How to Paint Baseboard Trim With Carpet Installed
Few things ruin a paint job faster than seeing paint where it doesn't belong. Paint in the carpet is one of those problem areas. When carpet is installed under the baseboards, it creates a challenge to paint the baseboards and not leave carpet fibers sticky with paint. Secrets used by professional painters, however, will work even for beginners. With a little practice, anyone can master these steps with clean results.
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Things You'll Need
- 2-inch painter's tape
- Putty knife
- 12-inch straight edge blade
- Vertical blind slats or plastic carpet protectors
- Angled 2- to 3-inch brush
- Paint
- Drop cloth
- Duct tape
Instructions
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1
Tear off 12 to 18-inch long pieces of 2-inch wide blue or white painter's tape. Place the tape so that about half an inch of tape lips up onto the bottom of the baseboard.
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2
Use your fingers and a putty knife to push the extra ½ inch tape in between the carpet and the baseboard. This will create a hedge between the two surfaces.
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3
Reinforce your efforts by laying down the slats of old vertical blinds or plastic carpet protectors along the carpet edges. Move a 12-inch straight edge blade along the bottom of the baseboard as you are painting.
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4
Place drop cloths on top of the edge tape. Duct tape them onto the painter's tape already in place so they don't move around and expose carpet.
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5
Wipe as much paint as possible from the lower edge of your brush. As you paint along the wall, don't worry about getting perfect coverage at the bottom of the baseboards as this area very likely won't show.
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6
Wait 30 minutes, and use a fairly dry brush to touch up any spots that were missed.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep a rag handy to clean off your 12-inch blade or any drips that land on the edge of the carpet.
Be careful to off-load your paint brush to prevent drips.
