I want my painting to have straight lines around stuff!

[Arghwobblypainting]

DH is bloody marvellous 🤩 but having selected the paint together and me buying it on the weekend with 4 rolls of frog tape - DH thought he would make a start and ‘do the edges’ without any tape.

No tape on the ceiling, none on the skirting board and none of the edges to other walls. He is great and good at art but my god it looks like a 12 year old has painted.

DH must of seen the look on my face as he apologised and said ummm the lines do look wobbly 😂🤪now they have dried.

best tips for straight lines surely it is masking tape, masking tape, masking tape? No ?

DH and I have different DIY skills. I’m slow and want to get it perfect he wants it done and to make me pleased. We had a wonky ring doorbell drilled in and it took me ages to fix it and redo the mortar etc

I love him - but tips for straight lines please tell me!

Cutting in takes time to get good at.

A good brush is important. Nothing crazy but just not a cheapo one.

It’s best to try and offload paint just underneath where you’re trying to get your line, and then go back on yourself. Speed is your friend. If you go too slow trying to get the perfect line it just ends up coming out all wobbly.

Here’a a vid from paint warrior to make you feel really crap about your own skills lol.
I’ve learned a lot from this guy.

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https://youtube.com/shorts/2YTD0uk_ua4?si=N_8lVsSUdX2AqHHf

You can get plastic paint guards. Easier than masking tape

I think the best finish of all is without tape- cutting in- but it's a real skill.

Tape is second best but you still need some skill to get a good finish and not end up with eg paint gathering round the edge.

Solidarity OP. DH hates painting so I do it all (including masking which I hate but I’m not confident enough cutting in without it) but he does other bits of DIY. He simply doesn’t ever prep the area, he’s put some shelves up tonight and absolutely covered a new chair that he didn’t move with dust from drilling. He has cleaned it up afterwards but I went to empty the bathroom bin the other day and found a great pile of drilling debris behind it from when he put the bathroom mirror up. If he can’t see it with a quick glance, it’s not there

When I was growing up my dear Grandad did all DIY and was fastidious to the point of obsession about prepping and then cleaning down afterwards so it drives me bananas that DH doesn’t!

Omg he’s fab

Masking tape definitely has its place though. Particularly around light switches and sockets. These can be made easier if you slightly undo the face plate by a mm or so, so there is a slight gap for the brush tip to creep under. If you’re not confident it might be best to kill to power at the fuse box while you do this.

Ime masking on skirting/ceilings is not the way to go. As much as anything, the way you lay the tape has to be perfect and that’s not always easy. Plus the fact it may remove paint when you remove it.

The other thing that is important is the prep of the corner you’re cutting into. If it’s full of lumps and bumps then it doesn’t matter how good your technique is, it’ll look bad.
So a good sanding (with a block of wood wrapped in sandpaper) into the corner can really help, with a bit of caulk afterwards (let it cure for a bit) will give a far better corner for painting into.

In some houses it's just impossible though admittedly to get a decent straight line along a ceiling. My dh is a painter and decorator by trade, currently disabled so his 3 pals with a collective 100 years painting experience decorated our new house for us. Every single one of them cursed the wonky walls/ceilings/woodwork.

I've got essential tremor that affects my hands and I must say, I often really impress myself with my cutting in skills. Except last week when I went over the shed window pane right enough 😂 but.... I'll have a beer or two and get the rest of the wee cutting in bits done when it's sunny again, if ever!