Painting skirting - carpet?

I'm wanting to repaint the skirting boards as the previous coat has yellowed (oil based) so i'm going to be using water based.
I'm not sure how to keep the paint away from the carpet as i don't really want to peel it back as it never goes back nice and tight.
Has anyone any other ideas (maybe thick masking tape?) or do i peel the carpet back and hope it goes back properly?

 

If you can`t pull the carpet back You can get low tack Masking tape that will not damage the carpet, also use a Paint Guard, water based paint splashes on the carpet can be cleaned off using clean water
You can also get a pack of plastic covers that slide under the skirting and cover the carpet so its possible to do a complete length of skirting and leave "in situ" until paint is dry .

 

Know it sounds funny, but I use those thin plastic pet feeding mats that are around for a couple of quid. Easy to slide it between the carpet and skirting no probs and simply move along as painting.

 

I tend to use 40mm masking tape and tuck it down between the skirting and carpet. I use a wide filler knife to push it down, you can use a stiff dusting brush if you find that the wide knife rips the tape.

After the final coat has cured sufficiently I remove the tape and use my fingernail to remove any excess paint build up.