The messiest part of painting is the paint. It tends to drip. Get too much on your paint brush, and it goes everywhere. While you can protect your personal items, getting professional looking edges is a little harder. For the professional painter, a steady hand and the right paint brush are all that is needed; however, for those who haven’t painted much, there are some tricks that you can use to get those professional clean lines.
Blue painter’s tape is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for getting clean lines. The tape prevents paint from straying onto areas that it shouldn’t touch. It can save on cleanup time later, as all you have to do is pull it off. The trickiest part when using tape is to make certain that it really is in a straight line. There are actually two ways to do this.
If you already have a laser level, then your task is fairly easy. Lay the tape along the red line of the area you want to protect. Once your tape is straight, you are ready to paint.
The second way is to use a measuring tape and a chalk line. A chalk line is simply a piece of string covered in chalk. Measure the area and mark where you want to draw the line on both sides. Line up the marks with the chalk line and snap. The chalk leaves a perfectly straight line which you can use. The trick to this is to double check your measurements on both sides to ensure they are accurate. After that it is a simple matter of taping the area off. You really shouldn’t eyeball it because one person’s version of straight, isn’t always straight.
Another paint tool that comes in handy for clean edges, especially around ceilings and floors, is a flat edge. This flat edge is usually plastic. You want one with a small edge to get the finest line. There are a couple of tricks you need to know when using this type of tool.
You always want to keep one side free of paint. So don’t accidentally paint on the side you meant to be clean. Hold it flush to the edge of the floor or ceiling with the clean side against the side you don’t want covered in paint. Don’t put too much paint on your brush, because it will drip down the edges and cause splatters.
Clean lines are essential part of a professional looking paint job. There are a few tools to aid you in this quest. For those new to painting, it takes more than a steady hand to achieve professional quality.
