Ready to give a makeover to your drab and tattered skirting boards but wondering if you can paint skirting boards with carpet down or not? Then you will get to know about this just now.
You must have wondered about carrying out this makeover but restricted yourself due to the heavy carpet removal associated with it. So, for your ease, there are a couple of ways you can go for, and for that, we’ll provide you full guidance on how you can achieve it with the rug on.
So, let’s get started!
Is It Difficult To Paint Skiting Board?
Painting skirting boards includes choosing the right paint that fits the color of the wall, a primer for unclad wood, undercoat, and a top coat for a high durability and firm finish.
It seems to be a little complicated, right, but it’s not if you are patient enough while brushing. But yes, if you are using the wrong or extra large brush without knowing the way to use it, then you either will end up painting the wall above it or your carpet.
Hence, you must be extra careful if you want to have it done without removing your room’s rug.
Can You Paint Skirting Boards With Carpet Down?
Sometimes, it’s very difficult to remove the carpet from the floor in order to have something done, such as painting skirting boards. And this difficulty is paramount when it comes to rolling a fixed carpet that covers the whole room.
So what can be done? Should you call professionals for this, or can you still manage this task on your own?
Well, it’s not something that can be easily accomplished. You have to make some initial setups to cover your carpet before painting. But, only because of these setups, we can’t say that you cannot paint a skirting board with carpet down.
You can, and in a similar way as you would do it without carpet, but for that, you have to follow some precautions to make your skirting board and carpet ready for it.
Precautions To Protect Carpet Before Painting Skirting Boards
The way to protect the carpet totally depends on how big the carpet is. Does it cover the whole room or just a tiny part of it?
Because a non-fixed and small carpet can easily be dragged away from the painting region after removing the furniture from it, but if you have a fully carpeted room, then there are some simple methods that you can use to protect the rug, and one of them is folding the carpet away from the edge.
Other than this, you can use the method such as,
- Apply masking tape on the primer.
- Vacuum the carpet thoroughly after using masking tape.
- Place low tack and wide set masking tape with numbers of overlapping. By doing this around the edge of the carpet, you can fully cover it by pushing the excess tape underneath the skirting.
- Else, you can also place a plastic sheet or drop cloth all over the carpet.
- After this, stick painter’s tape to the edges and tug it under the skirting board using a loose knife.
- Paste painters tap just above the skirting board to protect the wall above it.
- Use your thumb to stick the tape while pasting 2 to 3 feet at a time.
How Can You Paint Skirting Boards With Carpet Down?
Updating a room’s skiting board by yourself is the quickest and most affordable option, and for this, you just have to spend a small amount on high-quality paint and a good primer.
Whether it be painting a whole new and fresh skirting board, making the old and dull color new by giving it a fresh coat or changing the color of the board, you can easily do this on your own without taking any professional advice and to have it done,
Tools Required
- Paint
- Wood Filler
- Sandpaper
- Painter’s Tape
- Knotting Solution
- Weak Soap Solution
- Carpet Protector
- Angled & Flat Paintbrush
- Primer (if needed)
Make Initial Preparations
This is the first yet most important step, so you cannot skip it to move into painting directly. To accomplish this step,
- Rub the skirting board with cloth or sandpaper (horizontally) to remove dirt and layers of old material from the board.
- While cleaning the trim, cover your face tightly to avoid inhalation of filths and paint.
- After sanding, you can use a filler to stuff the holes or cracks on the board.
- To remove errant dust, clean the trim with a neat towel or cloth, and vacuum the carpet well to avoid the grain sticking during your paint.
- Clean your skirting board with a weak soap solution and wait for it to dry before moving on to painting.
Paint The Skiting Board
Now, here comes the final step that you must be waiting for. So, be ready with the brushes and tools and follow the step-by-step guide on how to paint skirting boards with carpets:
- Take an oil-based paint to give a glossy texture to your skiting board and pour it into the paint tray.
- Dip a 2 to 5-inch flat brush into the paint and use it horizontally on the middle part of the skirting board.
- By painting the middle portion first, you can make your hand comfortable to handle the brush.
- Do 2 to 3 coats of paint to give a better finish to the board.
- Use an angled brush to paint the top and bottom sections of the board.
- Making a 45-degree angle facing towards the wall, paint the top section of the board horizontally.
- Now, with a 45-degree angle facing the carpet, paint the bottom part of the skirting board.
- Make sure to paint your skirting board horizontally in the same direction as you sanded it.
- Dry the paint for a few hours before placing any furniture along it.
- Do not remove masking tape or cover from the carpet before the board dries completely. Because, by doing this, you will rip the newly applied paint.
- Once the paint has dried, carefully peel off the tape from the carpet and the walls.
Clean The Carpet If Somehow You Stained It With Paint
Whether you have taken all the precautions and followed all the steps thoroughly, you still may get a few drops of paint stains on the carpet. And if it is latex paint, then the struggle will be bigger than your imagination. So, to clean it, you must know how to get latex paint out of the carpet.
Otherwise, to vanish the regular paint, you can use hot water with detergent and moisten the area. After this, scrub the region gently until the paint is obliterated.
Conclusion:
It’s not easy to answer “Can You Paint Skirting Boards With Carpet Down?” because when the question of carpet protection is attached to it, then this task becomes more complicated.
So, to accomplish this by keeping your carpet safe, follow each step one by one, as we have discussed above, and make your skirting board look lustrous and up to the minute.
FAQ’S:
Is it better to remove the carpet before painting the skirting boards?
It totally depends on the size of the carpet and how tightly it is fixed in the region. If you have a small carpet, then you can easily remove it before painting. But if your room has a fixed carpet that envelops the whole floor, then you can go for other carpet-protecting options, such as using masking tape over it or covering it with a plastic sheet or drop cloth.
What can I use to cover the carpet before painting skirting boards?
To cover the carpet before painting the skirting boards, you can use,
- Drop Cloths
- Plastic Sheet
- Floor Protection Film
- Heavy Paper Rolls
Can I use a roller to paint the skirting board?
You can use a roller to paint the skirting board, but for a fine finish and better results, it is recommended to use a flat and angled brush for painting.
Daleyza knows a lot about carpets! She has worked with carpets for over 7 years and can help with things like putting them in, keeping them clean, and replacing them. She really likes carpets and spends most of her time learning about new ways to work with them. When she’s not learning about carpets, she enjoys reading books. She’s really good at helping people choose the right carpet for their homes and making sure they’re happy with it. If you want to know more about carpets, Daleyza is the person to talk to!