Our installation teams take great pride in their work and make every effort to avoid any damage to baseboards during the installation process. In fact, they consistently deliver outstanding results in protecting baseboards. What we’ll cover in this blog post applies to fewer than 5% of all installations.
So after a new carpet is installed, why do some customers experience scuffed, scratched or chipped baseboards and others do not?
There are a variety of factors here and we hope to shed some light on what can happen and what you should expect.
Carpet Backing:
The backing of the carpet is very abrasive, and during installation, it will come into contact with the baseboards as it’s being trimmed to fit the room. This part of the process is necessary to installing carpet properly and getting the carpet snug against the wall.
Occasionally, this is what can cause scratches, scuffs or paint chips to come off of the baseboards when the carpet is being installed.
Scuffing baseboards does not happen on every carpet installation but here are examples of where it is more likely to happen:
- Freshly painted baseboards are more likely to scratch and chip because the paint has not dried yet.
- Watered down or inexpensive paint will also lead to more paint chips. Thicker, high quality paints are less likely to have this issue.
- Dark painted baseboards (i.e. black baseboards in a media room) are more likely to show scuffs/chips because underneath the black paint is a white primer. Any scratches become even more visible.
What You Should Expect and Plan For:
If you’re hiring a painter to paint your baseboards before carpet installation, make sure they include touch ups after installation in their price. Most painters will do this as part of their normal service but it’s a good idea to have that conversation ahead of time.
Also, If you have freshly painted baseboards, always schedule carpet 2-3 days after the baseboards have been painted so the paint can cure before the carpet is installed.
It is always best to keep extra paint on hand for touchups after carpet installation. This is considered normal and part of the process when conducting a remodel project in your home.
Check out other tips in our Media Room.
