Baseboard Paint Removal

Baseboards become nicked and marred over time from foot traffic and children's toys. Once brightly colored baseboards fade and the paint may begin to peel and flake off the wood. There are two principle ways to fix old painted baseboards: replacement or repainting. The first option allows you to choose new baseboards but will be expensive. The second option will cost little and return your baseboards to their original glory, but you may have to remove old layers of paint first.

Things You'll Need

• Pry bar
• Nail puller
• Rubber gloves
• Drop cloths
• Paint stripper
• Steel wool
• Bucket
• Sponge
• Medium-grit sandpaper
• Tack cloth

Instructions

1. Pull your old baseboards off the wall with a pry bar. Pull out any nails left in the baseboards and protruding from the wall with a nail puller.

2. Put on rubber gloves and place the baseboards on drop cloths in a well-ventilated area such as a garage or even outside on a table.

3. Apply paint stripper to each baseboard using steel wool. Work the stripper into the paint on the baseboards by rubbing it in with the steel wool. Keep applying more paint stripper as needed and scrubbing with the steel wool until most or all of the paint has come off the baseboards.

4. Rinse the baseboards with plain water using a bucket and sponge, then allow them to air dry.

5. Abrade each baseboard thoroughly with medium-grit sandpaper to remove any remaining paint and to rough the surface of the baseboards. Wipe down each baseboard with a tack cloth once all the paint has been removed. You can now paint or stain your baseboards and re-install them.

References

• "Painter's Handbook"; William McElroy; 1987
• "Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Flooring: All Types of Flooring"; Creative Publishing International; 2003