How To Paint Skirting Boards With Carpet Down

Choosing a new colour to paint a room or simply repainting with the same colour is a brilliant way to quickly refresh the look of a room. Painting the walls is the easy part - but what do you do when you get to the skirting boards and you have carpet? We're going to give you some advice on how to paint skirting boards with carpet down already.

It doesn't matter if you need to know how to gloss skirting boards with carpet down or paint them with matt paint. You can use the advice in this post regardless of the type of paint you have chosen.

Preparation Before Painting

Before you start painting, you'll want to prepare both the skirting and the carpet. Skipping prep can increase the risk of getting paint where you don't want it to go - more so here where the carpet fibres are often touching the base of the skirtings.

Good preparation leads to a professional finish so don't skip the following steps.

Make sure you've got the correct tools for the job too. Using a 5cm (2 inch) paintbrush will yield the best results (use a larger brush if you've got particularly tall boards) as well as choosing the correct type of paint for skirting.

Masking tape is another essential to ensure neat and tidy lines.

Tip: the following advice can be used if painting skirting boards near carpet or hard flooring. If anything, you'll probably find it slightly easier with a hard floor!

Preparing The Skirting Boards

When it comes to preparing the skirting boards before painting, you'll want to follow a few basic steps.

We'd advise that you quickly clean them to remove any residue or dirt stuck to the surface.

The next and arguably most important step would be to sand the skirting board down so that the surface is smooth.

Any holes or cracks you come across can be filled and sanded down. This will no doubt make the end result as good as it can possibly be.

A quick hoover will remove any dust left behind by sanding.

Of course, you could just give the skirtings a quick wipe over and then start painting. But the finish you achieve will be subpar - we're aiming for the best finish possible here.

Preparing The Carpet

The last thing you want when painting skirting with carpet is to get the paint on the carpet.

Again, taking your time with the preparation here will keep your carpets safe and make paint application quicker too.

Here are a few techniques that you can use to learn how to protect carpet when painting skirting.

Lifting The Edges

If you're able to, the best way to prepare the carpet is by lifting the edges and folding the carpet away from the walls. This method will ensure your carpet is out of harm's way, but make sure you're confident that you can refit the carpet into place once you're finished.

This option is normally preferred as it is less work than having to remove the carpet altogether before painting.

Using Masking Tape

If you don't want to move the carpet, you'll be looking to protect it as best as you possibly can.

The easiest way to do this is with masking tape.

Before you start applying the masking tape to the carpet, you'll want to grab the hoover and ensure the area is clean. This will help the masking tape sit flush on the carpet and level along the bottom of the skirtings.

The best kind of masking tape to use is low tack and make sure that it is wide too (at least 50mm / 2 inches).

Low tack means that it is less likely to get stuck to the carpet making application and removal easier. The wider the masking tape, the more carpet you are protecting from accidental brush strokes.

When you lay the masking tape down, try to ever so slightly overlap the skirting board. Once you've covered the intended area, you can gently push the excess tape underneath the skirting.

Using A Dust Sheet

A good alternative to masking tape would be a dust sheet. These cover a large area and are easily held in place.

However, most people are less likely to have these lying around so masking tape will be the easier option.

Using Cardboard

If all else fails, you're bound to have some cardboard lying around (ready for the recycling bin we hope!).

Think thin cardboard like cereal boxes. You can cut these into strips and easily slide them between the skirting and carpet forming a makeshift barrier to stop any excess paint from reaching the carpet.

Carpet Protection

One of the most effective (yet costly) ways to protect your carpet when painting skirting boards is by shielding it.

Carpet protection can be purchased in rolls. You simply unroll it on top of your carpet and it immediately offers a tough barrier between the paint and the carpet.

Start Painting!

Now you've read this blog post, you should be an expert on how to paint skirting boards without getting paint on the carpet!

As always, a little care and patience go a long way when it comes to DIY and decorating. With this in mind, you should always achieve a professional and clean finish.

Check out our other blog posts for more tips and tricks when tackling projects around the home.

Lee Watkinson

Digital Marketing Director at Skirting World with 10 years of experience in Home Interiors & Manufacturing.