Gaps on your floor are the last things you would wish to deal with especially if you have a heating system. Gaps between baseboards and laminate floors are just unattractive and can affect your entire house cooling and heating system.
Caulking between the baseboard and floorboards will help solve gaps imperfections on the floor. Caulking the gaps in trim joints, and the gap between flooring baseboards, improve water impermeability of the floor. First, remove all obstacles, vacuum clean the area before applying the caulk, and paint the skirting board, mopboard, floor molding, or base molding.
Discussed here are steps to fix the gap between base molding and the hardwood floor.
How to Fill Gap Between Baseboard and Wood Floor
If the house contractor didn’t pay attention to the baseboards and laminate floor, it might be left uneven with gaps of imperfections. This means you have to make your floor even or trim the boards after they have been installed.
However, caulking will do the job, act as a baseboard sealant, and allow laminate board expansion and contraction with no effects on your floor. The caulk is available in different colors, select the one that matches your floor for uniformity.
Here are steps to fix the gap between the laminate floor and skirting boards.
Choose the right Caulk
Choosing the right caulk goes a long way in leaving a watertight joint on your laminate floor. The caulk includes the following types.
- Latex caulk: It’s a low odor caulk, with great expansion characteristics. Best for indoor areas with limited ventilation.
- Acrylic latex caulk: It’s good for long-term projects, made from latex and acrylic combines such as Dap. It’s more durable than latex caulk and can withstand a higher degree of wear and tear.
- Silicon caulk: Best for tough jobs in extreme temperatures. It best for harshest weather conditions and jobs, but comes with some headache, cant pe painted, strong odor before drying, stains cleaning is a big issue and difficult to clean with water.
Tip: Choose wisely for your caulking needs, don’t be tempted to mix different types.
Clean away the dust particles.
Dust particle debris can affect the outcome of caulking the gap. Vacuum or dust mop the area along the gap to pull and get rid of any dust, dirt, and grime particles between the boards. Vacuuming is a quick, efficient cleaning option for accumulated dust on the gaps.
Damp-mop the area with clean water and allow it to air dry or pat dry with a clean dry microfiber cloth. Caulk will bind the particles it touches, making your floor look unappealing.
Clear the Obstructions.
The area you intend to caulk should be free of obstructions, clear of furniture, area rugs, and any other item. If you have kids and pets, it would be good to keep them off the room.
Whereas caulking in not toxic, removing all the obstruction will help you to work faster as well as minimize the disruption and interference on caulked areas.
Lay down the masking tape
Taping on the area you intend to caulk plays an important role in prevent staining the floor. It also help protect the floor against spills and leaves the caulking job smooth and uniform. Lay two strips along each side of the area to be caulked.
Apply the Caulk on the Gap
Having selected the desired caulk, insert it on the caulk gun. Cut the tip of the caulk container. Compress the gun trigger until it starts flowing out.
Apply it to fit and seep on the gap between the surrounding boards and laminate floor. Continue applying the area with gaps, if need be press the flow with a wet finger to make sure it runs along the caulk line.
You may wipe the excess caulk on your finger with a wet rag. Press it just hard enough to smoothen it into the line. Remove the masking tape along the area caulked. Let the caulk dry for up to 24 hours before using the floor or painting the floor.
Read More: Sanded vs Unsanded Caulk, Caulk vs Grout
Here is how to caulk trim and baseboards
Can you caulk around laminate flooring?
Caulking the edges of your laminate flooring boards help to restore variations that can make it look unfinished in the edges. When installing laminate flooring, it’s common to end up with gaps around the edges. This may cause variations on the edges on the trims where they meet.
Caulking the edged will help fix the gap and seal it off. But how do I seal the laminate flooring edges? Tiny gaps around the edges, especially below the wall trim, can occur due to uneven floor. Even if the underlayments usually smoothen these imperfections, the gaps may still remain between the planks and trim.
Caulking the gaps between the laminate edges and trim will help prevent water moisture seeping to the subfloor. Select the best silicone caulk like GE GE284 Advanced Silicone, GE GE281 Advanced Silicone, and GE GE5070 Advanced Silicone Caulk sealants for the flooring gaps.
Read More: Is Sanded Caulk Waterproof?
Do you Caulk Baseboards before or after Painting?
Caulking before painting, between the board and the laminate, is an ideal solution for gaps between boards. Caulking the laminate flooring baseboards, gaps in trim joints, and the gap between baseboard and wall improve water impermeability of the house.
Caulking is a fairly cost-friendly method to seal small thin gaps between the wall and the basement of the floor. However, it shouldn’t be confused with the painting procedure for protecting the baseboard itself. Painting helps protect the board against wear and tear and water damage to the baseboards.
However, caulking before painting helps make the bottom edges of the floor watertight. But, flooding, pipe bursts, and leaky ceiling can still damage your floor. Consider taking the precaution of waterproofing your house.
Always caulk the bottom of baseboards in the bathroom or any other room before painting. Calking after painting may destroy your floor appeal. In addition, its good to note caulking is not recommended for unfinished floor or walls. Caulking the unfinished wood floor cannot form water-tight seals or joints.
Here a video on how to caulk baseboards.
How much does Caulking cost per feet?
What is the commercial caulking cost per foot? Caulking can be done by a professional or you undertake if you are DIY. The cost of the caulk average between 3-6 $, Caulking Gun costs between 8-16$. According to Small business, the contractor’s cost per foot will be the price of the caulk divided by the distance in feet covered by the caulk. For example, if 1 lb. of caulk will cover 10 linear feet, your cost per foot is the price you pay for the pound of caulk, divided by 10.
Can I seal a gap between a wall and a floor?
Caulking is an easy remedy to fix the gap between the wall and the subfloor. Air seepage Is hard to prevent especially on the old floor. Seepage in spaces between the wall and the floor, especially on the sagging subfloor or due to expansion of the laminate floor may be a common problem.
Caulking allows expansion and contraction and to some extent prevent moisture, mold, and mildew resistance. But how do I seal the gap between the wall and subfloor?
- Remove the plank to expose the space between the wall and the subfloor.
- Clean the area to get rid of dust and dirt particles between the walls and the subfloor.
- Apply the caulk by pressing the caulk gun. Ensure you have cot the container on top to make a hole on it.
- Ensure the caulk lies on the caulk perfectly, you can wet your finger to press it into the gap.
- Allow the caulking to dry for about 24 hrs.
- Replace the boards back to their original place.
Select mold and mildew resistant, non-toxic, and odor-free caulk for your subfloor. Pick a maintenance-free barrier that will be able to prevent dirt, debris, moisture, and air floor.
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