Painting a strip across a wall..how to get level and straight?

gabyjane

I have just redecorated our bedroom and would like to do 1 strip of paint on our wall above the bed..what is the best way to do this so it is straight and level?
Thanks

Kaz2904

If you know that your floor and ceilings are level then use a spirit level and draw a line along the top. Then check it from the opposite wall. If it looks wonky you'd be better off doing it by eye (if you have an eye for these things!)

scaty

When you get your line, use a soft / low (?) adhesive masking tape - leaving a gap, to give you a straight line.

gabyjane

Thanks guys..i am very anal about stuff like this so need it to be perfect! we have a new build so im hoping/assuming the walls are straight but who knows!! was looking at the walls etc last night as finished the main of the painting and thought the room looked wonky (the drawers didnt look straight against wall!)..had been looking at the same walls for hours though so think it was tiredness setting in! I will give the spirit level a go and see how it looks and go from there. thanks

markie1980

if you have a spirit level, just start at the left wall, put a small pencil line on the top of the level at both ends, move the level along and line up the top left of the level with the right pencil mark you made and mark the top right of the spirit level. Keep doing this until you get to the oppostie wall.

Then join all the dots together with some masking tape.

I didn't make that sound as easy as it is, but I hope you got the idea!


You could also just measure down from the ceiling, which wouldn't garentee it to be level, but might look better to the eye.

Doozergirl

Masking tape does not work as well as you might think it does. Paint often leaches because the wall isn't completely flat itself, it's sort of pitted once it's been painted. You'd have to be very, very sure that it was stuck down perfectly into every nook and cranny.

Ebe_Scrooge

markie1980 wrote: »

You could also just measure down from the ceiling, which wouldn't garentee it to be level, but might look better to the eye.

That's a very good point. We recently moved into a new house ( it's 3 years old ) and I put a shelf up in the kitchen. According to my spirit level ( which I know is accurate ), the shelf is absolutely perfectly level - in fact I was dead chuffed at how I managed to get it absolutely spot on :-) But it looks wonky. So I checked the ceiling / coving, and they're a tiny smidge off level.

So, it's easiest to use a spirit level, but beware if your floor / ceiling is not level it may look wrong.

EliteHeat

Don't trust a spirit level to be true!

If you want absolute, 100% accuracy then use a water level. Unless gravity shifts whilst you're using it, you will be fine.

One of the oldest tools known to man

P.S. Clicky

wallbash

.i am very anal about stuff like this so need it to be perfect!

So its a http://www.screwfix.com/prods/41786/Hand-Tools/Lasers-Levelling/Lasers/Finishing/Laser-Level-Kit

Or something like it !

and thought the room looked wonky

So is it a level line or a line that 'you' think looks level ?

As to Masking tape. as posted not as easy as it looks, but its better than nothing.
Me :rolleyes: if I wanted a 'strip' would use another piece of paper, edges would be perfect , and my wallpapering is much ,much better than my painting.

gabyjane

Hi thanks for the replys..the room looks fine but when i put the chest of drawers back last night after decorating they just looked like they sat wonky..like the actual room isnt straight, that possibly doesnt affect the wall i mean though so unsure..this is the room and now looking at it like that i am not sure on the band..seems a lot of work when i could just put a big pic above the bed!!

jhe

dont know if it will help but i was told to line the border up, with the top of the wall/ceiling and not by a spirit level. my border is not level with a spirit level but it looks straight.
sorry just realised you meant a vertical line.