Home alone and making hash of the "cutting in" - help

[nearlyreadyforstatelyhomes]

At 33w pregnant I need to nest. I've had a few free hours today so thought I'd go some decorating. We've done one coat of emulsion on our bedroom walls so I've been using the sayinwood to do the skirting and window frames. And it looks like my 2 year old did it!

I've pre-warned DH that my cutting in isn't great, he's pretty neat so he'll be able to rescue with the next coat of emulsion right??

Also, I'm making a start on the dados on the landing and again, shit cutting in... When the emulsion goes on DH we can neaten up the edges surely?

Would masking tape help?

I am no expert and don't even know what cutting in means. However, I have decorated a lot of rooms and always use masking tape for edges and gloss on wood always looks worse before it dries. Impressed you are doing it at your stage-well done.

Well I think cutting in is 'doing all the edges' - ie where the wall meets the skirting/dado.

This has been dragging on for months so I'm desperate to get it done now. You should see me - look like a pro with my paint-spattered trousers/hands all the gear, no idea

Dado rails need masking tape. Skirtings don't unless, as you say, its not your forte. Use a good quality paintbrush and low tack masking. A stickier masking tape will pull the paint off with it. There's very little that can go wrong with paint (bar spilling it on carpet) that's not fixable.

I'm hopeless using masking tape. Last year I found a super little tool in B&Q which is a bit like a skinny ruler that you hold along the top of the dado rail and then paint. It's thin enough that you can't see a gap between the paint on the wall and the paint on the dado rail. I can't remember what it's called but it kept me from tearing my haircut in DD's room last summer!

Ok thanks that's reassuring - I definitely need some "guidelines" of some kind! I also found a couple of useful videos on YouTube.

So in theory I could tape the woodwork and repair by going over with the emulsion?

Determined to smash this before the baby comes!!

One of the mistakes you might be making is too much paint on your brush.
Just dip the very tip of the brush in the paint.

If the walls are going to be painted after, you don't need to cut in on any painting you are doing on woodwork. That can be done far more easily when painting with emulsion. The only exception to this if is you are painting the woodwork with a very dark colour and are using a light coloured emulsion.

I use the frog tape masking tape which works well.

Also an angled brush is helpful and like others have said, not having too much paint on your brush.

DH hates painting so its always down to me.. thankfully I quite enjoy it! :) Just finished stripping, sanding and painting the bannisters and 11 door frames which wasnt quite so enjoyable!!

You need one of these, they make it SO much easier. No masking needed.

Yes! The link whereisshe is similar to what I have . It makes painting so much easier and no fiddling about with tape.

are you using a good brush, all bristle with no hairy stickouts? half-inch or inch

bristle for oil paints such as gloss; synthetic (white filaments) for water paint such as emulsion.

An old brush that has been well-cleaned and looked after paints better than a new brush. The bristles get thinner and softer at the tips with wear. Even using the brush for undercoat will help.

I find that a good, stiff half inch brush gives the best finish with skirting boards, particularly if you're using the acrylic based paints, which can be quite difficult to spread. I like the No Bristle Loss brushes, as they give a good hard edge, if you have a steady hand. I'm in an oldish house and the bottoms of the walls aren't smooth enough for masking tape to work. The B&Q own brand ones are as good as the Harris ones, btw, so would save a few pennies.

I've also found with the acrylic woodwork paints is that they clog on the bush, after a while, so if I'm doing a lot, I wash up the brush I've been using and get a fresh one out, after an hour or so.

Agreeing about not overloading the brush, too.

If the brush has any bits sticking out just trim them off with scissors. keep a damp cloth near you for wiping up emulsion mistakes (not wood paint) and just take your time. I love the concentration of cutting in.

Agree with everyone on here, I use 1" brush for skirting and use the very top of the brush for the top of the skirting. But I put the paint onto the main part of the skirting go back and forth to even out the paint and then do the top part without re-dipping the brush. That way you don't end up trying to brush out too much paint.

Cutting in is actually where you put emulsion next to the ceiling or skirting.

Hope it is looking better today than it did yesterday.

ouryve I have found that too with acrylic paint, I just have an old coffee jar filled with water and stick in that while I take a break, then just pat it dry with kitchen towel and carry on.

I wrap in damp clingfilm if I need to take a break (which is often for skirting boards cos me knees don't like it)

I decorated loads of times and am quite good at cutting in. Then I discovered masking tape.
its a bugger putting it on but makes the job so much easier.

Thanks again all, haven't had a chance to read through properly and will be Monday before I can do any more but will read up before then and let you know how I get on (coz everyone cares)!!