tips needed to painting baseboard next to carpeting

[kansascats]

subject line says it all...

pull 'em off, sand, and paint would seem to be the best..

[aemeijers]

One of many reasons I prefer trim to have a clear hard finish, that can outlast multiple paint jobs. Just mask and paint. But to address the original question, I have seen pro painters cut in the baseboard in a carpeted office using a metal shield the slips under the baseboard- paint a couple feet, slide down, and repeat. But with most things like this, experience makes a big difference- I could never do it, I'd always have a dribble off the trailing end from applying too much paint.

[Tegger]

kansascats wrote in news:40c2e2c9-ed45-49b7-87d7- [e-mail]:

Painters' masking tape.

Apply it to the /carpet/, with 1/8" or so riding up the baseboards. Tuck the ride-up part under the baseboard. Paint away, give it time to dry, then peel off. Job done.

[hrhofmann]

Old metal venetian blinds work great for this

[N8N]

[e-mail]:

That works. I have also shoved contractor's paper underneath the baseboard with a putty knife, painted, then removed paper before the paint got dry.

nate

[HeyBub]

I agree.

Tip: Don't try to remove the nails - pull them through. If you hammer them out the way they came in, you'll often punch out a substantial hunk of wood.

If you have lots of baseboard pieces (several doors involved for instance), number the pieces on the back.

So, then, removing the baseboards is an excellent way to easily recondition them - fill in the dings, sand, prime, re-paint, etc. With the baseboards out of the way, painting the walls is easier too.

[norminn]

Ditto that. I have used them and, other than a couple of tiny smudges, got no paint on the carpet. Snipping off the end of a thread takes care of that, unless it is Berber...in which case one thread might ravel all the way across the carpet.

[krw]

innews: [e-mail]:

I've used masking tape with the sticky side against the carpet. Shove it under with a putty knife, paint, and remove the tape when the paint is just past tacky. The putty knife can also be used to make sure the tape doesn't pull the paint.