How to Replace Baseboards

Sep 30, 2014

Are you looking to spruce up a room in your house? Maybe the kids finally took their rough-housing too far and the baseboards are damaged. Either way, replacing baseboards in your house can really add the extra touch that will take your house from ok to wow with minimal cost and labor.

Remove the original baseboardsbaseboards

First, you will need to remove the baseboards that are already in place. Use a cutting knife to rip through the caulking that connects the boards to the wall. If you skip this step you run the risk of pulling up the paint and the drywall with it so make sure to do so. Once the caulking is cut through, use a putty knife to slowly disconnect the baseboard from the wall. Do this as carefully as possible in case you did not completely cut through all the caulking. Also be careful because the boards will have long nails sticking out of the backs. This is what your wall will look like afterward:

Prepare your new boards

If you are simply replacing the boards, the easiest thing to do is to take them to your nearest home improvement store so you know the exact size and angles you need the boards cut at. This takes any guessing games out of the question. If you are getting a new kind of board, you may need to take exact measurements of your space. If you drive a sedan than you will likely need to rent a trailer or pickup truck to transport your longer baseboards. Once you have your new boards, be sure to paint them or treat them however you’d like. It will be much easier to do it before they are nailed in place.

Attach your boards stud finder

Now that your boards are ready to go,  place them where they will go, right up against the wall.  Next, use a stud finder to decide where you will nail them in. For shorter walls, you will likely only need two or three nails. For longer walls, use as many as it takes to keep the board completely attached to the wall. You don’t have to nail into a stud, but it makes for a more secure fit. If you are nailing into drywall, be sure to nail at an upward angle for extra security.

Finishing touches

Once your boards are nailed in, use caulking to plug up any spaces between the board and the wall or to cover the nails.

Do you have tips on how to replace baseboards? Let us know in the comments below!

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