How to Fix Water Damage on Baseboards in Your Richardson Home

8/5/2020 (Permalink)

If you notice signs of water damage on your baseboards, contact our Richardson SERVPRO location right away.

Are your baseboards looking a bit odd? As you sweep the floor or do a deep clean, you might stumble upon water damage on baseboards. 

Perhaps this is the first sign of interior water damage, or you’ve dealt with a recent water damage problem that caused wet baseboards. At any rate, baseboards that show signs of water damage ought to be addressed to prevent mold growth and rot.

SERVPRO is here to provide property maintenance guidance and water damage services in Richardson, Texas. In this article, we’ll get to the bottom of water damage on baseboards.

Signs of Water Damage on Baseboards

A baseboard with severe swelling or bending is a telltale sign of water damage. More understated clues are slight bowing, water stains, the start of mold growth, or peeling paint. 

Water that soaks wood greatly compromises its integrity. Baseboards that have been well-soaked with water will show signs of damage.

How to Fix Baseboards with Water Damage

Baseboards are for interior aesthetics. They finish off the wall. So, repairing baseboards restores the look to keep a damaged one from sticking out like a sore thumb.

Fixing baseboards also allows you to investigate further damage to the wall. If mold has started to sprout behind the baseboard or water is leaking under the baseboard, you’ll be able to uncover potential issues during this process.

It’s helpful to have plenty of light for this project. Use a headlamp for extra light, if needed. Also wear safety goggles and PPE (personal protective equipment) should there be any black mold.

1. Loosen Wet Baseboards

Removing the baseboards allows you to observe the extent of the damage and determine how much repair is needed.

To loosen, use a utility knife along the caulk seal to break the hold between the trim and the wall. Be careful not to make the cuts deep as this could damage the drywall. 

2. Pry Off the Baseboard

Now that the baseboard is loose, remove it from the wall. Gently separate the trim from the drywall in sections. As you remove the baseboards, keep the finishing nails with these pieces. 

Once all the baseboards have been separated from the drywall, inspect for other signs of water damage like warping, stains, mold, sogginess, etc.

3. Clean Up Drywall

This step prepares the baseboard to be reattached to the wall. For the best results, the wall should be as smooth as can be. This allows a nice flush contact between the trim and the drywall with a better seal. 

Peel off any bumps from glue or caulk. Use sandpaper to make the surface clean and even.

Use the utility knife to remove old glue and caulk residue from the wall. A smooth surface ensures a better seal when you attach the new baseboard. Finish off rough spots with a drywall sander.

4. Allow Area Under Drywall to Dry

You may discover that the drywall underneath is still somewhat damp. If so, you’ll need to allow the wall and subfloor to dry out completely. If the drywall or subfloor is soaked or warped, it should probably be replaced as well.

The idea is to reattach baseboards to a wall that won’t grow mold or rot. Hopefully, the wall is already dry or mostly dry so you won’t have to replace it.

This is the time to address any sources of water damage. If it’s soaked and you don’t know why you’ll need to determine the cause. If the issue that caused the water damage isn’t fixed, the wall and baseboards will just incur damage all over again and need another replacement.

5. Replace With New Baseboards

Measure the length of where the baseboard trim was removed. This length with an allowance of a few feet is what you’ll need to purchase. The extra length will make up for any errors or miscalculations.

Bring some of the old wood with you to the home improvement store to match the trim. If the original trim was MDF, you might consider upgrading to a wooden trim. MDF is more vulnerable to water damage as it is more porous.

While you are at the hardware store, get a match for the paint color of the original trim. Finding the paint color that matches your trim preserves the continuity of the room’s look.

We recommend that you prime and paint the trim before cutting and reattaching it to the wall.

6. Miter for a Smooth Fit

Miter box cuts at a precise 45 angle for the tail ends of the baseboards. You’ll want the right flush for the trim’s connections at corners and with those pieces still attached.

7. Secure Boards in Place

You’ll need caulk and finishing nails for this step. It is recommended to use silicone caulk for bathroom and kitchen projects. You can either use new finishing nails or reuse nails from the old pieces by removing them.

Apply caulk to the replacement trim so it stays in place. Ensure a good fit with both the trim still attached and the edges (or corners). Once everything looks right, secure the baseboard pieces with the finishing nails.

Apply caulk to the top of the trim for a finishing seal between the baseboard and the wall.

Hopefully, it’s a simple repair with no unsolved contributing water issues. If you can’t figure out what is causing or caused the water damage in the first place, SERVPRO of Richardson is here to help.

Restoration Services in Richardson, TX

SERVPRO is “faster to any size disaster”! Our team of extensively trained water damage restoration technicians is on call 24/7 to respond at a moment’s notice. We arrive completely prepared to start the water damage restoration process so that you can get back to life as usual as soon as possible.

We use the best equipment and technology in the restoration industry to ensure that the property is completely clean, totally sanitized, free of toxic mold, odor-free, and thoroughly dry.

We do an inspection to identify the cause of the water damage to prevent it from happening again.

Our Richardson restoration services include:

• Mold Remediation Richardson
• Water Damage Restoration Richardson
• Storm Damage Restoration Richardson
• Building Reconstruction Richardson

Reach Out to SERVPRO Richardson for Water Damage Restoration

Baseboards are for aesthetic purposes, so we tend to determine if damage should be addressed based on how bad they look. However, water damage on baseboards should be addressed whether they look bad or not.

Identifying the root cause is how you prevent having to do the baseboard repair process all over again. We’re here to answer any water damage questions you have and would be glad to send our experts out to help you figure out the source of water damage issues. We’re here to answer the call 24/7 at (972) 690-1414 or fill out our quick and easy contact form anytime!