Paint skirting boards before carpet fitting?

[Vicario]

We are having new carpets in two weeks' time. Mrs V. has detected a few scuff marks on the skirting boards and wants me to get busy with the can of white gloss which has been festering in the shed for a couple of years. But the carpet company's instructions say that decoration of skirting should be done after fitting. Any comments? This does seem a recipe for disaster given my record (don't ask!).

 

[sxturbo]

carpt company say that because they got fed up with fitters not taking care when fitting carpet and damaging peoples newly painted skirting.

no one in there right mind would get a can of paint out AFTER brand new carpet has been fitted, especially when you need to paint directly on top of the carpet, touching up is ok

the issue has become worse of late since the switch from oil based to water based paints, water based are really as hard wearing as oil based.

my advice would be to paint the skirting, tell the fitter to be careful, and be prepared to touch up once he's gone.

really if carpet fitters werent in so much of a rush and cleaned there tools they could easily not damage peoples freshly painted skirting.

 

[Mr Chibs]

The fitters may add a Graze/scuff here and there when they’ve finished, especially when they run the bolster chisel along your skirts.

So expect a touch up here and there.

I’d wait until they have been.

 

[Chivas69]

Remove old carpet and do it now. Then when fitters have been you can touch up any marks. Watch your little toes on that gripper though!

 

[Wayners]

One coat gloss or waterbased paint slapped on with no preparation will peal off easy. Carpet fitters come across this all the time.

Oil based gloss can take 6 weeks now to harden fully and really soft for at least 14 days. Waterbased paints take about 7 days to fully cure.

I paint before carpet all the time and recommended carpet is fitted 3+ days later. Only had one problem in all the years and that was a idiot fitter that wrecked every room with gray marks all over sittings. Looked like mmmm all the ways along.
Had one chip a corner but that's it. Fitters need half a chance with proper prep and painting and time to dry

 

[lostinthelight]

Carpets Ive had fitted have had a rough hessian type backing that would take the skin of the knuckles so dont know how it could be done when skirts have been freshly painted without some scuffing .

 

[opps]

I tend to use oil based eggshell but I add some oxidising agent (terebene) to it. Like Wayne I normally recommend 3 to 5 days before carpeting. oil based gloss takes longer to toughen though.

Painting after new carpets have been fitted is a PITA. You get carpet fibres everywhere for the first few weeks.

Typically, the fitters use stainless steel bolsters to push the carpet down but if they use regular ferrous ones it will leave black marks on the paint if you use water based paints..