How to remove baseboard molding

Gently work a 6-inch metal putty knife behind the baseboard and wiggle the tool while pulling mostly forward to loosen the pins or finishing nails holding the trim on the wall. Start at one end of a piece of baseboard and carefully pry, progressing along the trim until the entire length comes free from the wall.

But as many homeowners know, those little pieces of carpentry can become a big obstacle when ripping up carpet, or even installing hardwood floors. Fortunately, removing and reinstalling baseboards are pretty straightforward projects. All you need are a few basic tools, a gentle hand and a little elbow grease.

Do Not Remove Baseboards, Keeping Same Flooring

Retaining same flooring, no need to remove baseboards. Properly covering all flooring from any paint drips or splatters. If replacing carpet with carpet, or tile with tile, no need to remove baseboards first.

And many design experts consider white the perfect color for any trim, regardless of interior style or wall color. With dark walls, white trim lightens and brightens the room while making the wall color really “pop.” And when walls are painted light or muted colors, white trim makes the color appear crisp and clean.

Paint the Trim First, Then the Ceilings and Walls

Pros usually follow a certain order when painting a room. They paint the trim first, then the ceiling, then the walls. That’s because it’s easier (and faster) to tape off the trim than to tape off the walls. And you certainly don’t want to tape them both off!

Designed to hide the seam where wall meets floor, baseboards give any room a finished look. If your trim is showing wear and tear, painting is always an option, but the prep work is important and can be time-intensive. Replacement is your best option if they’re water-damaged, stained or warped.

Projects ranging from updating baseboards and paint colors to totally remodeling a kitchen and adding a room can all add value, but when it comes to renovation, which upgrades really matter? According to HGTV, “Home improvement projects cost about 20 to 25 cents on the dollar.

Even though simple baseboards are a hallmark of modern design, there’s no reason that you can’t incorporate a more traditional baseboard style into your modern home.

Painting is cheaper, and you can just remove your old trim around the hardwood floor, paint and reinstall it after the new floor is down, then painting the rest to match. Paint will show more wear and tear over time than natural wood with a poly finish.

Install a Baseboard: national average cost

The national average materials cost to install a baseboard is $1.56 per linear foot, with a range between $1.24 to $1.88. The total price for labor and materials per linear foot is $7.09, coming in between $5.55 to $8.63.

While the installation of the baseboard trim itself isn’t hard, the cutting and measuring of the angles can be a bit tricky. The process is similar to installing crown moulding. A homeowner can easily learn how to install baseboards with this easy-to-follow project guide.

Baseboards in high-traffic areas would benefit from annual repainting to maintain a crisp appearance, while other areas, like guest rooms and offices, can look good even 5 years later.

Tips for Choosing Trim Colors

As a general rule, plan to paint all the trim throughout the main areas of the house the same color to create a unified effect from room to room. In more personal spaces, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, you might want to play around with more unique wall and trim color combinations.

Do my hardwood floors and baseboards need to match? Your hardwood floors and baseboards do not need to match if you will not like the way they look. It might be best to bring some friends over to look at different test samples.

Caulk at the bottom of the baseboard reduces the risk of this happening. Gaps and breaks around baseboards give insects an easy way into your walls where they can build nests and eat away at the structure of your home unseen. Caulk on both the top and bottom edge of the baseboards closes the gaps to keep the bugs out.

Should Shoe Molding Match the Baseboard or the Floor? While there’s no hard and fast rule on this, here’s our thoughts on it: If you are laying quarter round or shoe molding on hardwood floors, you should lay a quarter round or shoe molding that matches the floor wood grain & stain.

MYTH: Everything should match

Painting all window and door trim, crown molding and baseboards the same colour provides consistency, but is not a rule. For example, only black baseboards will anchor a room while having only black crown moulding will frame the ceiling and draw your eye up.

You can now paint your baseboards, trim and drywall walls in the same paint. That means the same colour and sheen which is extremely helpful for DIYers. Below are two examples of walls, baseboards, door frames, doors, and wainscoting all painted in the same colour and gloss all in the same paint.