# remove caulking/chunky paint from baseboards



## stallinc (Jan 5, 2008)

I pulled the baseboards to put in a hardwood floor and am ready to put them back up. There are considerable amounts of caulking on the tops and some "chunky" paint lines where the quarter rounds were (I have gotten rid of quarter rounds). I want to repaint these before putting them back up, but need to remove the caulking and smooth the paint lines first. Does anyone have any tips/suggestions on the best ways to do this? When chipping the caulking away, I have taken off some wood from the top of the boards - also, the process is pretty labor-intensive. Thanks for advice!


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## kimberland30 (Jan 22, 2008)

You could always use a power sander with rough grit sandpaper...going down to a fine grit before painting. I had to do this to some of ours because my husband got wood glue on our baseboards from when he hung the chair rail, and chipping it off with a scraper/knife damaged some of the wood. I hand sanded because it was a small area.


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## Thepaintman (Jan 17, 2008)

I have removed caulking on hundreds of feet of base in my years of painting with fairly good success. I grab a flexible putty knife and pull toward myself like you would be paring an apple. Pushing away from yourself gouges the wood. Taking it slow and easy helps. You might consider using a hair dyer or heat gun to soften the caulk if the caulk is not flexible. LOL


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## stallinc (Jan 5, 2008)

Thepaintman said:


> II grab a flexible putty knife and pull toward myself like you would be paring an apple. Pushing away from yourself gouges the wood.


Great tip - it worked perfectly! Thanks!


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