How is it, that painters can create perfect paint lines?  More often than not the answer is caulk and tape.  But that’s not the whole story and it’s not the only answer.  A very good brush and a steady hand can create perfect lines.  Very good brushes, for example, are Purdy brand brushes that are 2.5” with an angle for cutting. For taping and caulking, you must have the correct tape and the correct caulk and then you have to follow the directions.

 

2 primary ways to get the perfect lines:

  1. Hand Brushing

  2. Tape & Caulk

 

Hand Brushing

In order to get perfect lines with hand brushing, you must have a very good brush and a steady hand.  Purdy brand brushes are our preferred brand for brushes. Purdy has been making paint tools and supplies since 1925, needless to say they know what they are doing.  We recommend a 2.5” cutting brush which is angled.  Once you have the right brush, it’s important to have the right amount of paint on your brush tip, not too much or it will be hard to make the line straight and not too little or the paint will not be thick enough on the wall, thus creating a situation where you will need to re-cut your line.  It takes practice and skill over time to make these lines.  This is not a recommended method for the first time painter.  Instead we recommend the second method, Tape and Caulk.

 

Tape & Caulk

This is the preferred method for creating perfect lines, but it still takes practice.  

When you start, you will want to have painters Blue Tape.  3M makes the best one which can be purchased at any major hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes.  Next, while you’re at the hardware store, get yourself a decent brush, roller frame and nap (usually ⅜” nap works well for most wall types in the interior).  Lastly you will want to get some caulk.  Caulk types vary quite a bit, so you will want to be careful as to which you get.  We recommend going to Sherwin-Williams to get their interior latex caulk 850, but if you want to get caulk at a hardware store, you should choose Alex Plus Fast Drying White Caulk.  This will allow you to paint within 20-30 minutes of caulking.  

Here’s the method:

Tear off a strip of blue tape and put the tape right into the edge of ceiling and the wall.  Keep in mind you tape must be straight so that your line you paint will be straight.  Think of them as one in the same. Note: make sure that your are putting the tape on the wall that you DON’T want to get paint on.  I know it sounds funny, but sometimes it gets confusing which side to tape.

Next, grab your caulk gun loaded with caulk.  Hint: when you load your caulk, make sure to cut the tip of the tube of caulk at an angle and don’t make the hole too big, you want to be able to control the caulk.  Once you have your tube of caulk ready to go, make a small bead of it along the tape line.  Go ahead and go the distance of the wall or if you feel more comfortable, go a shorter distance with your bead.  After you have your caulk line on the tape in the crack between the two walls, tag a damp rag or dampen your finger and push the caulk to smooth it out in between the two walls.  This will form the seal on your tape and walls to ensure that no paint seeps under the tape.

Make sure to wipe the excess caulk off the wall so it isn’t too thick, but make sure it’s thick enough to do the job.

 

Paint

After that, feel free to paint your walls.  Make sure to get the paint into the wall joint so that you don’t need to do a second coat in this area.

 

Peeling Tape

Once you have painted your wall, it’s time to remove the tape.  

Pull your painters tape, starting at the edge that you started putting the paint down.  This will be helpful because when you putt the tape on, you overlapped the tape.  Now you can pull the tape in one strip without it coming off in chunks.

Be careful when you pull the tape for a couple reasons:

  1. You want to make sure that the tape isn’t peeling the paint on the wall underneath tape.  If this starts to happen, pull the tape lower to the wall meaning this; if you were at the baseboard pulling the tape and you were standing, you would be pulling the tape at a 45 degree angle.  If you got down closer to the baseboard and pulled the tape out to your right, low to the wall, this can prevent the tape from pulling the paint on the wall.

  2. The tape you are pulling will be covered in wet paint.  Be careful not to let the tape dangle and hit the wall or you may be in for some touch ups.

 

That should do it!  You should now have a perfect painted line on your wall.  

Get in touch with us directly if you have any questions or need some help!