A common complaint when it comes to interior painting is “I can’t get the lines straight!” Professional painters know all the tricks, but here are some great pointers on how to paint straight lines on a wall.
When doing interior painting projects, it is important to have all the right tools at your disposal. In the case of trying to paint straight lines on a wall, it’s critical! Whether you’re painting along the ceiling, the baseboards, or painting a decorative line on a wall, everyone will notice if the line is not straight.
To paint straight lines on a wall, you will need the right brush. If you have a very steady hand, you may be able to paint it freehand, but most people are not that gifted! An angled brush is the brush you want to paint straight lines on a wall. Rounded brushes will not create that straight line. Other great tools for straight lines are, Paint Edgers, Paint Shields, Paint Guides, and of course Painters Tape.
A popular technique with professional painters is called tape caulking. This method is the most effective way to paint straight lines on a wall. You begin by using painter’s tape to create the lines and angles you wish to paint. Then you lay a small line of clear latex caulking down along the top edge of the painter’s tape. Using your finger, wipe off all the excess caulking while slightly pushing it down into any open areas along the top edge of painter’s tape. This process seals the line and will not allow any paint to bleed through under the painter’s tape. Next, before the caulking dries, you will brush the paint over the caulking. Typically, you will get the best results using a latex satin paint in this technique. Using flat paint can also work, but you may experience some areas of paint cracking that will need to be touched up. By using this method, you will be able to paint straight lines on a wall without the possibility of the paint bleeding under the edge of the tape. A word of caution: make sure you only do a small section at a time because the tape must be removed before the caulking or the paint dries. If either dries before removing the tape, you risk peeling the paint off the wall you just painted! Using this tape caulking technique can save you hours of touch up and will always be left with beautiful, straight lines!
