This may be an exterior painting season, but we know that a lot of folks (maybe like you!) are enjoying a little interior painting as well. This is a great time to throw the windows open, stream your favorite music, and transform a room or three.
The painting process can be a lot of fun, especially when it involves rolling on those beautiful new colors across the wide open spaces of your walls. But what about when it comes to edgework, or cutting in around fixtures? Painting those curving lines and unforgiving edges in bathrooms in particular can definitely take the wind out of a DIYer’s sails.
So, how do you paint crisp lines and keep your paint where it needs to be?
5 Tips for Creating Clean Lines While Interior Painting
First of all, we have to say that being able to effortless cut-in takes dedication, training, and skill. Just as with any artistic endeavor, it’s not something that can be learned overnight.
With that said, we’ve put together a few tips to help jumpstart your training process. We hope they help!
- Plenty of lighting – This is no time to be in the dark. Make sure your lighting is plentiful so that you can see exactly what you’re doing.
- Use the right tool for the job – Not just any brush will do. For fine, detail work, use an angled sash brush.
- Use the right grip – A pencil grip (holding the brush with the same general hand position that you would a pencil) will give you the most control.
- Load your brush – A lot of folks use either way too much or way too little paint, and both mistakes can cause trouble. Load about a third of your bristles, then carefully tap the extra off on the side of your container.
- Brush excess paint – Before your fine cutting-in work, brush one stroke a couple of inches from where your edge will be. This removes any extra paint, but still leaves you enough to do the detailed brushwork.
Wait, Can’t You Just Use Painter’s Tape?
Technically yes, but the time it takes to mask off all the corners and edges of an entire room simply isn’t worth it. Tape is fantastic for applying specific patterns or decorations to a wall, but is not the most practical option for a larger-scale painting endeavor.
You also have to be extremely careful because paint can still sometimes seep under the edges of the tape if just the right technique isn’t used.
Could You Use the Help of a Professional, Westchester Painter?
The team here at A.G. Williams is talented, experienced, and dedicated to making sure your project is everything you hope it could be. Why not contact us today with any questions you might have?