advice on painting

[pheonix1t]

hello, I'd like to do some interior painting (guest rooms and bathrooms). I tried one of the guest rooms but I'm getting an annoying problem.

By the door jams I can't get a nice clean line where the paint stops and the door jams start. I didn't paint the door jams or the door.

How can I get a clean, straight line where the paint stops and the jams start?

I tried but my paint line is a mess...it's all jagged and stuff. It looks aweful!

This is my only problem! The rest of the paint job came out fine...but this little detail would make a huge difference!!

Thanks,

Oskar

[Don]

You need an edger ( as long as the jagged line is due to a shaky hand and not rough wall )

Paint stores sell them. It's a tool with a thin metal blade about 2 feet long ( normally with a rounded green handle ). Place the blade along the doorframe and paint down for the 2 feet. Then wipe off "both" sides on the thin metal blade and repeat until you're done

cheers Don

[Steve B]

I hear your problem and sympathize. Learning this trick is difficult.

Do this:

First, go buy a one inch slanted tapered brush. That brush will have an angle on it when looked at it flat on a table, and the bristles are in a vee if you look at it from end. It should cost around $7. A good brush is one of the biggest keys.

Take a practice door jamb, and practice. Dip it only about 1/2" into the paint, and touch the end of the bristles to each side of the can. Pause and let anything that will drip off drip off. Put the brush at a 45 degree angle downward, with the pointed end of the taper to the top. Have your brush about at a 45 degree angle off the wall.

Start about 1/2" out from the jamb, and brush SLOWLY towards the jamb until you get to the point where the paint is going into the corner where you want the final line.

KEY TRICK: Don't try to do more than about four or six inches at a time. Go slow and get your face up close so you can see exactly where the paint is being deposited. Use slow even strokes. When all the paint is off the brush, "feather the paint", meaning, go over the deposited paint, and smooth out any thick deposits of paint. blend the edges out into the existing paint by repeated back and forth brushing. Be sure to stay 1/8" to 1/4" away from the line in the corner so you don't mess that up.

Always have a wet rag, and if you mess up, immediately wipe it off and resume work.

This is something that is not rocket science, but it DOES take some time to master. You should be getting the hang of it in about an hour

Slow. Steady. Smooth strokes. Breathe in, breathe out. Try for the transcendental state where you are relaxed.

But, actually, just loading the brush with the right amount of paint, smooth even strokes, and not getting in a hurry will get the job done.

Stand back 4 to 6 feet to look at how it looks. That's what everyone else will be doing. Don't get too close. And if you screw up a spot, just let it dry, and go back for the final touch up to get those spots.

You're not going to get it right the first time unless you have a lot of practice, so figure on it taking a couple of days. And give the paint time to dry in between. If it's tacky, it will drag, the colors will mix, and you will have a bigger mess. If it's dry, the top coat goes right over the first one, and covers completely.

Hope this helps.

Steve