Drywall Mud or Wood Putty This will smooth out damaged texture and hide a multitude of trim and molding sins. If your molding is painted, drywall mud is a better option as it can be easily painted over. If your trim is stained, you should use a wood putty that closely matches your molding.
Small dings, scratches, and cracks can be repaired using wood putty. For larger areas with more extensive damage that requires it to be rebuilt, such as deep gouges or broken corners, epoxy filler is a better option. If you are repairing stained wood, be sure to select a stainable wood filler.
You don't need to replace all the baseboards, but you would need to pull them all off, cut out the bad sections, and then reattach and phase in new matching baseboard, caulk in, and paint.
You can get away with touching up baseboard more so than any other trim work. I agree filling in chips and repainting the entire piece is best but it's worth a try to see if touch up will be acceptable.
Luckily, baseboards aren't too hard to remove and replace. Score any paint attaching them to the wall with a razor then pry off as gently as possible. Minor damage can be repaired with some type of putty if you decide to put them back on.
Whether it's the baseboards, ceiling, walls, or floors, water damage usually appears the same way. Look for any discoloration, peeling, or stains. On unpainted wood, it may be a little more difficult to notice. However, issues such as stains or loose paint on your baseboards is a sign of water damage.
Be extra cautious when painting over any baseboards or pieces of crown molding that have signs of water damage, since some of these may be made of wood composite; this may need to be replaced, instead of repainted.
Instead of ripping out and replacing the old baseboards, we simply slid the CoverTrim over the top of the older baseboards. Then we nailed it in place and kept on going.
Don't rush to replace your damaged baseboards just yet. Patching imperfections and holes in baseboards is easier and often cheaper than full replacement. In the video above, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shares a clever technique for patching baseboard holes with a custom-made template and router.
One of the easiest ways to fix these errors is by applying drywall mud or wood putty to the holes and gaps. This will smooth out damaged texture and hide a multitude of trim and molding sins. If your molding is painted, drywall mud is a better option as it can be easily painted over.
Repairs. Similarly, if your baseboards get damaged, you may need to have a pro fix them. Fixing trim or baseboard issues will cost between $5.70 and $9 per linear foot, depending on the extent of the problem and the materials needed to fix it.
Fix scratches with a fill stick, restore moulding with hot glue, and cover damage with wood filler. Sand and paint for a beautiful finish.
Baseboard moulding is a simple way to add instant character to a room. While installation of baseboard trim isn't hard, cutting and measuring the angles can be tricky. The process is similar to installing crown moulding.
Designed to install over existing mouldings, CoverTrim is the perfect solution for refreshing outdated trim mouldings without the hassle of tearing out the old trim. Made of durable medium-density fiberboard (MDF), CoverTrim comes primed and ready to paint.
Ever wondered if you can paint a baseboard heater? The answer is: YES. If you've got a rusty or old baseboard heater in need of a fresh, clean update, we're here to help.
So, replace it with a natural and effective magic eraser. Simply wet it and rub over the stain or spill. They work wonders by removing difficult stains and sticky residue from the delicate surface. You can pre-treat the area with hydrogen peroxide and achieve sparkling results.
For small dings, cracks and scratches, wood putty is best. If there are deep gouges, broken corners, or areas that need to be “rebuilt”, epoxy filler is best. First, begin by sanding off any raised edges and splinters with a piece of sand paper. This will make it so the application of filler goes on smoothly.