It’s tough to live in a property that hasn’t been finished properly, whether you bought it that way or through home renovations.
A gap between the baseboard and the floor is one of the more serious issues that might emerge as they can let bugs live in there and dirt and debris. Besides this, depending on your home, there could be a draught blowing.
As a house settles, joints sag, and gaps get larger, so you end up with a large gap between baseboard and floor as they grow further apart.
Should you have something like rough stone flooring or even classic white diamond tiles in your kitchen or central lobby? Any gap between the baseboard and your tiles will be very visible and ruin the appearance. Luckily, in our guide, you can find out more about the gap between floor and baseboard.
By the end, you’ll have enough interior design ideas on how to fill gap between baseboard and floor for a uniform, clean look for your new tile floor. (Learn How Long Does Tile Mortar Take To Dry)
What’s So Bad About Having A Gap Between The Baseboard And Floor?
A gap between a baseboard and the floor appears to be a minor concern, and it is, to some extent. It isn’t going to harm your home too much. The following are some of the reasons why individuals should concentrate on repairing the gap between a baseboard and floor:
It’s unappealing from an aesthetic standpoint and can depreciate the value of your home if you’re trying to sell.
Creepy crawlies could make these gaps a home, and you can’t quickly get rid of them from the gap between your baseboard and floor.
Your heating bills could also rise due to the gap as these areas lack any insulation, and you’ll pay more for heating and air conditioning.
What Can Cause A Floorboard And Baseboard Gap?
The most common reason for a gap between a floorboard and a baseboard is because of the house’s age. Homes’ joints and structures sink and settle as they age. As a result, baseboards and flooring sink unevenly, resulting in gaps. However, this isn’t the only reason this could occur.
A gap can be caused by water damage, poor construction standards, or even removing the carpeting in a room. As a result, determining what triggered it can be difficult. However, the reasons why aren’t as crucial as ensuring that the gap is filled.
If you wonder if it is something that can be fixed by professional caulkers. Yes, you can have a professional who comes and uses a gap fix system, and then being in the trade can color match your baseboard color to your floor or your wall and door frames for the best appearance.
However, if you want a true custom home, you’d take great pleasure in doing this job yourself. Luckily, it is much easier than you think, be it the ceramic tile in your kitchen or bathroom you need to pay attention to in your house. (Learn How To Remove Bathroom Tile From Wall Without Breaking)
How To Fix A Large Gap Between Your Baseboard And Floor
A large gap between your baseboard and floor may seem like a major hassle, but it can easily be fixed with basic home improvement skills.
Here are some of the easiest ways to fix that white baseboard gap.
Quarter Round
Add a length of the quarter-round molding in front of your existing baseboards to fill a gap below them. This low-cost, easy-to-use substance fills the gap and adds layers and detail to your molding. This eliminates any need to remove or change the existing base.
Cut it to length with a miter saw, then finish nail it to the baseboard, fill any nail holes with wood putty, then paint or stain. An eighth-round would be too small for large gaps and to nail, but you could use a strong adhesive if you want finer detail.
Add-On Base
A quarter-round may not be enough to cover a significant gap between your floor and baseboards. A shoe molding is typically taller than a quarter round but uses the same installation process. Consider door or window stops, which can be one inch or greater to disguise even the largest gap. Also, like quarter round, nail or glue these to the installed baseboards.
Add Shoe Molding
If the baseboard is too high, there is another solution. Shoe molding is an L-shaped trim piece used to fill gaps.
When putting the shoe molding, make sure it’s the right size. Buying too-short molding strips may not fill the gap. If the room already has trim molding, you should be able to match it.
Cut and nail the shoe molding to the wall. Then paint it to match the white baseboard or walls.
Use Trim Strips
They are self-adhering silicone strips that fit perfectly in the gaps of an old house. They are ideal for protecting your baseboards and floors from paint or caulk damage. Their adhesive backing seals the gaps.
