Painter’s Tape is what you want. Blue, looks like masking tape but much less sticky.

Comes in several widths, I’m a fan of the wider stuff, inch and a half or two inch, whatever they have.

The application method I use is to peel off a good arms lengh or a lttle more. Press down one corner firmly to start (not to worry if its off a little) and then align four to six inches and run a finger lightlt along to tack it down. Then move to the next four to six inches and repeat. If you wander off line, just pull it up and realign.

Once you have it where you want it, run a couple of fingers slightly more firmly to make it more adherent. Don’t press too hard, you can push the tpe out of line if you do; it doesn’t take much pressure to get it to stick.

One last time, with a firm touch, run the tips of your fingers along the edge where paint will touch and firmly press the tape down, leaving no raised edges where paint can bleed under.

Finally, go back to the starting point, where you just tacked it in place, and make sure you have that alligned properly.

Hey Lambert I’ve used a straight edge(old floor tile,plexiglas,etc.,or you can buy an edge guide)and a rag to do detail when painting-the trick is to use the warm wet rag (assuming you are using water-base paint)to wipe off any little oopsies you may make right away before the paint sets, and to keep the edge guide clean so it works well.Good luck-and remember, those that love painting become painters, then there’s the rest of us….

because no materials. OTOH, I live in old house — not everything is straight!

Maybe combine the two — straight edge for stuff like replacement windows; tape for other things. Thoughts?

And how to you manage the straight edge? Ruler in one hand, brush in the other?

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

I have never been able to make that work. Too messy, too much time spent cleaning up the wicking underneath and the smears when I lifted it away.

I tape.

Are you using Painter’s Tape? I ask again.

Also no word from Paul L. Perhaps no interest.

Painter’s tape is what you need for the job.

That’s how I know it sucks. Of course, this is something you find out only after you lay it down.

Wouldn’t the cake frosting-like nature of latex mitigate wicking?

Either that, or pressure of time. We are free spirits!

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

masking tape is absolutely unsuited for wet stuff like paint.

Masking tape = BAD.

Doesn’t have enough lateral flex, so it’s really difficult to align - wants to go where it wants to go.

Too sticky - evey time you try to pull it up and realign, you stretch and deform the tape; makes it impossible to keep a straight edge.

Too sticky - If you press it down hard enough to get the edge tight to the surface, it will tear off any paint underneath when you pull it up.

Not water-resistant - paint seeps through it, defeating the purpose.

Get ye back to the store and buy Painter’s Tape. Problem solved - Trust Me.

Sounds like a small village just outside Greater London.

You would think so, but you’d be wrong. Latex paint is formulated to provide “flow” so the paint becomes self-leveling as it dries. To get that, it has both wetting agents and thixotropic agents that work against each other, balance in tension. Once the surface is wetted, capillary forces will draw the paint slowly but inexorably under the edge of the tape.

Follow directions above, and press down the masking edge firmly and completely.

Also, while you’re back at the store, buy a couple of artists brushes, cheap ones. Use these for a final touchup to rectify wherever the paints overlap.

Have fun!

… keeps selling me cheaper stuff than I need.

I meant wicking under a straight-edge.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

blue masking tape is good.

there is also a painters tape that comes as as a wide roll of paper (maybe 4”) with adhesive on the back

depending on the adjoining surface,

i like to use a painter’s “knife” - a device about 24” long with a plastic grip. hold it in place, paint your edge, wipe the knife’s edge clean with a paper towel and move on to the next 24” length.

this tool is available in home depot, etc.

it’s good for really wide, bad dry-wall joints, too.

Next village down the Thames.

Nah. Straight-edge was not for me. Wicking was a nightmare, just made a mess, very frustrating, exceeded my patience. I have no advice to give on the straight-edge technique, because I could never make it work for me.

Taping, while tedious, can be done in a sort of semi-trance while thinking of other things. Just be sure to press down that edge as a last step.

The painting then goes smooth and fast, no problems - try to not get too much paint overlapping the tape.

Added step - sorry, forgot this above. After the paint has dried, like overnight, I run the edge of a putty knife along the edge of the tape, cutting just through the paint. Only takes a few minutes to do, but makes all the difference when you pull up the tape; prevents pulling the paint away from the surface where you wanted it at the same time you pull up the tape.

You spend 3x as long putting up tape as you would painting carefully.

Get a good angle brush with a nice edge and use it correctly! You probably want to turn to 90 degrees from how you think a paint brush is held. You should have no problem cutting in. The trick is to go with a light coat first and then the second coat will go easier if it is not completely dry.

You go thick with more paint about an inch away from the ceiling/trim and then work the paint closer with each consecutive stroke. Flex the bristles a little bit and the thin edge of the brush should form a parallel line as you pull it horizontally. That is how you control the edge. It’s pretty easy to keep a nice straight line with no tape.

You can also use a straight edge like a mud knife. I can’t find any good demos, but this one is ok.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=t9gtE1F4H1I

For a clean line on uneven walls, use the painter’s tape, but seal the edges with a light feathering of the brush, then when that’s dry do a second coat. Don’t use a lot of paint; the idea is just to get a bare amount on so that there’s a barrier preventing drips from getting behind the tape where it’s not sticking.

Besides, I use masking tape because it’s a lot cheaper. If you only push down on the tacky edge closest to the trim, it’s still easy to pull up. You just have to become familiar with its nature to know how to use it!

