How to paint into a corner of a wall/straight line?

paddy147

Whats the best way to paint into the corner of a room with out getting the paint colour on the other wall.

Im painting 1 wall in 1 colour and the other wall in another colour.

Tried doing the masking tape trick,and all it did was to pull paint off the wall,as I took the masking tape off.

I tried a small brush and that seemed to flick a bit of paint onto the other wall and couldnt get a straight and even line down the wall when I got into the corner.

Any advice or tips then on how to paint 2 walls in a corner and keep a straight line?

thanks.

indie armada

takes a bit of practise, i find using a large immulsion brush the best for cutting in at corners. i only became good at it from doing a lot of painting in houses i worked on over the years.

paddy147

indie armada wrote: »

takes a bit of practise, i find using a large immulsion brush the best for cutting in at corners. i only became good at it from doing a lot of painting in houses i worked on over the years.

Thanks for the advice.Yeah,it aint as easy as I thought it was going to be.Started to get well annoyed at the walls and paint at 1 stage.:mad:

But it takes a womans touch though.

My girlfriend popped up to my house about an hour ago,to see how much paint I had got on myself and not on the walls (her sense of humor).Told her I was getting pi55ed off at not being able to get the corner spot on.

She says "give me the brush and roller"..............2 minutes later on,she has it spot on and pefect line/cut in.And no masking tape needed.

Thank god that he invented women so.:D

paddy147

indie armada wrote: »

, i find using a large immulsion brush the best for cutting in at corners.

Forgot to ask.......what size of brush do you find best to use for corners?

Any particular type or make that you think is best for corners?

Thanks.:)

kingtorres9

Paddy147
The best brush you can get is a 3 inch Purdy. It will set you back about €35 but it will last forever. Have been using my one for about 6 months and i am a painter. When you finish with it you can use it as a duster. Always wash it out with water ( not spirits) after use. To get it fairly dry just put the handle between your two palms and rub your hands as if you were cold and watch the splashes. Try not to use it with oil based paint. You will be amazed how easy it is to get a straight line with this brush. Happy painting

paddy147

kingtorres9 wrote: »

Paddy147
The best brush you can get is a 3 inch Purdy. It will set you back about €35 but it will last forever. Have been using my one for about 6 months and i am a painter. When you finish with it you can use it as a duster. Always wash it out with water ( not spirits) after use. To get it fairly dry just put the handle between your two palms and rub your hands as if you were cold and watch the splashes. Try not to use it with oil based paint. You will be amazed how easy it is to get a straight line with this brush. Happy painting

Thanks for that,35 euro sounds like alot,but will be well worth it in the end.

Can this Purdy brush be got anywhere or is there a specific shop/paint suppliers who sell it??

On an interior repainting mission at the moment.

Well actually,my girlfriend is on the repainting mission now,she just doesnt know it yet.;):D

Jennieflower

Here, I'll tell you what i used! After I had this place built, and it needed painting, I couldn't afford a painter/decorator. I had to do it myself, I got a cereal box...cut off one side of it....and a 1 inch brush.... I used the edge of the piece i cut off as a straight line guide. It worked perfectly. Was great too when i was doing the ceilings, workin overhead. the roller did the rest of the hard work.
The plastering has to be bang on to get that professional look, but to be honest, it look perfect. and I'm delighted with it.

and NO I'm not promoting any sort of cereal brand!!!!!!!! lol

paddy147

Jennieflower wrote: »

Here, I'll tell you what i used! After I had this place built, and it needed painting, I couldn't afford a painter/decorator. I had to do it myself, I got a cereal box...cut off one side of it....and a 1 inch brush.... I used the edge of the piece i cut off as a straight line guide. It worked perfectly. Was great too when i was doing the ceilings, workin overhead. the roller did the rest of the hard work.
The plastering has to be bang on to get that professional look, but to be honest, it look perfect. and I'm delighted with it.

and NO I'm not promoting any sort of cereal brand!!!!!!!! lol

So what cereal do you eat?:P:pac:

