Today I'm a Painter

[MountainDon]

Well here we are on Spring Break. No trip to sun drenched places for us.  No sir, we live in one.

This year we are painting the master bedroom. Painting is not listed on my things I like to do list. Once I get going with actual paint brush and roller it's not bad. I don't like the all important preparatory work. And the furniture moving. And then re-hanging all the pictures, they don't always go back in the same position, which means spackling the nail holes before and making new ones after.

I've got the top half done.  On to the bottom half Tuesday. 

[MountainDon]

I got disturbed during that first post, and pressed the Enter key in error. 


The upper portion of the walls are to be one shade the bottom another. I've always had a small amount of bleed under the tape. I have been told the secret to a successful job by a pro painter.  Maybe ya'll already knew this but I never did, or forgot it if I'd ever heard of it.

Once one half the wall has been painted and had dried, run the tape line. I was told the 3M Blue tape is best. Take some paintable caulk and apply a little bit along the edge where the second color will be painted. I've painted the upper section, so the edge to be painted is the lower edge of the tape.

Rub it smooth along the tape edge, some on the tape and some on the wall that is to be painted. Smooth no bumps or ridges, especially on the part on the wall. Let dry slightly.

Paint the next wall section, in my case the lower portion. Let paint dry 1 hour. Pull the tape adn there should be a straight edge with no under flow.

The image below is my test in the closet. The wall was white, the color is what the upper walls will be. Came out pretty good, much better than previous attempts. As you can see this is on a texture sprayed wall to make things a little more difficult. There is a little flaw in the center. I hope to avoid much of that.

[davidj]

I think there's a variation on this idea that goes something like:

Paint the first half with a rough edge that goes beyond where the line will be.  Tape the edge then paint the first color again, over the edge of the tape that will divide the colors.  After it's dried then paint the second color, wait for it to dry and pull off the tape.  This way all the paint that seeps under the tape is the same color as the paint that's there already.  When you finally paint the second color all the little gaps are already filled and there's no little fingers of paint spoiling the whole thing.

! 

[MountainDon]

I completed the bottom of the walls today. The tape and paintable caulk trick worked lie magic.

Here's a close up shot...



Now it seems I did such a good job the work has now extended out into the hallway. 

[Redoverfarm]

Well I guess you are one.  Looks good real professional looking.  Maybe too good if you haven't already figured that one out yet.

[ScottA]

Don didn't anyone ever tell you about painting? It's never just one room. Usualy the whole house ends up getting painted before it's all over.

[MountainDon]

   No, no! It stops at the end of the hallway!   

At least for now.  [fingers crossed]

[glenn kangiser]

My dad told me I might make a painter someday, but I'd never be one.  hmm