Is there any real advantage to prepainting baseboard before it gets installed? It will be installed after the prefinished hardwood gets put down, so I was considering prepainting it, knowing that I will have to touch up all the nail holes and the caulked joint where it meets the wall.
Do any of you prepaint the base if its going down over finished flooring?
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Replies
I'd never installed trim before it's painted or stained. Much easier to work off saw horses and do a better job, then run your trim and touch up.
When I was a dumb #### youngster, painting houses, the trim carpenter warned us to get the trim done or he was going to hang it and we'd have to stain/paint on the wall. What a disaster! Learned my lesson on that job - always paint/stain trim before installation.
Carl
For the most part, I think it's amateur nite, especially in new construction to finish before install.
But this is one of few cases where I would make an exception. Prime, 1st coat, install, putty and final coat
definitely - it is far easier to paint when on benches than trying to cut in with you head down on the floor
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I prefer to paint it first, especially if the base has a fancy detail on top. Nail in the flat profile and not the detailed top edge. That way when you have to repaint after filling holes, your not cutting at wall and its a flat surface so it paints pretty fast and painter tape floor.
If your spraying paint thats a whole different can of worms.
Absolutely. It looks better because nobody can cut in with the absolute perfection you get by painting it first. And it's a bunch easier and faster.
-- J.S.
Vote me with paint first too. On my own house I painted it after it was cut and fitted. I wrote a number on each piece, working around the room, took it outside and rolled it with a 4" roller, then installed it. My finish nailer didn't even hurt the paint that much. The touch up was a Q tip sort of thing.
Paint it first. I like a "sausage roller" a 4" faom roller. Suggested to be by a painter. Gives a smooth easy finish
I appreciate all of your replies. Looks like I'll be setting up some horses and prepainting for sure.
Is there going to be a shoe? Regardless, we will often (especially with prefinished floors)put a 3-4" strip of rosin paper down first and then put the base or shoe tight to that. This way you don't have to try and cut in to the floor when painting or finishing. When you are done, carefully knife the paper off right at the base to floor joint and you will end up with a nice crisp line. I think this is faster even if you prime and first coat before install. We always do a full second coat after install, sanding off glue at miters and scarfs, caulking wall intersections, etc.
There will be no shoe, but I like the idea of using rosin paper or maybe wax paper between the wood flooring and the base.
I tried it that way, but the room I was working in had furniture in it and I found laying masking paper too tedious.
Try it both ways (I mentioned how I did it here) and see what works best for you.
I always paint trim first. We just did exactly the job you described and it went quickly and we didnt paint the new flooring.
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