Need painters opinions

[lines4life]

Hi guys, long time reader, first time poster. Anyways I’d like the opinion from some pro painters to settle a quarrel between the misses and me. She would like to remove the hot water baseboard supports from the wall so that you don’t see a “paint line”. I’ve removed them before and it’s kind of a PIA, and seems excessive in my opinion. Just curious how many pro painters on here would remove the baseboard vs. just painting as close as possible with a brush and roller. I attached a pictures of the supports and the covers that go over the supports

 

[Dagny]

why?

 

[cgrutt]

I've removed them before when either replacing them and/or replacing drywall behind them but would definitely not recommend removing them for painting. Use painters tape if you can't paint a straight line. Better yet apply some clear caulk over painters tape, spread it with a damp rag and/or finger, cut in your paint and remove the tape before caulk and paint cures line will be as straight as you can tape it.

 

[MovingAlong]

She would like to remove the hot water baseboard supports from the wall so that you don’t see a “paint line”. I’ve removed them before and it’s kind of a PIA, and seems excessive in my opinion.

So who is running the project? If it's the wife, remove them. If it's you, leave them.

Painted professionally for many years. Proper prep work IS the job, applying paint is easy...

 

[Zeke]

I can see the reasoning for removing as each coat of paint will build up and leave more of a line.

But that's what sanders are for should you ever change out the heaters for a smaller model (lower on the wall).

 

[DGersic]

She wants them removed. You remove them.

 

[Shiftless]

The way I see it, if you remove the covers, paint the wall, and replace the covers, you won’t see a paint line.
Be careful about pursuing perfection on household painting jobs. What about the gouges on the wall we see at the left of your photo? Will you have to skim coat the whole wall to fix minor dings? If that wall is improved, will the other walls look bad in comparison? Where do you stop?

BTW, I’m not a pro painter but I still do my own house painting inside and out and I’ve been married for close to 50 years so I know married life quite well.

 

[Sweetcorn]

I'd hand her the tools to remove one, then ask her if she felt it was worth the effort after she got it removed. No attitude, no setting her up for failure or anything like that.

Personally, I would not remove them. If my wife wanted it done and felt it was worth the hassle and she was willing to put the time in to help, that would be great. Then everyone would be happy. She just might not be aware of the amount of work that it takes to do that compared to what you get out of it.

 

[The Cobbler]

a good brush & a steady hand should be able to get far enough behind so it doesn't show unless you get out a magnifying glass.
also the top photo looks like the wall paint is already gobbered up with wall paint.
try a wide drywall knife shoved into the crack and use it as a guide to keep paint off the heater. you have to wipe it all the time or it will make a mess too.

 

[Zeke]

Just tape it and try not to let run go behind the heater. As I said, I can see the wife's point. She's just looking ahead. If you give her confidence this isn't going to be a problem I think she will back down. But she knows you better than we do.

 

[GrayFlattop]

She wants them removed. You remove them.

Yeah, some arguments just aren't worth having. Not a pro painter, but I'm been married for 45 years, so...

One would think that a pro painter would quote the job according to the specifications set forth. If you state "remove and replace the covers" it would probably be one price. Mask and paint would probably be another price.

If it were my house, I would remove them. Nice covers, BTW.

 

[PWC Repair]

I'd tell her "Go ahead and have at it." Otherwise just mask it off properly and there'll be no 'line'.

 

[HalfTonTom]

Well, you could back the screws out just (or pull the nails out) a bit to get a brush down there far enough to eliminate the "paint line."
Oh, and make sure she's out somewhere when you do this...

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

If the covers are difficult to remove slip aluminum foil behind them and fold it over to cover them.

 

[Beemer]

I used to paint apartments for a college job. It was a never ending job in a large project.
Guided by the complex's permanent painter (one of the guys with the white cargo pants), we painted the baseboard heaters along with the walls. They all blended in well that way. Metal baseboard units always seem to have an odd color that looks weird if not changed.

 

[lines4life]

Thanks for all the responses, I enjoyed reading them. I knew what my decision was before I even posted. I guess it was just more of a vent than a question on what to do. Happy wife happy life, they say.

 

[oldmachinenut]

A guy I worked with a few years ago removed ALL of the wood trim before painting instead of careful brushing or masking. He said I was crazy cutting in with a trim brush instead of removing the trim.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Do what she asks. It's not all THAT hard in comparison to her thinking that you don't care what she wants. Then, DO NOT act annoyed. Just do it with no bellyaching and no cursing.

 

[rburke65]

Happy wife….happy life….

 

[pcmeiners]

With the condition of the walls and the texture from using high nape rollers, and thick paint, I would not worry about doing anything to the heat covers, just mask.

 

[Montauket]

Tape and paint you have over the top covers . Leave it a smidge proud on the re install if you can.

If you had just the front face cover I’d say your wife has a valid point as that top edge would be exposed . It would be a better finished product.

 

[Nutria]

Don't paint yourself into a coroner.

 

[Stelzer]

I've painted 35 years and never removed the actual baseboard supports. Covers, always, but not the frame. I find it interesting that your wife would be so concerned about a hard line on the supports that wouldn't even be visible when the covers are back on, yet just in that 2nd pic I can see both horizontal & vertical roller tracking, texture blobs, gouges, debris in paint, and 3 nail pops.

 

[zak77]

Instead of removing them, which would be done in a perfect world, just remove the nails that hold them to the wall and pry them away from the wall so you get about a 1/4" gap so you can sand down any paint lines from past painting then you can work the brush behind it leaving a nice, smooth painted surface when you reattach them.

