How to Fill Gap between Baseboard and Tile Floor (2 Easy Methods)

A gap between the baseboard and tile is one of the common signs of floor’s improper finishing. So, it’s unpleasant to look at and unfamiliar to live in that home. Not only that, the gap can be a living and breeding place for bugs and insects. So, you have to fill the gap as soon as possible. 

But how to fill gap between baseboard and tile floor? 

First, two alternative options exist to fill the gap depending on its size. If the gap is ¼ inches or smaller, using a paintable caulk is effective in filling up the gap. But, if the gap is larger than ¼ inches, shoe molding is better than caulk. 

In this article, we will elaborately discuss how to fill the gap between baseboards and floor. Also, we will explain why caulking is the best way to get uniform and eye-catchy flooring for smaller gaps. So without delaying any further, let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

• What Creates Gap Between The Baseboard And Tile Floor
• How To Fill Gap Between Baseboard And Tile Floor?
  • How To Measure The Basement And Tile Floor Gap?
  • Why Should You Fill Baseboard And Tile Floor Gap?
  • Is It Worth Filling The Gap? 
  • Related Questions
  • Closing

What Creates Gap Between The Baseboard And Tile Floor

It’s good to fill the gap between the baseboard and the tile floor. But do you think that is worthwhile unless you identify the reason behind the gaps? Most probably not, because after filling, the gap may create again due to these reasons. 

So, we investigate the tile floor and basement gaps to rectify the causes. Let’s see what we get.

• The first and most important reason is your home age. When a house gets older, most of its structure and joints sink due to its age. 

• But, if the gap occurs in a new house after redecorating or renovation, it most probably happens due to improper installation. Maybe the carpenter who installed the baseboard was inexperienced and unprofessional. So the gap appears.

• The third probable reason is using poor quality materials. The poor materials will recede from the exact place by themselves within a few days. So when the baseboard moves away, you notice the gap. 

• The uneven flooring can also be the reason for creating gaps between the baseboard and tile floor. 

How To Fill Gap Between Baseboard And Tile Floor?

After diagnosing the gap’s reasons, it’s time to take action to fill up. But, there is also a little task to do, and that is to measure the gap. Otherwise, you can’t choose the best solution for filling the gap. Don’t worry, mate. Here we discuss everything. 

How To Measure The Basement And Tile Floor Gap?

Measuring the baseboard and tile floor gap isn’t a hard job. A typical measurement tape and your close observation are enough to measure the gap. 

• First, remove the things that you kept aligning in the basement. (If you keep, otherwise it’s not recommended)
• Closely observe the gap, and try to define whether it is larger than ¼ inches or not  
• Take the measurement tape and vertically hold it between the basement and the tile floor. 
• Notice the number of the measurement tape. 
• If you see ¼ inches or less, that’s a smaller gap. 
• But if you see more than ¼ inches, it’s a large gap. Note down the number, as you’ll need it when measuring the shoe molding to fill the gap. 

Note: Cutting a wood piece’s one edge at ¼ inches quarter-round is also a good idea to measure the gap. You can even trim it according to the gap to rectify the exact size.

Method 1: Using Paintable Caulk To Fill The Smaller Gap

If you face a problem with smaller gaps, caulking is the best alternative. However, you’ll need to go through a detailed, constructive process to perform it from basic to the expanded proportion. So here we will explain the complete caulking process in 6 distinct steps. But before that, let’s see the materials and tools you’ll need. 

The Things You’ll Need 

• A suitable Caulk 
• Caulk gun
• Masking tape
• Paint
• Putty knife
• Vacuum cleaner 
• Caulking tools
• An anti-cutter

Project Overview 

• Estimated Cost- $15-$20
• Estimated Yield- 8 square feet
• Total Time- 3-4 hours
• Skilled Level- Beginner

Step 1: Caulk Selection

One of the toughest choices would be the selection of caulk for your particular gap filling. Because many different sealing properties like Silicone, Latex, Acrylic caulk, and adhesive are available in the market. Even there are many variations in the flexibility of the caulk. So facing the dilemma of choosing the right caulk is quite natural. 

However, we suggest using Red Devil 0746 Painters Caulk. As it is pretty good for normal work, like using any gaps between baseboards and floors. Some other features of this caulk are

• It can be used to install or fill the gap on tile floors, brick, wood, drywall, plaster, aluminum, and many more floor types. 
• The caulk is easy to apply in indoor and outdoor
• It’s dryable within two hours and mildew resistant. 
• It offers waterproof and tight seals that make the seating long-lasting. 

Step 2: Prepare the area for taping

This step is so important that you can’t make any mistakes, as the adhesive won’t sit on any dirty space. Even it won’t offer your permanent solution if there are any foreign particles on the floor. 

• Scrap the old paintings and dirt from the area with a putty knife.
• Carefully do it not to damage or scratch the baseboard 
• Later, use a vacuum cleaner to scrub the remains.  

Step 3: Tape the floor

Taping the floor and basement is important to avoid caulk spreading on the surrounding floor. It even helps offer you professional sealing that enhances the gap-filling durability. So though it takes time, you should do the job with patience. 

• Vertically adhere the tape from above to the bottom of the baseboard.
• Seal the tape between the tile and basement, ensuring no gap space is left. 