Only joking.;)

Seriously though,thanks for the tip.Must remember it for the next room.:)

Jennieflower

paddy147 wrote: »

So what cereal do you eat?:P:pac:

Only joking.;)

Seriously though,thanks for the tip.Must remember it for the next room.:)

No prob

indie armada

tbh i tried loads of brushes over the years and the best budget brushes i could find were in b&q. they kinda have a rubbery handle and can be bought in a set or on their own. have them a few years now and like kingtores says look after your gear and it will last longer. when cleanin my brushes i usually run them under the tap and leave them there with the water running, then go outside and throw the water out of them till dry.
from my point of view, cause ive done a lot of renovation here i love painting, but couldnt do it as a profession cause i like to take my time.

Buford T Justice

You don't need a small brush to cut corners, but stay away from Dosco brushes, They're crap.

My method is as follows. Start a stroke of paint in the wall, and run a bit. You'll find that the bristles then settle into a line as it goes, then move the brush out to the corner and keep the same stroke going and voila. Straight line on a wall.

TigerTim

There's a low-tack masking tape you can buy, not cheap, but very good & doesn't remove paint. Used it on one room where the plastering in the corners wasn't quite square & we were painting one wall a different colour. Got a straight line with it "just around the corner". It's a bit like the Post-ITs" we use at work - not sticky enough to remove paint. Think it was about €10 a roll.

Tim

DublinDilbert

Fingers McGee wrote: »

You don't need a small brush to cut corners, but stay away from Dosco brushes, They're crap.

My method is as follows. Start a stroke of paint in the wall, and run a bit. You'll find that the bristles then settle into a line as it goes, then move the brush out to the corner and keep the same stroke going and voila. Straight line on a wall.

That's pretty much what I do too. But First I use a small 3" foam roller to cut in around the edges, you can almost get into the corner with this and can get quite close to the skirting / ceiling.

CarrickMcJoe

Yes Purdy are a great brush, but expensive for diy.
Buy a 21/2 inch or 3 in PX. It ll cost less than a tenner but still great for cutting in.

looksee

Fingers McGee wrote: »

You don't need a small brush to cut corners, but stay away from Dosco brushes, They're crap.

My method is as follows. Start a stroke of paint in the wall, and run a bit. You'll find that the bristles then settle into a line as it goes, then move the brush out to the corner and keep the same stroke going and voila. Straight line on a wall.

Thats the way I would do it too, also easier with a fairly big brush, they are less 'dithery' (:D technical description) than a small brush.

paddy147

Thanks folks.

Im now armed with a 2.5 and also a 3 inch brush and also a large roll of 3M low tack painters tape too.Oh and the roller brush and small mini roller and tray too.

I,ll see how things go so.

God help me,god help the walls and god help the paint too.:eek::D

patwicklow

Use a laser light with a built in leveler to create a straight line.:)

Buford T Justice

patwicklow wrote: »

Use a laser light with a built in leveler to create a straight line.:)

That'll cast a straight line yes, but the question was about painting it......

40701085

I find the difficulty of this job depends on the "thickness" of the paint you use, e.g. some brands are heavier and so the bead on the corner of the brush doesn't run as easy for you on the stroke. So if its tough going I'd consider thinning the paint a touch to let it run easier - you can always go over it again if it's working out better.
Cutting in against another colour is all about patience, I tried the cardboard trick but against the ceiling thats hard going on the arms!

paddy147

Guess what i did today,well this morning actually.

I did my 1st propper clean and straight line.Took forever,but I did it.......eventually.

Then I sat down,had a cuppa tea,turned on the TV and went and bought a Paint Pad Pro off the TV Shopping channel.

I know its most likely gonna be a ball of shyte,and it probably wont work,but seen as I have a few other rooms to paint over the next while,I just thought what the hell.

If it works then great,if it doesnt,then its only a few quid down the drain (and my girlfriend slagging me to bits).