 

[gsmith22]

i'm not sure I would ask for pro painter advice. based on the pro painting I've seen, they don't even remove switch, outlet, wall vent covers and just cut in up to the cover leaving it on the wall. maybe I haven't seen true pro work. ymmv

 

[Zeke]

i'm not sure I would ask for pro painter advice. based on the pro painting I've seen, they don't even remove switch, outlet, wall vent covers and just cut in up to the cover leaving it on the wall. maybe I haven't seen true pro work. ymmv

That's not professional level painting. However, nothing says a good painting contractor doing rentals for what can be charged will go beyond only what he has to in order to get a unit painted.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Happy wife….happy life….

Pardon my vulgarity but to THIS^^ saying I say Bullsh*t.

It's Happy Spouse, Happy House. It should NEVEr be a one way proposition.

 

[Viper98912]

For those recommending to hand your wife X tool to go do whatever the task is, is this a serious recommendation? This sounds like an opener to making it a real argument.

For stuff that is truly not worth it, I'll just go ahead and argue on it and not do it. For stuff that is an annoyance but will make her happy, I'll do it, but she'll partake in the hard work by having to hear me grumble about it for X hours or X days while I'm working on it. When the job is done, everyone is happy and it's no longer an issue.

 

[Sweetcorn]

For those recommending to hand your wife X tool to go do whatever the task is, is this a serious recommendation? This sounds like an opener to making it a real argument.

For stuff that is truly not worth it, I'll just go ahead and argue on it and not do it. For stuff that is an annoyance but will make her happy, I'll do it, but she'll partake in the hard work by having to hear me grumble about it for X hours or X days while I'm working on it. When the job is done, everyone is happy and it's no longer an issue.

Since I said it, I'll assume this is directed at me...

Short answer = yes it is a serious recommendation. As I stated, I'm not setting her up for failure. Just handing her the tools so she can see how much labor is involved in such an unnecessary proposition. Any paint line is going to be hidden well below the outer cover that goes over the base.

Perhaps I'm spoiled because my wife has never, not once, tried to boss me around and tell me how to do a project. I don't need to bow down to her rule and I would never want or expect her to bow down to mine. That's no way to live for either half.

If she had an unreasonable request, like this one, I'd walk her through the steps so she could do them and she'd see the effort needed and the results. It wouldn't be an argument and she would walk away from it either happy she learned something, or she'd be helping out because she understands that I don't see the payback for the effort the same way she does. No harm, no foul. We've been through this process countless times over the years.

There are some things I like cooked a certain way that my wife doesn't feel are worth the effort. I'll take care of those things and we are both happy. We both feel it's better to respects someone's limits rather than make them do something a way they don't want to. It's been working great for twenty something years of marriage so far. Getting easier as time goes by...

 

[Viper98912]

Since I said it, I'll assume this is directed at me...

Short answer = yes it is a serious recommendation. As I stated, I'm not setting her up for failure. Just handing her the tools so she can see how much labor is involved in such an unnecessary proposition. Any paint line is going to be hidden well below the outer cover that goes over the base.

Perhaps I'm spoiled because my wife has never, not once, tried to boss me around and tell me how to do a project. I don't need to bow down to her rule and I would never want or expect her to bow down to mine. That's no way to live for either half.

If she had an unreasonable request, like this one, I'd walk her through the steps so she could do them and she'd see the effort needed and the results. It wouldn't be an argument and she would walk away from it either happy she learned something, or she'd be helping out because she understands that I don't see the payback for the effort the same way she does. No harm, no foul. We've been through this process countless times over the years.

There are some things I like cooked a certain way that my wife doesn't feel are worth the effort. I'll take care of those things and we are both happy. We both feel it's better to respects someone's limits rather than make them do something a way they don't want to. It's been working great for twenty something years of marriage so far. Getting easier as time goes by...

Wasn't just you, it was recommended at least 2 or 3 times in this thread. Glad your setup works for you, different [paint] strokes for different folks.

In our house this approach would be received negatively, as it is a way of being setup for failure. I have things that I'm good at, she has things that she's good at. When asking the other person to do something they may not be as good at, especially in a testy situation, it's received as sticking it to them. And that's no bueno.

But we are also not the type of couple that bosses each other around, so we'll either not do it if it truly is not worth it, or we'll grumble about it until the job is done to help "share the load".

 

[Sweetcorn]

Wasn't just you, it was recommended at least 2 or 3 times in this thread. Glad your setup works for you, different [paint] strokes for different folks.

In our house this approach would be received negatively, as it is a way of being setup for failure. I have things that I'm good at, she has things that she's good at. When asking the other person to do something they may not be as good at, especially in a testy situation, it's received as sticking it to them. And that's no bueno.

But we are also not the type of couple that bosses each other around, so we'll either not do it if it truly is not worth it, or we'll grumble about it until the job is done to help "share the load".

I'm glad you have a setup that works for you and also know what doesn't. Sometimes knowing what doesn't work is more important, lol.

My wife and I most definitely have our specialties as well. She is pretty hands off when it comes to doing anything mechanical or tool related, so she sometimes doesn't know what is involved in a request. That's where the show her and let her try approach is often eye opening. And honestly, sometimes the required drudgery of a task might be something I don't want to deal with but she doesn't mind because it is new to her. But I can almost always count on a "Yeah, that *****, nevermind" after she tries something I'm avoiding and we can both be happy.