Step 4: Caulk application 

Now it’s time to apply the caulk into the gap. The more accurate the caulk application, the better your gap filling will be. 

• Cut off the nozzle of the caulk with an anti-cutter at a 90° angle and ⅛ inches space. 
• Insert the tube in a caulk gun to easily trigger the gap for the caulk application. 
• Slowly apply the caulk from one edge to another edge of the gap.
• Smooth the caulk with different angle caulking tools.  

Step 5: Observe and justify the place

Here, you need to wait 1 hour to slightly dry the caulk. If you see some holes inside the gaps after slightly drying the caulk,  you should repeat the previous steps until you are satisfied. 

• Fill the holes one by one so that there are no holes left and all the gaps have been filled. 
• Let the caulk slightly dry again for an hour. 
• Slowly remove the tape afterward if there are no more holes and gaps.
• Otherwise, the tape also will be attached to the basement, which looks odd. 

Step 6: Painting the baseboard

Here comes the exciting part. If painting ever was your hobby deep down, you are lucky enough to color the baseboard. You can use the same color as the basement if you feel suitable. Or else you can choose any color you like and give your home a better look. 

• Again adhere the masking tape to avoid painting splatters. 
• Now, start painting the baseboard. It’s great to start one edge and slowly go to the other. 

That’s the overall procedure to fill the baseboard and tile floor gap with caulk.

Method 2: Using Shoe Molding To Fill The Larger Gap

Shoe molding is suitable for filling a large gap, as its thickness can cover different sizes of gaps without leaving no space. 

The Things You’ll Need 

• Shoe molding
• Masking tape
• Paint
• Putty knife
• Vacuum cleaner 
• An anti-cutter
• Drill machine
• Nails

Project Overview 

• Estimated Cost- $25-$30
• Estimated Yield- 8 square feet
• Total Time- 2 hours
• Skilled Level- Beginner

Step 1: Choose the shoe molding

Various sizes of shoe moldings are available in the market. But, all of these may not fit your gap. So you have to choose the molding that is the exact size of your gap to ensure the utmost exact filling. You can choose FlexTrim Flexible Base Shoe molding. Because 

• It fits both the ½  to ¾ inches. If all the space gaps are not equal, it’ll be convenient for those gaps. 
• It is 8 feet long, which helps you avoid frequently joining the mold. 
• This flexible gel base mold is waterproof. So it is great to use curved surfaces, stairs, and columns with no risk of seeping water. 

Step 2: Cleaning and taping the floor

As we describe the process in our first method, it’s not wise to repeat them. Just check these words. 

Step 3: Shoe molding installation 

There isn’t any specific rule to install the shoe molding to fill up the gap between the baseboard and floor.

• Measure the gap length, and cut the shoe molding with a show molding cutter as per your measurement. If you don’t have the cutter, no need to buy one. As an anti-cutter is enough to cut it. 
• Place the molding over the gap and drill nails every 3-4 inches later with a drill machine. 
• Continue the process until you cover all the gaps. 

Step 4: Painting the baseboard

Here, you can also check the first method words. 

Note: You can use quarter-round or trim strips instead of shoe molding. But whatever you use, ensure the best application to make the sealing durable. 

Why Should You Fill Baseboard And Tile Floor Gap?

You have to face some consequences unless you fill the gaps in the baseboard and tile floor. For example

• Your home interior will look odd due to the gap. You may feel shy in front of your guests for that awkward outlook of the baseboard. 

• The insects and bugs can build a nest in the gap that can damage the baseboard within a few years. Even, they may spread insects related diseases among your family members. 

• You may need to repair the baseboard frequently, which costs you more than filling the gap. 

• Your property value won’t increase compared to the other properties. If you want to sell the house, you won’t get the price you expect.

Is It Worth Filling The Gap?

Absolutely, yes. But we would like to let you know some more reasons than this straightforward answer.

• Your home looks aesthetic after filling the gap. So you love to live here. 
• The overall cost of the task is not more than around $50, which is very reasonable, considering its benefits. 
• It prolongs the basement life. So you won’t have to repair it frequently. 
• The best benefit is increasing the property value. 

If you take all of them into consideration, it is undoubtedly worth to spending your time, maney, and energy to fill the baseboard and tile floor gap. 

Related Questions

How to fill the gap between the baseboard and wood floor?

You can fill the gap between the baseboard and the wood floor by caulking. It will prevent any dirt installation or water from spilling onto the floor. You can also use a wood filter to make it stronger that will last a long time. 

Should you use the wood filter or caulk?

Caulk is perfect for filling the gaps or cracks between the baseboard and tile floor. But the caulk takes a lot of time to dry in the wooden particles. So, a wood filter would be the right choice here. Because of its hard-drying nature, it can easily fill the major gaps and cracks in the wood.

Do you caulk the top and bottom of the baseboards?

Yes, for sure. Because caulk can fill all the edges and gaps of the baseboard. Moreover, it is easy to use, economical, and safe. 

Closing

Now you know the ins and outs of filling the gap between the baseboard and tile floor. So there is no reason to keep the gap alive for a longer time to look awkward and damage your property. 

But, yes, you have to carefully do this DIY job, not to make the situation worse. So we suggest you do it on the weekend when you can perform it with relax.

Thanks for being with us. If you find the word beneficial, share it with your other friends struggling with the same problem.