How to Paint a Straight Edge Even Without Tape
Painting a room always takes longer than you think. It’s one thing if you just need to apply paint to a wall, but other than that you need to move or cover furniture, fold rags, and line up room boundaries with painter’s tape.
But if you’ve ever seen a professional painter at work, you might have noticed that he didn’t use masking tape. Instead, they likely used a technique called ‘cut-in’, which takes the tape out of the process. And while it’s not technically difficult, it does require a steady hand. Here’s how to paint a straight edge without using tape.
How to paint a straight edge without tape
While you’ll still be using the roller to finish most of the room, undercutting is a way to paint a clean, straight edge along window frames, ceilings, corners, baseboards, and other finishes.
In addition to paint and paper towels, you’ll need a small bucket or container, and a high quality 2-inch sash brush . Here’s what to do :
- Pour 1/2 to 1 inch of paint into container.
- Dip the brush into the paint, covering no more than 2/3 of the length of the bristles. Tap the brush against the side of the container to shake off excess paint.
- Start painting about 1 inch from the trim, corner, or ceiling around which you are painting, holding your brush horizontally (in relation to the ceiling and floor).
- Draw a line about 12 inches long using a side stroke (unless you are drawing in a corner, in which case use a downward stroke).
- Rotate the brush 90 degrees, tilting it towards the wall. Return to the start of the stroke. Draw a thinner line straight along the trim, corner, or ceiling, using long, even strokes.
- Rotate the brush so that it is again horizontal to the floor and ceiling, and carefully return to the area you painted to get rid of the brush marks.