How To Make Gaps Under Baseboards Disappear With Caulking

This Method is a game changer when it comes to fixing unsightly gaps under your baseboards.
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Thanks for watching:)

[@grntchstrmdws]

Really appreciate the presented contrast of matching the floor vs. the base board.

[@Jones5774]

I’ve been a carpenter since 1977. I just learned a trick of the trade. I like the sharpie line on the caulking tube.

[@zebfischer6088]

Thats because hopefully you have been just doing it the right way for 20 years and installing shoe

[@bobwilhelm8364]

Also use about a half a coffee mug of warm water with about 6 drops of dish soap to dip your fingers in prior to each wipe. The caulk won’t stick to your fingers and makes a much smoother caulking job.

[@solaveritas2]

Thanks man, I'm about to do this exact thing and have struggled with sticky caulking in the past

[@weldinggirl]

Yes it works perfect!!

[@NateSF1]

I tend to stay away from soapy water when caulking or applying silicone. Having it on your finger is generally ok, but I think spraying it on the caulk is a bad idea. The idea is that the soap prevents the caulk from sticking (from your finger but also from the wall). When you smooth it out, part of what you’re doing is pushing caulk into areas where the application may have been a little light and evening it all out. If that area gets soapy water on it first, it’ll look like it’s applied properly but the caulk won’t stick to the substrate and will lift in the future. I find using tape to mask and a silicone caulking tool produces a perfect result.

[@smarro71]

The gaps on my baseboard molding never bothered me until I watched this video😂. Thanks, now I got some work to do. Great video though.

[@ChrisM-fk1ef]

Thank you in general for taking the time to make all these videos. Super appreciate you sharing your knowledge and expertise!

[@michaels3003]

If you really do, please click on the Thanks button. I did that.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Thank you! I appreciate you checking them out🍻

[@firewulfz]

Thanks I live in an apartment and we had bug’s coming through the baseboards and the complex Guys came in without a caulk gun (just squeezing the tube by hand) and did a crap job around the windows so I’m tackling the baseboards this worked great thanks

[@perniciouspete4986]

I would NEVER have thought of matching the floor color rather than the baseboard color. Obviously, the floor color is 1000 times better.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Yes it’s quite a bit better, I’ve never liked the mood of white caulking along the floor.

[@audiofanaticz]

I just said that same exact thing to myself as well, he says its just a small difference but it's a rather drastic difference when you know what you're looking for!

[@richardbenke9687]

Same here. It would never have occurred to me to match the floor, and it looks SO much better.

[@alexnunez4019]

Wow, I would have never guessed to use the same color as the floor. Great tip!

[@commentsboardreferee7434]

Most of the time when I'm trying to patch, plug or putty I use a shade *darker* than the surrounding areas as lighter tends to stand out more. Maybe underneath the base is different?

[@blthtm]

I've been staring at the gaps between my baseboards and the floor for weeks, lamenting how I could fill them in. Your video was absolutely genius! I've been running around the house with all the supplies you suggested and filling in the gaps like a pro (also thanks to your video). My family thinks I'm crazy, but I'm thrilled to bits to be able to do this. Thank you so much for taking the time to create these helpful videos.

[@MrYoucandoityourself]

Matching the caulking color with the floor is a great idea. Thank you!

[@awaheed6136]

I've been waiting for a clip like this, I was Getting frustrated about the Gaps in My Skirting boards, all a thing of. The past now, thanks for this Tip.

[@carpenterabc]

If a shoe is not warranted, whenever I install base boards, I have always done it the "hard right way". I scribe my base boards to the uneven floor. I use a hand planer first , than belt sander. I make sure that I I beveled "angled" back towards the wall with the planer, thus I only need to sand a little to get to my scribe line up to ~ 1/32 error, then caulk Note there is an old saying among old timers. " Any tradesman can cut a board and install it square, level and plumb, But if you could take a "crooked board" and install it square, level and plumb, and in the same plane on a "crooked wall", then you are a craftsman." When I worked as a carpenter, I got fired from almost every job, for "doing it too slow", but then they would rehire me to "fix the mistakes", I often thanked the other "fast carpenters" for providing me job security... Although, yes I would fix this baseboard the way you suggested, unless the client wanted me to remove and reinstall the baseboard.

