Basic painting question / advice

kinger8938 · 3 Apr 2019 at 10:11

Hey all! Repainting my son's room this weekend. It was the first room I ever painted and you can tell as the cutting in to the ceiling is just awful!

So with that in mind I intend on now repainting the ceiling to fix that, then move on to the walls.

Never done a ceiling before but imagine it's straight forward. I guess I can actually put a strip of ceiling paint on the wall where they meet as I'll the be painting over this when doing the walls? Or is there a "best" way?

Then when it comes to do the walls, I'll probably put tape on the ceiling to prevent a bad cut in like last time. What tape should I be using? I used green frog in the past and it tends to peel some away (this could be down to the this layer of paint the housing developers used though?)

Thanks! Sorry it's a bit basic, any other tips welcome. My "Skills" got better after and subsequent jobs have much better lines

rhysduck · 3 Apr 2019 at 10:19

If you're painting skills have improved then there shouldn't be any real need for tape when cutting in. I've only ever used masking tape to protect bare wood/glass (but even glass is easy to remove paint from).

When were the walls/ceiling painted last?

Paint ceiling
Cut in ceiling/wall with slight overlap.
Paint wall
Cut in wall

That's how I do it if painting all walls plus ceiling.

kinger8938 · 3 Apr 2019 at 10:34

I say skills have improved but not to a huge extent. I'm more patient etc but still find free hand cutting in to look a bit wavey

I was thinking tape to be better safe than sorry really

silverblack · 3 Apr 2019 at 10:52

Use low tack FrogTape works for me.

JBuk · 3 Apr 2019 at 11:39

silverblack said:
Use low tack FrogTape works for me.

This

It’s a pain masking things off but it’s worth it if you don’t have a steady hand as there’s usually nothing to touch up afterwards

200sols · 3 Apr 2019 at 11:42

Use a paint guard, press guard into join between ceiling/wall and roller/brush right up to it.

JBuk · 3 Apr 2019 at 11:52

200sols said:
Use a paint guard, press guard into join between ceiling/wall and roller/brush right up to it.

I found these to be more hassle than they’re worth, paint lines not joining up, smears, paint bleeding behind the guard because of uneven surfaces and the thing itself getting covered in paint which then increases the risk of drips or getting paint onto other surfaces including your hands, messy

rhysduck · 3 Apr 2019 at 11:56

Low tack FrogTape is the way to go then. Ensure the surface is fully dry before sticking it down.

Mark M · 3 Apr 2019 at 13:16

Push the brush when cutting in rather than pulling it towards you. Sounds like it wont work but its the best tip Ive ever been given.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 3 Apr 2019 at 13:34

Yeah, and make sure the ceiling is completely dry before doing the walls. Keep a damp cloth ready, if you get wall paint on the ceiling and you wipe it gently but quickly you will be able to just wipe it off.

Psycho Sonny · 3 Apr 2019 at 15:38

kinger8938 said:
I say skills have improved but not to a huge extent. I'm more patient etc but still find free hand cutting in to look a bit wavey I was thinking tape to be better safe than sorry really

use tape. masking tape will work and isn't that powerful to rip off paint.

paint ceiling first as splatter from that will hit walls. use a roller for speed brush for edges.

it's not rocket science literally a 14 year old should be able to paint a room to a high standard using the above instructions.

make sure you cover floors / furniture with sheets obviously.

Rroff · 3 Apr 2019 at 15:46

I've used ScotchBlue with great results though they don't make the delicate surface stuff in wider rolls that I've found

and that is by far the best as it sticks well yet doesn't disturb the surface at all when removed so can even be put on relatively freshly painted surfaces without a problem if you are in a hurry (which is generally a very bad idea).

Also something to keep in mind if you aren't experienced - make sure you are using the correct type of paint for the surface i.e. Satin or Gloss is usually better for woodwork while Emulsions better on the walls and usually give poor results on wood, etc.

Don't underestimate how much spatters of paint will go either as Sonny says - one of the days when I was redecorating I was lazy and didn't change out of my expensive trainers and regretted it :s

kinger8938 · 3 Apr 2019 at 15:52

Psycho Sonny said:
use tape. masking tape will work and isn't that powerful to rip off paint.

paint ceiling first as splatter from that will hit walls. use a roller for speed brush for edges.

it's not rocket science literally a 14 year old should be able to paint a room to a high standard using the above instructions.

make sure you cover floors / furniture with sheets obviously.

