As I always say, you don’t know what you don’t know. Every time someone does a job where baseboards, casings and paint are involved, I am sure this question has come up. The answer will differ depending on your skill level and who you ask. Also, on the task at hand. There are always recommendations when it comes to doing renovations and those can (and will often) change depending on the situation.
So, should you paint or caulk baseboards first? Caulk the baseboards before painting when possible. Caulking adheres better to fresh wood surfaces than paint. When using a paintable caulking, you can then paint both the baseboards and caulking with the same paint providing a beautiful finish.
There you go, caulking should be done first. Of course, then the question comes up regarding how hard it is to paint baseboards while they are attached to a wall versus laying them out on a workbench to be painted. If installing baseboards was always the exact same process, then it would be easier to know what to do. Let’s go over a few different scenarios and talk about what to do first. Here we go!
When Doing Renovations Should You Paint or Caulk Baseboards First?
It depends. If your renovation will not allow for any spray painting to be performed after the boards are installed, then you will need to paint the baseboards prior to cutting and installation. Most do-it-yourselfers will end up painting the boards on a couple of saw horses outside or in the garage and then install them.
If you are doing the typical job that won’t easily allow for spray painting, then installing pre-painted boards is a great option. This means that caulking will come second and then you can decide if you want to paint the caulking afterwards.
New Home Builders Paint Baseboards before Installing
If you are purchasing a new home you won’t really have to worry about painting or caulking baseboards, as the builder’s painter will do this. You must be curious though on what these professional painters do.
Over the years, baseboards were always painted before they were cut and installed when it came to new homes. Now the trend is to install all of the baseboards and casings and spray paint them in place before any flooring or painting is done on the walls.
This process makes for a nicer finish because of using a sprayer as well because the boards are painted in place so any issues can be dealt with right on the spot.
Is it Really Necessary to Caulk Baseboards?
This is a great question and honestly you don’t really have to caulk baseboards. I would say 99% of the time it’s all about appearance, there is no functional reason to do this.
That being said, when you see new baseboards installed, sometimes there are large gaps along the top edge of the board where it is supposed to meet the wall. Sometimes it is just, unavoidable because of walls and floors that are all out of whack. In this case, caulking will make a huge difference in the appearance.
Even newer home builders (that are proud of their builds) will put a fine bead of caulking on the top side of baseboards and around casings. This just creates a really nice finished look. I moved into a new home a few years ago and some of the casings weren’t caulked so I ended up doing it myself.
Like I said, it gives a nice finished look and on top of that, it just might stop the transfer of cool and warm air from outside to inside.
Can You Paint Over Fresh Caulk?
Now, assuming you have decided to caulk your baseboards, can you paint it right away?
If you know this is what you will want to do, then when purchasing caulking, make sure the product you choose will accommodate this.
Personally, I have painted caulking within 10 to 20 minutes of applying it. Depending on how wide the bead is, you might want to let it set up a bit so you don’t have brush marks in the caulking. That is my only cautionary warning.
How Do You Seal Baseboard Gaps?
Whether you are caulking the top edge of a baseboard or need to fill gaps where the baseboards join (the mitered joints), I would recommend you use a paintable caulking.
Filling the gap and then wiping it out with your finger is the best way that I have found that works when caulking. It’s so easy even a child could do it. Well, maybe that’s a stretch but that’s just how easy I feel this job is.
The nice thing about working with caulk is that it is water soluble, meaning you can wipe it up easily if you apply too much. If you end up wiping too much out of the joint with your finger, you can just apply more right away and rework it.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, does it really matter what you do first? Probably not.
Will you really notice the difference? You might if you get down on your knees to have a look, but does it matter? Nope.
The biggest takeaway I would say from this article includes two things:
- Caulking sticks to fresh wood much better than a painted surface. Although, it also sticks to painted surfaces quite well.
- After caulking, I recommend painting over the caulking with the same paint as the baseboards. This will provide a beautiful finished look that you are probably looking for.
And there you have it, now you are ready to go tackle those baseboards and the caulking. Thanks for reading.