[@jeanjacques9980]

In the old days master carpenters never even heard of caulking and the skirting boards/base boards were exact. The days of highly skilled craftsmen seems to be over.

[@carolnogueira-messer6589]

We had floors redone and have huge gaps everywhere, door jambs, baseboards, etc. I never knew about the color match and assumed to use white to match baseboards! I think the color match looks great! Thanks for the informative video. We just had floating floors installed last month and waiting for them to somewhat settle before any sealing.

[@9catlover]

Thank you. i just bought some brown caulk. i was going to use white easifill. wow matching the floor makes it look so much better.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Glad I could help

[@joelcleare]

Awesome. That looks amazing. I did a pretty bad caulk job in a test closet. This is what I will do on the main floor. Thank you a million.

[@tims6540]

Found your channel because my jobsite putting me on punch out in a 20+ floor building. I'll be watching many if not all your vids.

[@rafael2661]

I agree the darker color matching the wood looks much better!

[@The_G]

Thanks for this - I really appreciate your expertise and demonstrations - it's so useful for us so new to doing this. 🥰

[@alext8828]

Good video. This guy knows from what he speaks. Good advice.

[@privateprivate31337]

Perfect video, I've been wondering about doing this and KZbin read my mind and recommended me this video! Didn't search/shop for anything either. Just been thinking about it!

[@hardrockminer-50]

That's happened to me a time or two. Google has mind reading capability. Freaking scary...

[@niallmartin4098]

I enjoyed the vid, but completely unrelated, i love your workshop storage setup. I am planning to redo my workshop storage, and i HATE the fact that most content creators go so fancy and Instagram with their designs. It's a workshop, functional amd simple is the way it should be. No hardwood edging, just simple draws with simple cutout handles. Perfect.

[@paulv8133]

Damn, that's absolutely fantastic! Never thought of this. Thanks man! Color match floor, brilliant!!!

[@TheOne-zu6nr]

Thank you. I noticed that smoothing caulk with baby wipes gives good results.

[@csimet]

Great technique. I find caulking tile floors with color-matched grout caulk to work great using this technique... especially since the gaps at the grout joints show way more than the tile sections themselves. It helps blend in the tile joints and ties in the floor to the base molding. For me, anything less than 1/16" is never going to be noticed by anyone (but you - haha). I try to bend my baseboard down to match the floor as best possible when installing. Scribing base is a royal pain and takes a ton of time to get right.

[@tam8197]

don't do this if you have a floating floor, it will pull apart as soon as you walk on it.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

This is a good point for sure. I should have mentioned this.

[@caitlinwong3128]

​@@TheFunnyCarpenterwhat do I do if I have a floating floor? Ants are getting in my kitchen through the baseboard gap. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@pooyag]

​@@caitlinwong3128ants aren't getting in from under your baseboards. They're coming in from the outside, find the gaps there, baseboard gaps are only aesthetic issue

[@mynameIan]

@@caitlinwong3128caulking isn’t a solution to an ant problem. Sort out the source first. Caulk later.

[@matthoffman6962]

@@caitlinwong3128I thought this too “that caulking would fix the ant problem”. While it may fix it in some areas. The best solution would be to buy liquid ant bait. Let them feed on that few a few weeks first. This will get rid of them and after that if you still want to caulk the gap go ahead.

[@dougb8207]

I think the white caulking looks better. The floor-match caulking gives the impression there's still a gap there.

[@tb2324]

Glad I wasn’t the only one. I honestly thought I was seeing the molding and gaps again pre-Caulk.

