Painting Baseboards With Carpet Still Down

[frosty]

Hello,
I am new here and I was wondering if anyone can tell what the easiest way is to paint baseboards with the carpet still down.
We will be moving into a new house, and the baseboards in the master bedroom are yellow...yuck.
So, we need to paint them white.
We don't want to pull the carpeting up....what are some suggestions?
Thanks
Kim

[Phelps]

You need to use an edging tool to compress the carpet fibers as you move along. You can use a 'broad knife' used for sheet rock mudding, or one of those vention blind looking tools (inexpensive). If your existing paint is glossy, you'd better sand it first or use that Liquid Sandpaper. Baseboard peels paint easily due to being hit with vacuum cleaners or ?, and new paint over gloss starts peeling off real easy unless you prep it first.

[JCA1]

I would jab drop cloths under the base boards ifthey are up high enough to allow it if it were me. In other words, some people space the baseboards off the floor to allow the carpet to go under them instead of butting up to them. Paint edgers can get paint on the back side which will rub off on the carpet.

[frosty]

Thanks for the tips. However, if I use that mudding tool, won't the fresh painting from the baseboards get on that tool and leave marks on the wood. Do I have to let it dry before moving the mudding tool to the next section?
It will take me all day!!
Kim

[Phelps]

Just don't go nutso and slobber paint all over the edger or else it COULD run aound the backside of the edger and get on the carpet. Think of the edger as sort of a safety backup tool.

You can use one of those el cheapo paint brushes sold in paint stores (at least around here) that cost roughly a dollar and come in 1, 1 1/2 and 2 inch width and they are not thick bristled brushes. They are natural bristle brushes, also. Don't buy those black nylon jobs. Buy either the white bristle ones of the ones that look like they have salt and pepper bristles. They go to a chisel tip when you get paint on them. I can cut right in next to stuff without getting any paint on the adjoining surface. Yet, cover completely the woodwork. I can go to beat the band by using this trick: I paint trim as I go, while I have the paint tray/roller next to me from doing the walls. I don't dunk in a paint can. I dunk in the paint tray and wipe only one side off on the roller cover. I have a blanket I fold to be about 3 feet out from the wall and scoot it along as I go with the paint tray on it, plus a wet sponge that I lay the paint brush on, and a wet rag in case of an accident. I can go real fast like this. I use the 2 inch brush usually. When I stop for lunch, or quit for a while to get called away on some rental house maintenance jobs, I slip the paint tray and roller in one of those (white) kitchen garbage bags and twist the end around the roller handle.