There are many things to consider if you want to paint your home. Painting your interior is tricky, but it can be a fun and constructive home remodelling project for you and your family. However, painting around the edges can be difficult. This process is called "cutting out" and it is one the most time consuming parts of the job. This article will explain how paint around the edges (or "cut out") when painting interior drywall.

The Importance of Cutting Out

Cutting out is the process of painting straight lines around the edges and corners of your walls. Your paint job will look much more professional if your edges are straight and clean. Painting the majority of your walls with roller is quick and easy, compared to cutting out. When cutting out, you need to work slowly to prevent paint from getting on an opposing wall, baseboard or moulding.

Using Tape

Even the most expensive painters tapes are not perfectly paint-proof. That is, paint will often seep under the tape, leaving an uneven, blotchy line. This is because drywall usually has a textured surface with tiny nooks and crannies where paint gets under the tape. You can get straight clean lines with tape if you use a little trick. This trick for clean, straight lines requires that you use lightweight spackling paste.

Simply apply the tape where necessary, pushing down firmly, especially along the edge you are painting. Then, apply spackle along the edge with your finger. Apply it very thinly so it is barely noticeable. You just want to push the spackle into the tiny nooks and crannies of the drywall. You do not even need to wait for the spackle to dry before painting it. In fact, you will get cleaner lines if you remove the tape immediately after you paint over it, before the paint or spackle is completely dry. This means you usually have several hours to paint and remove the tape before it dries.

Freehanding It

Freehand cutting out is very difficult, you should only try it if you have experience painting. Creating straight lines can be very difficult without the guide of tape. Some people apply the tape and paint right up next to it, without going over the tape. Using the tape as a guide is a great alternative if you do not want to bother with the spackling paste. However, you will need to practice this technique, so be patient and work slowly.

In the end, using spackling past is the best way to get clean lines when painting on drywall. It goes very quickly if one person applies the spackle while another paints. But if you aren't confident in your ability to do this correctly, it may pay off to hire professional interior painters, such as Painting Trends, to make sure the job gets done correctly.

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