[@tuxedocat4768]

Agreed!

[@mehill00]

Me too. It could look different in person, while not under direct lighting, atypical viewing angle for making a video, but as shown the white looked better to me.

[@yeahyeah4244]

Yes, the white makes them look perfectly scribed to the floor. I want the baseboard color to meet down to the floor, not meet the floor up to the gap.

[@samanthasolano2458]

This was so helpful! Thank you! Now I can seal up my apartment baseboards so pests can't come in 😅

[@deadlyicecream1]

use paintable silicone. always the best choice. personally i would never try to mach the floor, i would go for the panel color. as the calk is going vertical to the panel, and not horizontal. Your calking job is also hollow, i would make it straight. we have a little cheap tool called a "cheese" it's a rubber square, instead of using the fingers. for perfection spray a light coat of soap water on it, to not make a mess.

[@tonyc7352]

You videos are getting even better. I'm proud you're Canadian.

[@sheppy101]

I must say, that is a great method, which I am now going to use

[@shawmutt]

I personally would use quarter round, but if I had to caulk I'd use a Cramer profilng tool. I used it to caulk the toilets to the floor and it was magical. No tape needed.

[@b5maddog]

I’m no carpenter, but watch a ton of videos for DIY. I thought I heard it’s not good to caulk around toilets. They said if your toilet ever develops a leak, the water becomes trapped from the caulking will find its way under the flooring and cause big troubles. I personally like the way the caulking fills the gaps around the toilet but don’t ever want to run into any issues.

[@barbnelson9386]

They say to leave the back uncaulked. So it looks good but any leaks will find their way out.

[@vincentjoly9230]

Dont caulk toilets unless on uneven floors

[@zebfischer6088]

Installing shoe/quater round is the right option. Especially if its a floating floor, like so many are.

[@mrmoore9815]

People go to caulking things before knowing what damages can come from it. My opinion: Don't do this if you have any wall plumbing or A/C in the attic. I recently had a leak in the wall from my A/C and the previous owners caulked areas they installed. Well, water traveled under the flooring across the room without us knowing. Flooring replaced! Mold, smell, sheetrock replaced 8" up from floor. I recommend quarter round to let that wall breath better along with seeing moisture as it develops. Good video if you don't have these plumbing concerns.

[@riogrande5761]

My wife and I finished our own basement and we did have gaps under the baseboard when we installed it. It seemed like a no brainer to just caulk the edges to make the gaps disappear. Maybe I should became a KZbin star too! We have used color matching caulk as well.

[@TheRoryR21]

Instant follow. Incredible

[@alexanderchuyko4889]

It`s a nice tutorial!!! Can you tell which compound must be used if the floor is polished porcelain with the same kickboards around, please? Is any "No Gap" solution fir this task, or, what you used only? Thank you

[@Adanacon]

Man love your videos!! But please do a video on scribing baseboards instead of caulking them! We don’t ever caulk baseboards. There’s a cool scribe tool called a “thingamajig”it the best scribe tool I’ve ever used for finishing carpentry.

[@b1j]

Excellent and timely for me. Well done.

[@markm8188]

Great presentation. 😊

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@timrowe234]

Good quality craftsmanship!

[@saltydroog854]

This is a good homeowner tip. but if you are a pro, you just gotta be scribing your base to the floor. Or follow up with a shoe that can flex over the gaps.

[@michaels3003]

How do you find a pro that knows and is willing to scribe?

[@brodiewelbanks1141]

I would say scribing is very situational. Small areas maybe scribe it, A large uneven area a shoe moulding would be best.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

For sure! Carpenters that don’t scribe their base to the floor are hacks🍻

[@saltydroog854]

@@michaels3003 if they don't know how to scribe they are not professional trim carpenters, they are likely just out of work framers.

[@saltydroog854]

@@brodiewelbanks1141I agree. But I rarely have a say in the trim profile I'm installing, that's normally up to the customer, or the contractor paying me.

