned with the area of the wall edge on which the baseboards begin.
To make the level of the masked paper aligned with your baseboard, paste 5 to 8 cm of masking tape against the edge of the wall. To ensure your masking tape stays level on the baseboard, stretch it between 60 and 92 cm. Rub your hand anywhere along the masking tape to smooth it against the wall and push the end you took out into the baseboard. Keep doing this till you have taped off all the walls in your space!
- Step 3: Baseboards should be cleaned and, if required, finely sanded. The baseboards should be cleaned with a moist cloth. Clean stained areas with a scrubber to eliminate any dust and debris. Give it one or two hours to get completely dry. Then, sandpaper or polish the wood to make the interior painting look outstanding with a 100 to 180 sanding sponge or paper.
You should notice that the earlier coat of paint color blends into the wood after gently rubbing with the 100 to 180 sanding paper along a strip of the baseboard. After sandpapering, dust your wood with a dry rag or towel and use wood filler to cover all holds on the baseboard. Then allow it to dry off and smoothen the surface with sandpaper.
You shouldn’t have to sandpaper your baseboards if they are newly installed or if they haven’t been painted more than once in the past. Be gentle when sandpapering the baseboard’s higher and lower portions close to the wall and carpet. You wouldn’t want to scratch the walls while working.
While painting baseboard, give them at least an hour to be completely dry. You wouldn’t want to let the wood absorb any moisture. Put on a protective mask to avoid inhaling wood dust while polishing your baseboards.
Stage Two
- Step 1: Insulating the Carpet. Your baseboard should have a layer of masking tape applied to it. Take the masking tape and unroll it. Ensure that the masking tape is 5.0 to 10.5 cm wide. Cut out a 10 to 92 cm length, set the adhesive side on the carpet, and suspend the top 1.3 cm from the baseboard. Span the entire carpet area around your baseboard by repeating this procedure.
Each masking tape piece should be aligned to run parallel to the carpet. As you apply the masking tape, avoid pressing it into the carpet.
- Step 2: Get a craft knife. With a craft knife, insert the masking tape underneath the baseboard or on the quarter-inch section of the baseboard. Set the craft knife between both the board and the carpet at a 15° angle to the ground. Slide the craft knife between the carpet and the wall in every baseboard space. Cut a gap (extra painters tape) in every corner of the room with your craft knife. When you are done, softly rub over the painters’ tape to make it smooth.
The term “quarter-inch” describes the additional quarter size of the entire baseboard extension that some particular baseboards add to the bottom. Technically, it is a quarter of a round piece of wood. Your baseboard’s ground section should now have 1.3 cm of masking tape glued under it. This will stop drops from ruining your new carpet.
- Step 3: If you want additional coverage, use a paint shield. You may want to use some other material to ensure the paint doesn’t fade off your new carpet. You can add more safety materials, such as a steel drop sheet or paint shield. A paint shield or steel plate will prevent paint drips from sliding into your carpeting by capturing it before it drips or falls from the baseboard. Place the paint shield’s beveled edge on the masking or frog tape’s sticky side. Press it into your carpet first and slide it under your baseboard.
You can use a steel drop sheet or other sturdy flat material instead of a paint shield. Some decorators like paint baseboards because they offer additional safety. After painting each area, you must wipe down the paint baseboard if you used one.
Stage Three
- Step 1: Baseboard painting. Scoop your paint into the painting bowl after stirring it with a stirring tool. Put your feet on your protective cloth and utilize any flat steel tool to open the paint can. When the paint color looks even or smooth, stir your paint using a stirring tool. Fill your painting container with a quarter to a half gallon of paint and use your brush to remove any drippings accumulated on the can’s outer surface.
- Step 2: Put some paint on an angle brush and put it inside the painting bowl. A two to three-inch brush will make painting your baseboards easier. You can opt for a standard brush or one made of nylon used for commercial painting jobs. Insert the bristle part of your brush into the paint. Make sure that the bristle is covered in paint. To remove excess paint and avoid paint spills, gently hit the brush on the topmost layer of your paint bowl. When you hit the brush over the paint bowl, it will help reduce brush marks.
You can use a plain brush if you want, but a curve brush will make it simpler to reach the base of your baseboard because you can retain it at a 45° angle and get a simple snip.
- Step 3: When painting the top, begin in the center of the baseboard. Start by painting the center layer of the baseboards. Use a forward and backward motion to paint each portion of the baseboard about two to three times. Once you’ve used most of the paint on the brush, paint the area above it close to the masking tape. At a 45° angle, position the brush handle to enable you to see how the brush’s bristles are aligning the paint on the baseboard surface.
Gradually work in one-foot steps when painting anywhere along the corner. This will ensure paint trim.
- Step 4: Be careful when you paint the base of your baseboards. Once you’ve painted the upper half and center of your board, dip your brush in the paint pan and gently get most of the paint off. Then, turn your brush 45°, so its wide end faces the carpet. Hold the painting hand brush on the baseboard and move gradually and cautiously along the bottom of the baseboard.
If you’re operating with a paint shield, use your other hand to keep it firm. Just brush along the part where the paint shield is in your hand. To take a paint shield off and put it back on, push it on the carpet and gradually flip it out. Move it to various areas of your baseboard and apply a little again to keep it firm. Then slide it between the baseboard and the carpet. During the exterior painting of each portion, clean your paint shield with a dry cloth.
- Step 5: Move your paint shield with you as you paint so that it is always placed beneath the area you are painting. Make your way all around the space in steps of one foot. Always start painting at the top and work your way down, starting in the middle. Before continuing, cover each middle portion twice or three times to prevent print drips.
Discard the protective or drop cloth and any coverage material after allowing the baseboards to dry for about two to three hours. To remove the masking tape underneath your baseboard, slowly bring it up. You will notice a unique baseboard painting trim look. If you don’t want to get the dried paint on your carpet, carefully let it out in parts.
