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One of the most common ways to update the interior of a home is with fresh painted walls and trim. While it can be easier to paint baseboards when the flooring is a hard surface like tile or wood, avoiding painting baseboards with carpet can cause worn trim to stick out and detract from your makeover efforts.
Some may say that the most surefire method for painting baseboards in a carpeted room is to remove the baseboards entirely, paint them in a separate space, then reinstall the baseboards once the paint has dried. However, if you aren’t careful, you can damage the baseboards during removal or reinstallation, making this a risky and time-consuming endeavor.
Instead, many DIYers touch up baseboard trim and paint the baseboards in place, with great attention and care required to avoid getting paint on the carpet. If you are repainting baseboards in a carpeted room and don’t want to remove the baseboards, follow the steps in this guide to learn how to paint baseboards with carpet.
Tools & Materials
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Before You Begin
There are a few necessary steps you need to take before painting floor molding—baseboards and shoe molding—in order to prepare the area and make sure that you have everything you need on hand to get the ideal baseboard paint finish. First, you will need to head to a local home improvement store to purchase paint and baseboard painting tools, including a paint brush, putty knife, sandpaper, and painter’s tape. It’s also a good idea to find heat-resistant paint for baseboard heaters if the home has these heating appliances.
Next, it’s important to vacuum the floor before painting baseboards with carpet to get rid of any hair, fluff, or other debris that could mess up the paint job. You will also want to open the windows and doors, as well as setting up a fan to help ventilate the space, especially if you are using paint that is high in volatile organic chemicals (VOCs).
While you can paint baseboards without removing the carpet, you can also try to peel back the carpet and roll it up and out of the way while you work. Since carpet is secured next to the wall with a tack strip, you may be able to lift the carpet off the tack strip to peel it back. However, carpet is often attached to the tack strips under the baseboards, which can make this process difficult. It’s even more difficult to reinstall the carpet when you are done, so this may not be a feasible option for many DIYers based on skill level.
Step 1: Sand and make any necessary repairs to the baseboards.
Some baseboard painting hacks may skip the sanding and repair process. If the baseboards are in poor condition, touch up any minor damages and sand down any old or peeling paint to prepare the baseboards for a new coat. Otherwise, the finished product will just look like you tried to cover up past mistakes.
Use 100- to 180-grit sandpaper to sand down the surface of the baseboards using even pressure and back-and-forth strokes. Apply caulk to any small holes or cracks in the baseboards to make simple repairs and then run a fresh bead of caulk along the edge of the baseboard where it meets the wall to fill in any gaps. Just keep in mind that if there is any severe damage, it’s best to replace the damaged baseboard entirely.
Step 2: Apply painter’s tape and lay down a drop cloth.
The easiest way to paint baseboards in a carpeted room without accidentally painting the carpet is to use painter’s tape to create a protective coating over the carpet nearest the walls. You should also lay down a plastic drop cloth over the rest of the room to avoid dripping paint on exposed carpeting.
It also helps to use a putty knife to press the tape down and under the baseboards for full protection. Since there is usually a decently sized gap between the carpet and baseboard, this process should be relatively easy. If you aren’t confident in just one layer of painter’s tape, apply a second layer to ensure the paint doesn’t seep through.
Step 3: Prep the paint brush.
Once the room is ready to go, you can load up the paint brush with paint. It’s recommended to invest in a paint edger brush for superior control while painting. Cover about half of the bristles when dipping the brush into the paint, then use the sides of the paint can or paint tray to wipe off any dripping paint from your brush. Follow this process each time you dip the brush into the paint to reduce the risk of dripping paint on the floor or walls.
Step 4: Paint the baseboards.
Ultimately, it’s up to you whether to paint the walls or trim first, but once you have started on the baseboards it’s recommended to continue until you are done. Use the loaded-up paint brush to paint along the length of the baseboard either from left to right or from right to left, depending on your personal preference. Just make sure to stick to painting in one direction after you make your choice to achieve the best results.
Apply one coat, then wait for it to dry before applying another coat, if necessary. Usually two coats of paint is more than enough for the baseboards, so after the paint has dried, you can remove the tape and the drop cloth to complete the project.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are painting the entire room, updating the baseboards and trim, or just touching up areas around the room, it’s important to protect the floor. While you may be able to wipe up a few drips of paint from hardwood, spilling paint onto carpet creates a significant problem that is difficult to undo without professional cleaning or replacing the carpet entirely.
With this in mind, when you are painting baseboards in a carpeted room, make sure to take the time to lay down protection and apply painter’s tape under the baseboards to create a secure barrier. Not only will this keep the carpet in good condition, it will also help speed up the painting process, since you can work faster when you don’t have to worry about accidentally painting the carpet.