[@NickWelch]

I don't know about Dynaflex, but if Big Stretch is left unpainted, it will gather dust like crazy that you can never get off. It really requires painting.

[@dougb8207]

I've run into that also; really gets dirty looking after a while.

[@danervin2530]

Also yellows slightly, and collects gnats horribly. I love big stretch for what it does, but Phenoseal is my go-to caulk for non painted applications.

[@danervin2530]

I’ll note I’ve also used hundreds of tubes of dynaflex, and it does do better at staying clean than big stretch, but still requires diligent cleaning every now and again.

[@aptpupil]

This is true of all caulks. Came here to say this

[@billm.8220]

This came at a good time. I need to caulk a few gaps.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Best of wishes on the job🍻

[@Paul-jp8zz]

this is how I've always done it.. EXCEPT! matching the caulk color to the floor instead of the baseboard! how did I never think of that.. makes total sense!

[@ericchapman3245]

A flexible shoe mold looks nice and adds a nice finish.

[@phillyfathead]

Great info and you definitely have the moves😮!

[@privateinformation784]

Quality video, superb instructions and greatly appreciated!

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaellacaria910]

Great advice as usual… the bloopers are the best!

[@ZetaReticulian]

i don't know man.... this method seems WAY more complicated and involving WAY MORE mess than how i accomplish this. I literally have the same caulking gun BTW, love it. I've been doing A to Z remodeling of old trailer homes for the past 3+ years now and i can caulk the baseboards and door and window trim for the entire home in less than about an hour. One long swipe down the board no matter the length, then one swipe at about a 45 degree angle with one finger and that's it. comes out perfect, no messy over caulking to have to clean up or anything. Most of it is due to actively regulating the pressure on the caulking gun trigger and speed at which i drag the gun across the gap. I guess just from doing this for so long you just become proficient and for lack of a better work learn the "feel" of how to apply it efficiently. Or perhaps i'm just built differently . LOVE the content! one of my top 3 YT channels that really helped me build everything i have learned in the past years ;)

[@jennifer_u]

Agreed. And I wipe any excess off the floor with glass cleaner and paper towels. Super easy.

[@dongarnier5890]

What is this fascination with a bit of gappage? Being a fussy boat builder type, I did the trim in my house to my satisfaction. Turns out I should have painted it too because even after requesting NO CAULK due to it always looking dirty after a while, the painter still caulked it. Six years later I am starting to feel the need for a razor blading of all the caulked seams, even though the painter did a fairly decent job. That all said, this is great advice for "industry standard" trim jobs.

[@StuPierce77]

Great tips! Thanks for the knowledge.

[@contax50mm]

I love all your knowledge and tips. Could i suggest a video or two on dealing with stained or bare wood where paint can be covered up?

[@terran5569]

I would not use caulk under the baseboards on a floating floor. as it is designed to float, to move with expansion and contraction. If necessary, level the floor or scribe and cut or plane to fit. If the floor is in a wet room, like a bathroom or laundry room, and expansion is not significant, use clear calk to seal. and the bottom line of the baseboard remains straight and does not appear to curve to follow the floor.

[@addisonpann9658]

Is it best to paint the baseboards before or after caulking the gaps beneath them? I would assume since you recommend color matching to the floor that the baseboards should be painted first.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Correct

[@dandavis6801]

Much appreciation for this video. One question, does this method work the same if my baseboard meets a concrete floor? Or do i need a different kind of caulking mix? Thank u 👍

[@donaldsmyth727]

Great teacher, tysm! More dances at the end please!

[@HiFiInsider]

I have this exact problem after installing new flooring.

[@robert1408]

In your experience I have tan/oak colored baseboard to a white drywall. Is it better to match the caulk color to the baseboard for gaps or the white drywall? Thank you for lots of great tips!