Thanks

this pretty much sums up how I did subsequent rooms. It's straight forward for sure, I just wanted to see what was vest relating to ceilings as this is a first for that

I guess I need to paint the whole ceiling due to mismatch if I just do the edge to cover up previous cutting in.

Will probably take 40mins at best

kinger8938 · 3 Apr 2019 at 15:57

Also with tape then, I'll go green frog tape. I've used it in the past, it did take tiny bits off but I think that's just the poor thin layer of paint that was put on by the devs.

Whats the best width? ..

I remember hitting the ceiling with the roller once when I got a bit too into it

Psycho Sonny · 3 Apr 2019 at 16:01

kinger8938 said:
Also with tape then, I'll go green frog tape. I've used it in the past, it did take tiny bits off but I think that's just the poor thin layer of paint that was put on by the devs.

Whats the best width? .. I remember hitting the ceiling with the roller once when I got a bit too into it

wider the better but you can always use 2 bits side by slide slightly overlapping if need be. the wider it is the more reckless you can be and faster. the thinner it is then you need to take more care which slows you down.

i used cheap stuff from poundland so i liked to double it up anyway so it didn't soak through.

Adam · 3 Apr 2019 at 16:06

kinger8938 said:
Thanks this pretty much sums up how I did subsequent rooms. It's straight forward for sure, I just wanted to see what was vest relating to ceilings as this is a first for that

I guess I need to paint the whole ceiling due to mismatch if I just do the edge to cover up previous cutting in.

Will probably take 40mins at best

I disagree with this advice and here's why. Even the low tack masking tape (i.e. https://www.screwfix.com/p/frogtape-painters-delicate-surface-masking-tape-36mm-x-41m/81496) can pull away the paint from the edges of the plaster hasn't been sealed properly (with a properly diluted mist coat after the wall/ceiling has been plastered). By using tape you run the risk of pulling the paint of the ceiling to the bare plaster. This will require you to fill the hole and sand it flat to the existing paint. It's not difficult but it's time and expense. If you use cheap masking tape there is a very high chance the paint will bleed through too.

My tip for you would be to purchase a decent cutting in brush (https://www.toolstation.com/axus-decor-blue-pro-angled-paintbrush/p52842) and get to as close to eye level to the ceiling/coving on a hop up platform or stepladders. Load the paint on the brush and use the angle to move it in as straight a line as you can. If some goes on the ceiling/coving then wipe it off and start that part again. It takes practice and patience but you'll end up with an excellent separation between ceiling and the wall. Don't underestimate how long it takes to mask up a room, this method is quicker too.

My other recommendation is decent trade paint such as Johnstone's trade covaplus vinyl matt.

Let me know if you have any further questions, I've done a load of painting so happy to help you out.

koolpc · 3 Apr 2019 at 16:11

Gaffa tape is the best...

Thebug · 3 Apr 2019 at 18:18

Paint kettle with paint and a bit of water just to thin it a bit helps with cutting in

BigBoy · 4 Apr 2019 at 01:57

Good quality brushes and rollers are a must, buy cheap brushes get cheap results! Dont put tape on fresh (less than three weeks old) paint or it will rip the paint off the wall/ceiling.

Rroff · 4 Apr 2019 at 02:59

Adam said:
I disagree with this advice and here's why. Even the low tack masking tape (i.e. https://www.screwfix.com/p/frogtape-painters-delicate-surface-masking-tape-36mm-x-41m/81496) can pull away the paint from the edges of the plaster hasn't been sealed properly (with a properly diluted mist coat after the wall/ceiling has been plastered). By using tape you run the risk of pulling the paint of the ceiling to the bare plaster. This will require you to fill the hole and sand it flat to the existing paint. It's not difficult but it's time and expense. If you use cheap masking tape there is a very high chance the paint will bleed through too.

While I've found that true for a lot of "low tack" stuff in my experience ScotchBlue Delicate so far has been really good (even on paint that is a few hours old) - aslong as you don't leave it on for too many days before removing. Unfortunately I've not found a wider roll of it yet though which would be more useful for ceilings.