My girlfriend thinks Im barking mad.I must be so.:D

indie armada

________________________________________________

heres a straight line.......ye can have a lend of it :P

kingtorres9

Paddy 147
Hi again Paddy, just a few tips if your interested for a pro look.
1 Preperation is everything, Sand and fill every hole and surface. It takes time but the finish is first class
2 When finished sanding use a duster to clean every surface
3 Always start from celing to floor
4 Leave woodwork to last
5 Never use paint straight from the tin, Try to buy yourself a paint kettle so no dust contaminates your paint.
6 When painting woodwork always finish with 1 full stroke. (when you finish the door frame or door put your empty brush at the top of the door/frame and do 1 stroke from top to bottom). This kills drips and gives you a mirror finish.
Hope this helps Paddy.

paddy147

kingtorres9 wrote: »

Paddy 147
Hi again Paddy, just a few tips if your interested for a pro look.
1 Preperation is everything, Sand and fill every hole and surface. It takes time but the finish is first class
2 When finished sanding use a duster to clean every surface
3 Always start from celing to floor
4 Leave woodwork to last
5 Never use paint straight from the tin, Try to buy yourself a paint kettle so no dust contaminates your paint.
6 When painting woodwork always finish with 1 full stroke. (when you finish the door frame or door put your empty brush at the top of the door/frame and do 1 stroke from top to bottom). This kills drips and gives you a mirror finish.
Hope this helps Paddy.

Thanks for the great advice.:)

Buford T Justice

Slagging is warranted imo.

You'll have to let us know how it works out.

michael999999

Another tip is to keep your wrist straight when cutting in your lines!

paddy147

Found a small crack (settlement) in the corner,wher the 2 pieces of S-Coving join up.

Can I fill this in with a smear of the flexible caulking,that I used on the skirting boards?


Also,how do I get dried on emulsion paint off a cream upvc window,without ruining the upvc frame??

Many thanks.:)

galwaydude18

I would try widen out that crack with a flat head screwdriver and then fill it wit the caulk. To remove the paint use one of them green and yellow pot scrubbers. Use the green side with hot water some elbow greese and it will come off handy enough for you

paddy147

galwaydude18 wrote: »

I would try widen out that crack with a flat head screwdriver and then fill it wit the caulk. To remove the paint use one of them green and yellow pot scrubbers. Use the green side with hot water some elbow greese and it will come off handy enough for you

Id rather ask for the advice 1st than just go at it hell for leather and possibly ruin the windows and/or remove the cream from the upvc frame itself.

Thanks for the tips.:)

paddy147

Hit a bit of a disaster this evening.

Decided that the existing rioller brush had seen better days at this stage,and changed it out fior a new roller.

Went to use the new roller brush on the chimney breast and the minute I put it to the wall and went to roll the paint on the wall,all bits of fluff and bits of the roller brush came off the roller and are now stuck to the wall with the wet paint.

Tried to pick it back off,but there is loads of small bits and hairs stuck to the wall now.:mad:

Whats the best way out of this,without making things worse?

Should I leave the paint to dry and then try to sand it all back to the plaster?


Or do I call in a propper painter/professional painter to fix my mess and paint it?

Thanks.

galwaydude18

Let the paint dry and sand it off.not the end of the world to be end. A trick I learnt a while back off a painter with new rollers to prevent what happened to you was to wrap the roller with something like brown parcel tape or the likes and when you have that done remove the tape and it will take all the fluffy bits off the roller before they get onto your walls

paddy147

galwaydude18 wrote: »

Let the paint dry and sand it off.not the end of the world to be end. A trick I learnt a while back off a painter with new rollers to prevent what happened to you was to wrap the roller with something like brown parcel tape or the likes and when you have that done remove the tape and it will take all the fluffy bits off the roller before they get onto your walls

Thanks for the parcel tape advice.:)

I will do that now with every new roller I use.

I have seen alot of foam and sponge type rollers in the diy shops.

Can I use these foam and sponge type rollers to paint smooth walls/ceilings with emulsion paint??