Painting - straight lines?

CleoTheCat_2

Hi folks,

I'm in the middle of painting my bedroom and am trying to get a nice neat line between two walls in the corner of the room - Does anyone have any hints or tips?

Many thanks in anticipation
CtC.

loracan1

I use an artists brush - one with a flat head for the very edge or a small very good quality paintbrush. Key is to be confident and keep going. Bear in mind that they will only be as straight as the edges will only be as straight as the walls. Had decorators in earlier in the year and the corners are no straighter than ones I've done myself.

brownbake

low tack masking tape?

CleoTheCat_2

Yeah I've tried masking tape before but never been very successful with it - somehow the paint always gets under it and I end up with blobby bits!:rolleyes::D

I like the artists brush idea though - might have t give it a try!
CtC.

sloth

take a 1" or 3/4" brush and cut the top with a pair of scissors at an angle about 30 degrees. make sure you get rid of all lose bristles and start painting. as said above be confident, keep going and assuming you are painting emulsion have a spare damp cotton rag handy to wipe of any overpainting and go again

andrew-b

I'll go with what's been said..

I find painting straight lines is more about being confident about it. Mucking around with masking tape i find to be more trouble than it's worth as invariably the paint goes under the tape or worse it mucks up your paint when you pull it off. Masking tape just drives me insane.

The harder i think about painting a straight line the more wiggly the line gets! Get a decent cutting-in brush - i prefer the flat type of cutting-in brush with angled bristles (surprisingly difficult to purchase such a brush though i've seen them in homebase). Load it up with paint (not so much it drips but not too dry either), put up close to your edge ...but not on it and then paint confidently along the edge for a short distance (inch or so at a time) going up towards the edge in a few brush strokes until you reach it..sort of painting in lots of little arcs to form a straight line if you get what i mean.
Forget all these plastic straight edges etc you can buy in the diy stores (i've tried a couple)...it's all about confidence - took me a while to learn this. You also get better with practice so don't expect a perfect finish first time!

Andy

flissh

I used a large very flat brush, and rather than painting down, went in sort of side ways and painted horizontally, starting at the point the two walls met.
Also have finally realised that my old Dad was right, it pays to buy decent brushes and then look after them, always got a better job that way.

WobblyGoblin

Agree with everyone else - for corners a good quality brush with a chiseled flat edge gets me the best results. Load the brush with enough paint so that you only have to brush once to cover (but not enough that the paint 'bleeds' onto the next wall). I'm afraid it takes practice and some people seem better than others at it.

For straight lines away from corners masking tape works well for me. Key things are to run your thumb along the edge to ensure it's pressed down and paint away from the masking tape (i.e. brush over tape and onto wall to prevent the brush forcing paint under the tape).

mikeopvc

CleoTheCat wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'm in the middle of painting my bedroom and am trying to get a nice neat line between two walls in the corner of the room - Does anyone have any hints or tips?

Many thanks in anticipation
CtC.

Try doing it sober:rotfl:

CleoTheCat_2

Damn! that's where I'm going wrong :D

nickj_2

use a decent brush , i normally use a hamilton