How-To
Paint a Room Series: Caulking Baseboard and Trim
Follow along with a painting pro as he demonstrates techniques for applying paintable caulk to baseboard and trim.
Any pro will tell you that caulking to fill in gaps or cracks around baseboard and trim is a crucial step in the painting process. In this Build Like a Pro video, professional painter Jim Lacey covers the difference between regular and dripless caulking guns, the different types of caulk available on the market, and time-tested techniques for getting a solid bead that’s ready for paint.
Videos in the Series
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Video Series: How to Paint a Room -
Paint a Room Series: Washing Your Walls -
Paint a Room Series: Caulking Baseboard and Trim -
Paint a Room Series: Masking for Interior Paint -
Paint a Room Series: Priming Walls for Paint -
Paint a Room Series: Painting Interior Trim -
Paint a Room Series: How to Cut In -
Paint a Room Series: Cleaning Brushes and Rollers
View Comments
Until a house painter can paint with the skill of their sign-painting brethren, I will continue to leave that 1/32 or so gap along baseboard and casing. I'd much prefer to see an absolutely straight cut-in line. Just slip a piece of paper behind the trim when painting and voila!--a perfectly straight cut-in. Only if the gap is larger will I fill it and then use maybe 8 inches of masking tape.
Same with shoe moulding. When installing the shoe, put a couple layers of box board underneath. Again, slip a piece of paper under the shoe and you won't get paint on that nice dark hardwood floor.
I've seen some pretty horrible paint jobs done by so-called professionals. My method is fool proof.
(Sorry, I'm a perfectionist who clocks their screws.)
I like the damp rag around the 5-in-1 for tidying up complicated joints.
small tip at the nozzle and the better caulking gun will go a long way. I picked up a neat gadget in Germany to smoothen out the excess caulking, No smear, clean line
If I only would know how to attach a picture to this comment box I could show you how it looks (btw it was very cheap and can do several caulking requirements, supertool when doing caulking joints with tiles. Non of this spitting on your finger and trying to clean the silicone)