My house has a 6" baseboard and then a quarter round piece at the base of the baseboard on top of the wood floor. Painting the 6" baseboard isn't a big problem, but painting that little quarter round piece right at the wood floor is a major pain.

Are there any tricks that can help with this process or do you just have to gut it out and creep along with a piece of paper stuck between the wood floor and the quarter round as a guard to keep from getting paint on the floor?

Any tips or tricks, if there are any, would be appreciated. I have a long ways to go before I'm done! I guess I should say I'm not painting for the first time, I'm re-painting them because over the last 5 years they've become nicked up, dinged and dirty.

Steady hand and a wet rag...

Quarter round is pretty cheap...Might be better off to take off the old and paint your baseboards...Then buy some new paint it and nail it down...

Tape it off with frog tape

You can put masking tape on the floor next to the quarter round or buy a type of blue tape for that purpose.

I'm gonna have to do this same job pretty soon. Not looking forward to it.

I think I'll try the tape idea, see if that speeds the process any. I think they sell that 4" blue tape and that will help with any splatters from rolling the base boards.

Use the frog tape not blue it keeps the paint from bleeding under better

Rolling the base boards???

Uh oh, should I not use a roller on the baseboards? I have a little 4" roller I've been using. Seems to do a good job. Should I not be rolling them?

Are you using oil base paint? I guess the roller is ok if you like the results. Typically applied with a brush. Roller is not gonna get in the cracks or top edge. Probalbly ok for the flat face I guess

2 inch tape on floor and walls. Then start slapping the paint on, with a BRUSH, not a roller. Took me 1 day to do crown, doors, and base boards for a 1700 sq foot house. It's not hard, just a little time consuming.

No, not using an oil based paint. It's a latex. It's the paint the builder used. They gave it to me in a little kit of touch up paints.

So the reason for the brush instead of a roller is to fill in the little cracks, chips, etc. ???

You can use a roller, just slick it out with a high quality brush and the paint will lay down better. I can certainly see where a long knap roller would make it easier to apply the paint, but it might leave behind an undesirable texture on something that shouldn't have texture.

I started to paint them and then ended up hiring them done

This

Wife won't let me near the inside of the house with a paint brush!

I had to work hard to get this! Just like I'm banned from weed eating anywhere around the outside of the house or anywhere near flower beds.....

+1, I hate tape and never use it. My ex used it and every where she did I have to redo. I use a long edge tool. I t kind of resembles a big putty knife.