# Caulking Baseboards - Does it look good?



## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Wall color

To be honest, if that's stained trim, it's traditionally (almost never) caulked
Of course, every once in a while it happens


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2008)

Usually if I were to caulk stained trim I'd think a clear caulk would look best. That's about the only way I've ever seen it done.


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## JackOfAllTrades (Jan 8, 2008)

slickshift said:


> Wall color
> 
> To be honest, if that's stained trim, it's traditionally (almost never) caulked
> Of course, every once in a while it happens


It is a maple wood stained baseboard. Originally, it had a white latex caulk bead going over the lip of the baseboard where the wood met the drywall.

The problem was that the lip on the baseboard that did not come-out looking right. I taped it off before I painted but the latex paint "built-up" in and around that lip. So there was a ridge of paint on the baseboard lip and it looked sloppy. Even after trying to scrape it away, all it did was ruin the wood lip.

That is when I decided to just caulk it to give it a "clean" look. Now, I just don't know if I should leave it white or paint it the wall color????


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## send_it_all (Apr 30, 2007)

Do anything other than leave it white. I probably would have used "cedar tan" colored caulk instead of white. You might be able to go over the white caulk with the cedar tan caulk, but it will probably build up too thick. Just paint the white caulk the wall color. It will look WAYYY better.


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## jsdennis22 (Jan 9, 2008)

Paint it the wall colour for sure


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

As stated, stained trim is usually not caulked. When it is, it's generally, a color-matched caulk. Since you have caulked it already, your only alternative is to paint it the wall color now (as others have already suggested). 

Good Luck.


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## End Grain (Nov 17, 2007)

I think it should be painted so that the stained wood stands out against it and the wall.


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## JackOfAllTrades (Jan 8, 2008)

Thanks for all the input! The verdict is in. I will PAINT it the wall color. I will post a pic showing the results.

THANKS!


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## BleachCola (Dec 29, 2007)

what about painting all the trim white?


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## JackOfAllTrades (Jan 8, 2008)

BleachCola said:


> what about painting all the trim white?


The baseboard/trim is real wood maple. The wood tone will always look better than just plain white. Actually, the wood trim was an "upgrade" as the standard trim was just white painted cheap wood.


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## JackOfAllTrades (Jan 8, 2008)

I painted the caulk. Much better. Thanks for the advice:


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## white29 (Sep 18, 2007)

I always caulk along trim,stained or not. I think what you've looks great,a nice finished edge.


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## Workaholic (Apr 1, 2007)

I came to late, i would of told you to go wall color for sure. Glad to see you did it and it looks much better. Congrats


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