I went to art school, I know how to paint a clean line. I mostly don’t use tape at all.

It’s all about having the right brush - in this case, I’d use a small sash brush with the nice acrylic bristles, not those cheap hair brushes from China.

Everyone’s experience differs. I find my mind wanders while painting, but then it does so with almost everything else. Fail to pay complete attention and Woopsie, another off-line mess, wet rag, smear, more wiping, tick-tock, tick-tock, goes the time.

I’ve seen people do free-hand with a top-quality brush and am in awe. I just can’t pull it off, so I tape. Net-net, saves me time and frustration. We all have to find ways to compensate for our weaknesses. Sigh. If only all of mine were so easily solved.

i’m going to print up all this good, and varied, advice in a diy manual and sell it.

hope y’all don’t mind.

Look, one room — ceiling and all the trim — and you should get enough experience to get good at cutting. If you don’t try it then you will never get good enough, tape will always hold you back. I don’t know any professionals that use it except for certain circumstances and to put down plastic when they aren’t using a drop cloth.

…. but one of my eyes is bad, and I don’t have good depth perception. I’m assuming that makes a difference? With practice, maybe the brush will go where I want it to go.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

The ability to cut in a straight line is directly related to the quality of the brush. Get the best you can find, with an angled tip, and keep it to an inch and a half or two inches. Use just a little paint on the tip, about a half inch dip is about right. Then, use the stroking method intranets recommends above, and you should get it done quickly. I find tape to leave a ragged edge in most applications.

[you should see the front end of my car] but i don’t think it’s an insurmountable handicap here. i had trouble making the tape go where i wanted it to, so i eventually gave up and learned to make the brush go where i wanted it to instead. dislaimer: i’ve had several years of art training, so i already liked brushes more than i liked tape anyway.

I used to be fine with it…. So maybe it’s just a matter of practice. Shit, though, the first time I tried it I missed by, like, an inch.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

… which seems like a metaphor for a lot of things right now, so I’m now assuming that when I take it back up, I won’t get a clean line, but wicking, et cetera.

What’s the solution? I really don’t want to repaint the walls again… Razor blade the wicking away??!

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

but keep it away from your wrists!

My experience, it won’t work; either you won’t get off the undesirable paint or you’ll scrape right through and expose what’s underneath. Try if you wish, what’s the worst that can happen? No, I am not inviting speculation.

There are always these little overlaps, in my experience always in the worst possible spot. I use a cheap artists brush to touch up; that much I can manage free hand.

This is the secret weapon, clean up your oopsies right there and then, keep it clean with a bucket of water.Not too wet or it’ll get into your paint,but i’m tellin y’all its all in the rag!Worst is the bandmates are all pro painters and its me that ends up getting “ragged” over the job no matter what so hey whadda I know? Cheers!

Soap? Or just plain water? Too simple!

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

Plain water.

I keep at hand one dampish rag and one dry. First wipe with the damp one, then the dry. Repeat as needed.

This only works with fresh - relatively - paint. Once it dries, it becomes water-resistant and you’ll neeed more ambitious means to get it off - or, paint over it with a small brush.

in the days when I worked construction, including painting, we had a specialized roller for trim.

Very helpful and holds its own edge.

Do they still sell or make these?

Good luck!

Can you remember a brand name or some characteristics?

Because that’s what I’m thinking — latex wants to be rolled.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

they were foam,1 inch wide,3-4 inches around ,and they were tapered to a point in the middle(like a pointy-edged bagel),-but, the caveat is using foam is tricky as you have to be very gentle when using them as obviously they flatten out with too much pressure…check paint specialty stores in your area.also cool things are trim pads, a 2x3 inch pad with wheels on it, less for trim and more for borders/edges on walls. also I recently used a roller with a plastic piece on the side to heep from smearing adjacent surfaces,called accu-roller, i think.again, this only worked well with the rag to keep the plastic piece clean. regular 3-4 inch rollers should be commonly available,I like those for trim too. rolling is the way,brush only when you have to,rolling is more consistent and looks better.I’ve been in the hardware field for 20+ yrs now, lemme know if you need any more handy home hints from hippie hardware.

… but I also think that latex wants to be rolled.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

Just remember to go in line with the bristles.

Bill Clinton for First Dude!!!

Yes, you do want to roll it, but your roller comes within an inch or less of the edges. You are cutting in the first inch. They have pad which you can use for edging. They are L-shaped and look kind of like a sandling block with a handle (?).

Not even warm water. Unless you have popcorn ceiling, you just wipe of the latex drips, misses etc within a few minutes.

LB,

Using tape, you need to press in the edge closest to the wall your are painting. Use a putty knife type device and press the tape on the inner edge. You need to stick the inner 2mm firmly.

Take the tape down an hour after painting to avoid the pull-off issue.

You also probably need to use razor blade / sharp tip of 5-in-1 tool to break the dried paint before pulling tape up.

Cool.

[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

They are for corners mostly, but you can use them to cut. They work better than a foam brush. They also have the trim rollers, but those probably work best with the 2” masking tape.

I like the trim rollers but I still think you need to cut in the last 1/2” with a brush not matter what. The trim rollers do a nice job of a consistent “rollered” look. Some people tend to leave 2”-3” of cut with a brush and roller the rest and you can see the difference.