[@jackhammer9775]

1/4 round works wonders.

[@DaizyEckleburg]

This is magic. Thank you!

[@TheRobertschutte]

Would you do this step before or after painting the skirting?

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

before

[@TheRobertschutte]

Thank you

[@beckygossett4697]

I used this technique for recaulking a bathtub. So much easier.

[@JonMotivationalRend]

I wasn't going to use tape, but I will now. Thanks. How about clear corking ?

[@danyaramirezgomez]

New to this kind of thing, but what happens with the movement of the floor when the wood contracts or dilates during the year? Wouldn't this get in the way of the movement?

[@NuttyElf]

no, its flexible

[@daleirish6682]

i have a sculpted porcelain tiles that look like real stone, there are areas that there is no way i could get the base board flush. i have tried a couple different times to caulk them. I may try this method. one spot in particular drives me nuts. good advise on tyring to match the floor color instead of the baseboard color. that may be tough too, but worth a try

[@davesch1512]

I have never seen caulking the baseboards to the floor before

[@seanschraidt3985]

Thats because wood expands and contracts and unless you are using luxury vinyl and your foundation is super stable, that shit is going to pull apart and look like garbage.

[@michaels3003]

Thanks!

[@phineusphineas]

I like to paint my caulk lines. It is easier to clean up when it gets dirty and won't yellow, discolor, or crack with age once it's painted. Since I am probably painting the baseboards white I would go with a white caulk rather than try to color match the caulk color with the floor

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

Painting the caulking is an extra step that can definitely has merit. Especially if your going to be painting the baseboards anyways.

[@tonycavaliero2037]

If you put pressure on the top of the base before you shoot it to the wall you can eliminate the gaps on the install of the base.

[@bencashman1017]

Use the same tape technique but instead of caulk, Bondo the gap square with a putty knife and then prime/paint to match the baseboard.

[@falconjob]

No flex

[@RedemptionWon]

We just had flooring installed on one of our rentals, and there are gaps everywhere! Should we let the floating floors settle before caulking?

[@oseasviewer7108]

Nice video - pity about the hair (hiding under the hat?). this tip is a great solution I was looking for in the bathroom to resolve the seam between tiles on the bath and tiled floor. Thank you.

[@petemiller519]

Latex caulk shrinks too much. Big Stretch should be renamed Big Shrink. I use white silicone, which does not shrink and is not a magnet for dirt. I really like the floor colour match caulking, however, time to rethink my caulking. Great stuff, Cheers from Canada.

[@nailbanger2]

You do you. For everyone else, be aware that nothing sticks to silicone, so when it's time to paint again you WILL have problems.

[@michael3kennedy]

When our new hardwood floors were installed they left a gap between the floor and the baseboard at the doorways of one-half to three-quarters of an inch. Since this would be too large to simply caulk, what do you suggest in order to fix this? Thanks for your suggestions.

[@seen48]

I think painters tape (the green one) is more than okay. That frogs tape is double the price. If you wet your finger, the caulking wipes right off. Really both great tips to get the job done.

[@kama357]

Thanks for the informative channel and tips! Very helpful!

[@Perfectly_Balanced930]

This looks like it works nice on straight lines but how would you make inside and outside corners look nice and neat? How about around door casings?

[@daisy7987]

Since the floor is "floating" won't the caulk secure it and not let it expand and contract with the change in temperature? Or will the caulking crack?

[@carpenterabc]

I want to add that most of the other comments by the "other carpenters" here are very obnoxious, and I am not surprised, since most carpenters I worked with were the " I know everything and I am fast, and you can't teach me anything new!" type. I am "always learning new methods from other craftsmen. I once had another carpenter asked me " How come you get all the "high end nice jobs"...where I can take my time ?

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

I always get a chuckle from guys that say if you tried that in my company you'd get fired by lunch...or I don't choose to work for a company that has no respect for quality:). If you develop a reputation as a high quality carpenter, you won't be sitting around home much.

