paint brush

How to paint a straight line

house Victoria Sanchez May 3, 2021

Painting a straight line along the wall and ceiling

I know what you're thinking, this seems like such a ridiculous topic to write a blog about, how hard can painting a straight line actually be? However have you ever actually painted one? It can be challenging for many reasons. For example your paint can leak through the tape causing your line to come out, not so straight, or if you decided to go the no tape pencil route and draw out your line, you can run into a few problems there as well. We would like to set you up for success when it comes to painting, below we will give you a few of our secrets for getting excellent straight lines!

  • Tip 1: Use painters tape Painters tape we have found to be the easiest, cleanest route when it comes to painting. Some prefer to draw with a pencil and ruler a line, if you chose to use this method we highly recommend using a level to ensure how straight your line is!
  • Tip 2: Apply clear caulking over painters tape This tip is a lifesaver! After applying clear caulking over the top line of painters tape, take your finger and wipe the extra access and make it smooth- before it dries!. This adds a seal to the tape preventing any leak thru.
  • Tip 3: Use an angled brush Using a good brush is key to a good paint job- obviously! In this case an angled brush will help keep your line smooth with or without using painters tape. The more pronounced the angle, the easier it will be to paint a straight line.
  • Tip 4: Avoid using to much paint Less is more! Many people like to cake on the paint so it spreads faster, however when you are trying to get that straight line, you want to use very little paint, this keeps the paint from ‘seeping’ through the painters tape, or dripping past your pencil marked line. You can always apply more paint, trying to fix leaked paint is more of a task! Simply dip your paint brush in the paint and wipe both sides smoothly along the pan, then apply to the desired area.
  • Tip 5: Let paint dry before removing tape The ideal timing before removing tape is about an hour or so. I imagine you are excited and want to see your finished product, however patience is key! You want to prevent pulling up any paint with the tape, if you use the caulking this will also help to prevent this problem!

There are plenty of tricks to the trade in getting this done correctly! These were just a few examples that are paramount to us at Honey Do Painting! Remember to take your time in preparing for your project and keep in mind it could take a few hours to complete! If you have any questions or have tried and failed this project we would be happy to help! Give us a call at 209-889-0672 or send us an email honeydopainting9@gmail.com for a quote today!