Achieve Perfectly Painted Lines with These Tips

Completing home improvement projects yourself can be rewarding financially and personally. Nothing makes a home feel like your own as much as having a hand in the crafting of it.

When you want to paint your walls, it’s important to have crisp, clean lines. Sloppy paint work can make your room seem unkempt, and it will draw the viewer’s eyes to the mistakes instead of the gorgeous paint color you picked out.

Painter’s Tape Is Your Best Friend

The number-one way to keep paint away from surfaces that aren’t intended for the paint is to use painter’s tape. Painter’s tape will keep paint from getting on to adjacent walls, ceilings, door frames, and window frames.

Invest in quality painter’s tape. Cheaper alternatives may save you some money now, but you’ll be paid with frustration later on. Painter’s tape that doesn’t adhere to the surface properly could cause the paint to bleed underneath the tape. Do not use duct tape or electrical tape in place of painter’s tape. Doing so could cause damage to your walls. It could peel away previous paint and wallpaper.

Take the time to line the tape up properly with your edges. This can be achieved by using small, adjoining pieces of tape instead of one long strip, or you can use a ruler to help you keep it straight. Seal the tape to the surface firmly using your fingers. The warmth of your hand will gently heat up the glue on the sticky side of the tape. You could also use a hair dryer on low heat to seal the tape to the intended surface.

Another way to tack the tape down perfectly is to use your paint. Paint a little bit of your new color over the edge of the painter’s tape. The weight of the paint will press the tape down onto the surface, and it can help prevent you from not getting close enough to the tape and leaving a bare gap behind.

Edge Tool

An edge tool or a ceiling line paint tool is a straight-edged tool that takes the guesswork out of creating a straight line. These tools have a plastic backing where the painter can grip it and a sponge or pad on the reverse side. The pad can be dipped directly into your paint. You wipe off the excess and press the tool to the wall.

If you want to create a crisp line across the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling, drag the tool horizontally, pressing firmly. For long walls, you may need to dip the pad into your paint again about halfway along the width of the wall. If you desire a sharp edge against an adjacent wall, drag the tool vertically, going from the ceiling to the floor point of the wall.

For really crisp lines, combine both of these tips. Lay down your painter’s tape and give it at least a few minutes to adhere to the wall before using your ceiling line tool.

You don’t have to be a professional to get a professional-looking paint job.