[@Hotitalianman]

Scribe it with a compass then trim the baseboard. That's what the pros do. I did. Works like a charm. Just follow the contour of the floor.

[@resource8187]

Great video thanks!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩 Unfortunately I can't find elastomeric sealant in the shop, can I use acrylic silicone like Pattex? (yellow or brown in my case) or would it last a short time?

[@MrNat4Real]

Thanks for the video. It is timely. I noticed the gap as an issue only a few hours ago and was thinking about how to fix it.

[@TheMorumotto]

thank you, man

[@kennethmunro7480]

Keep the gap handy for sweeping your dust under 😉

[@Toasty5386]

The gap was still obvious with the dark caulk and the white was obvious because you’ve used white on a different colour. You’re probably best just colour matching to whatever the lightest colour is, otherwise the darker caulk will likely still make it look like there’s a gap there. Another way to do this without the tape is to use a damp cloth to go over your finger and wipe away the excess. Doing it this way will wipe most of the excess off the surfaces and also create more uniform bead.

[@JenJenANDChrissy]

Question: Why wouldn't you just sand down the points of contact so the board lies perfectly flush to the floor? Is this bad?

[@MsMiffs]

What are your thoughts about clear caulking? I really only need to fill in the gaps for bug purposes and visually the gaps don’t bother me that much.

[@johntheboy6555]

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think it looked better just having the gap. The caulking really stands out IMO.

[@luvyatubers]

I lived in a newly built house for years and never knew until the last year that under the floorboard and carpet was an inch gap outside. Removed it for some reason and saw sunlight. The Winters were cold and ants in warm weather. Happy a snake did not slither in because they liked to nest in decorative rocks on the outer side of the wall

[@bimgorling2036]

And WHY have I been cutting the tip on the tubes straight all these years? 😩 Thankfully I haven't been using any type of caulking regularly (obviously 🤦🏻‍♀️), but the amount of time and excess of product I've wasted! 🤣 Anyway - thank you for another great video!

[@twentyonehertz]

Damn caulk is a maintanance item, and caulking all your baseboards in a house is a chore, and unless you tape it right it looks like shit. It's best to just leave the gap, otherwise, your floating floor, isn't floating.

[@michaels3003]

Little caulking is not going to stop a large floor.

[@twentyonehertz]

@@michaels3003 good luck dealing with it yellowing and hair sticking to it.

[@mariodegrazia7497]

Really great video, great tip!!!

[@DannyBPlays]

4:59 I watched this part like 5x and it still appears to have a large gap. I know it doesn't, since it's brown, but this title says make the gaps "disappear" and they don't have the appearance of being any different

[@jenkins5265]

Does wood expand and contract…would this….hinder that?

[@johndaniel21343]

Wonder if it's same procedure if spacing is on the floor, renovate the space, but kept the old floor and I have little space between the floor and the trim

[@victoriamir9043]

Niceeeee!!!! Love your Spence of humor at the end😂❤

[@o3nisoaso3]

Best way to fix those gaps are with a piece of quarter round, it'll flex and adds an extra profile to the trim which makes it seem more intricate and doesn't involve the mess of caulking. Scribing and cutting base to fit tight looks chincy to me as you can see the humps in floor in the base

[@Perfectly_Balanced930]

How do you cut the tip of the caulk tube? I know with a razor or the cutter in the gun, but I mean how much do you trim off and at what angle? Thanks.

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

For this it doesn’t really matter much. For other jobs it does though.

[@Perfectly_Balanced930]

@@TheFunnyCarpenterwhen does it matter?

[@TheFunnyCarpenter]

@@Perfectly_Balanced930 check out the video at the end of this video.

[@HugeBusch]

Thank you for these videos!

[@MeBreezy]

If you bought the 30, couldnt you buy a 21 milwaukee mag and change? At my local HD replacement magazines are on clearance