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Best way to paint a wall near where it meets the ceiling?

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sactoking said:
Are you currently paiting the ceiling or do you have any of the ceiling paint left?

If so one option that works wonders is to tape the edge on the ceiling, then paint over the tape with the ceiling paint. When it's dry paint your wall.

The ceiling paint will seep under the tape and fill any voids with the correct color so when you come through with the wall color there won't be any bleed-through.
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Ceiling is already painted. House was built in late 2005 -- all the ceilings are off white, the walls are a whitish/cream color.

I got this short flexible-handle brush... should allow better control along the corner edge where the wall meets the ceiling.

fr78size640.jpg
 
Modelworks said:
Use a regular brush to get to about 1/2" from the ceiling, then pick up some paint brushes like artist use for painting and fill in the last 1/2" . Really easy for anybody to do this way. The problem with using a big brush is it blocks your view, so using the small 1/2" sized brushes make it easy to not get paint where you don't want it. Works for trim and anything you need fine trim on without taping or messy shields.
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If you are holding the brush right it shouldn't block your view. Using an artists brush for anything but heavy textured areas that aren't even is a lot of wasted time
 
FirewolfX said:
Tape + painters caulk = win. Razor sharp edges with no bleeding.
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This.

Easiest most efficient method that works with nearly any texture.

All professionals do this, if not your getting scammed.

Get yourself a good masking gun too, save a lot of time and money.
 
NFS4 said:
Could I just use a steady hand a small brush and just slowly rake the brush across the wall near the ceiling?
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I always cut by hand, everything else just ends up messy. Sometimes I'll use a puddy knife to assist, with a bunch of paper towels to wipe the knife so it doesn't get sloppy.

I've always had issues with tape removing the paint from the surface I'm trying to protect, or being careless and the paint bleeds behind the tape.
 
dhcloud said:
A quality brush and a steady hand. Trim painting can be a bit challenging.
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This. Just did my living room and solarium and did all of those connecting areas like this. It is time consuming, but if you are careful it works quite well.

KT
 
NFS4 said:
Ceiling is already painted. House was built in late 2005 -- all the ceilings are off white, the walls are a whitish/cream color.

I got this short flexible-handle brush... should allow better control along the corner edge where the wall meets the ceiling.

fr78size640.jpg
Click to expand...

My favorite brush.
 
blue 3m tape works great, why isn't it working for you? popcorn ceiling? dirty ceiling? the edge doesn't have to be 100% perfect..people don't notice somethingthat far up, but the tape will catch big mistakes and that is all that matters, esp with bold color that is harder to wipe off.
 
Two pros in my house recently just used brushes and no tape for trim work. Lines were excellent, but it takes practice.
 
thedarkwolf said:
taping is a waste of time. Just have a good cut in brush, a steady hand, and wet sponge/rag to wipe off any screw ups. The paint comes right off with a wet sponge as long as you don't let it sit too long.
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This is true. All of the paint masking tapes I ever used would have some bleed spots no matter how tightly you pressed it. I just hold a wide spatula up tightly and paint against it, clean it off as you go or you're putting paint where you don't want it. Keep some moistened paper towels to clean any mistakes and you're good.
 
A shield would work if the ceiling/wall are smooth and even.

IMHO, freehand is the way to go. Use a good 2" cut in paint brush (chisel shape) such as Purdy, load it with enough paint but not enough to drip (do not over load the bristles to the heel of the ferrule), put it against the wall with enough pressure that the tip start to spread, gently turn/bend the brush to a 30-45 degree angle, and drag it along to make a straight line.

Practice cutting a couple of lines before apply it against the finish ceiling/wall.

Good luck.
 
shield can work...but yea it has to be perfectly flat.. most walls probably not that perfect. and u gotta keep cleaning the shield and holding it while painting is a pain, the more things u gotta do while on a chair or ladder..not good, i just ended up using tape, less trouble.
 
Either way a spray gun is not designed for a true final coat. The best jobs always include a last roll coat.
 
NFS4 said:
So, I'm prepping the baby's room for painting. I've already masked off the baseboard , window trim, taken off wall outlet plates and taped over power receptacles and various other odds and ends.

However, I'm painting the room Carolina Blue and the ceiling is an off white. I've tried running tape on the ceiling to where it meets the wall, but I just can't get the tape to adhere properly or get it straight enough.

Are there any other alternatives? We've used a metal straight edge in the past (downstairs living room) and it worked OK, but let a little bit of paint seepage get to the ceiling since the wall are not perfectly straight.

Could I just use a steady hand a small brush and just slowly rake the brush across the wall near the ceiling?

What have you guys found that works best?
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Pads.

HD sells pads for use by hand or attached to a pole for high ceilings. The edge of the pad can be positioned within mms of the ceiling for a professional look.
 
dud said:
Pads.

HD sells pads for use by hand or attached to a pole for high ceilings. The edge of the pad can be positioned within mms of the ceiling for a professional look.
Click to expand...

Are those the pads that have a plastic casing with wheels on the top? I tried them once, but they kept sucking paint into the wheels, causing the ceiling to have a stripe where the wheels run across it.
 
LOL this thread is funny, i painted professionally for years, residential and commercial. get a 3"purdy sash and practice making a straight line with it. That is the easiest way. There is no pad, edge guard, tape or anything else. Most corners are not perfectly flat and usually have bumps along them that will catch paint. You cut your line about a 1/8" to 1/16" inch below the ceiling straight across the wall. The problem most people have is they go real slow and careful, which makes it much harder. Practice on a piece of drywall making a straight line next to a piece of tape. You will see that moving it a bit faster makes a straighter line.

I just dip brush in paint, shake a little to remove excess, hold to one side to drip then to other to catch drip on the way up to the wall and apply liquid to wall.
 
Got it all done last night. I used that Wooster Shortcut brush pictured above. Found out that the best technique was to start where I wanted, then move at a rapid pace with the tip of the brush pointed slightly up. Was able to make a near perfect line on all four walls.

The only "slipups" were where the walls are not perfectly straight, but it looks pretty damn good if I do say so myself 🙂

Thanks guys!
 
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