Then attach the trim strips to the gap, where they will fold between the flooring and baseboards, forming a tight seal like caulk. Trim strips can be found in various colors to complement your wall paint.
Caulk Between Your Baseboard and Tile Floor?
Caulk is best for gaps up to 1/4 inch. Ensure not to use sanded grout between baseboard and tiles as it has no flexibility and will fracture with movement. It can also attract dirt that is hard to clean. If your flooring gap is over 1/4 inch, use your shoe molding and match caulking. (Learn How To Remove Glue From Concrete Floor)
Steps To Caulk the Space Between Baseboard and Tile?
Caulking gaps between baseboards and tile floor is quick and effective.
Materials You Need:
- Latex caulk
- Caulk gun
- Blue tape
- Caulking tool
- Trim paint of your choice
Pick the Right Caulk
Making a strong, waterproof, flexible bond between the baseboard and tile requires the caulk. We need a caulk that will accept paint because we’ll be painting it the same color as your trim. Paint will flake off silicone caulk. Latex caulk is best for this job.
- Choose a paintable, waterproof caulk.
- While caulking flooring and baseboards around the home may require multiple caulk tubes, most rooms only need one tube each, such as your bathroom.
Tape the Tile
Use blue painter’s tape where tile meets the baseboard stop caulk spreading across the tile. The tape’s edge should match the baseboard’s edge when looking at the baseboard from above. From baseboard to tile, the caulk makes a vertical seal.
- Tape off the tile to prevent caulk from spreading onto the grout and tile.
- Use your putty knife to remove old paint.
- Align the tape with the baseboard’s bottom border for a vertical seal.
- The procedure appears tiresome, but it pays off. Your baseboard and tile will be perfectly sealed once you have finished.
Apply Caulk
Cut the caulk tube at an angle, leaving a 1/8-inch gap. Then caulk the gap between the baseboard and the tile floor.
- Trim the caulk tube’s tip.
- Fill your gun with caulk.
- Apply a steady bead of caulk between the baseboard and the tile.
- Caulk the baseboard top if necessary.
Proper baseboard installation includes caulking the joint tops on the installed wood baseboard where it meets the wall if you have a gap there as it makes everything appear professional.
Smooth Caulk
After caulking baseboards to floor, use a caulking tool to smooth the caulk. This smoothes any flaws and leaves a beautiful finish between the wood and the walls or the tiles. This flat surface is easily paintable and resists dirt better.
Smooth caulk between baseboard and tile with this tool. If you have done this before, a wet finger can be used rather than a tool to clear caulking and leave a smooth bottom edge.
Remove Tape
After leveling the caulk, remove the tape. Allowing the caulk to dry will trap the tape, causing a mess.
- Remove tape before the caulk dries. This will give the caulk a neat, professional edge.
- Wipe away excess caulk from tile and grout.
- When removing the tape, wipe it up if any caulk falls on your tile floor. You can quickly remove latex caulk from tile and grout if you don’t let it dry.
Acrylic Caulk
Acrylic caulks, and materials are less sticky than silicone caulks, making them easier to apply. This is why it is one of the most commonly used caulks.
Acrylic caulk has no adhesive properties. It does, however, have a second layer of sealing as a feature. The top and bottom margins can be caulked with a double coat of caulking. It’s even possible to use it on corners!
Acrylic caulking has the disadvantage of not being waterproof. As a result, they should not be used in restrooms or other such areas.
Silicone Caulk
Silicone caulking is frequently used instead of grouting due to its numerous advantages. Its endurance and excellent adhesive properties, for example.
For caulking metal and plastic baseboards with tiles, silicone is fantastic. As a result, it’s ideal for places like the bathroom. It’s not suitable for wooden baseboards, unfortunately. (Find the Best Mop For Laminate Floors
Latex Caulk
Latex caulks have an advantage that acrylic caulks do not. That is, they are watertight. As a result, this caulk is extremely effective in preventing water from escaping through cracks. In addition, you won’t have to worry about the caulks cracking because it’s incredibly flexible!
