Decorating Help

[indierich06]

Alright guys,

Been decorating the front room in my new place, and the Mrs wants the chimney breast to be a different colour to the rest of the walls.

This is all fine, but I'm having trouble getting a clean line where the chimney breast meets the wall, as it's a slightly rounded corner, rather than a clean right angle.

 

I'm quite tempted to mask it off, but I've heard there will most likely be paint bleed under the masking tape, and I also don't want to pull any of the other paint off the wall when I remove it.

 

Any tips? It's doing my head in and if I can't get a clean, straight line then I'm just going to end up ****ing it off and painting it all the same colour.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

@@Webbo you're a big fan of masking tape, which brand? Or duct?

[davieG]

Alright guys,

Been decorating the front room in my new place, and the Mrs wants the chimney breast to be a different colour to the rest of the walls.

This is all fine, but I'm having trouble getting a clean line where the chimney breast meets the wall, as it's a slightly rounded corner, rather than a clean right angle.

 

I'm quite tempted to mask it off, but I've heard there will most likely be paint bleed under the masking tape, and I also don't want to pull any of the other paint off the wall when I remove it.

 

Any tips? It's doing my head in and if I can't get a clean, straight line then I'm just going to end up ****ing it off and painting it all the same colour.

Not a decorator but have done a fair bit in my time and this is always difficult. You're correct about masking tape I've tried that many a time.

 

All I can suggest is to make the edge of your chimney breast paint where it meets the wall  set back a mm or so on to the chimney breast. It will likely be flatter there and if there is any minor leakage it wont be seen when looking face on at the wall.

 

Hope that makes sense but I bow to the superior knowledge of any professionals like Webbo

[AyewJoking]

surely masking tape made for purpose wouldnt strip the paint anyway.

 

unless you're using cheap paint

 

anyway dont people just brush "away" from the tape rather than "into" it?

[Smudge]

Obviously you need to use good quality tape.

 

Once you have the tape in place, run a chisel or putty knife along the joint to make a good seal.

 

Then run a very thin bead of clear caulking along the edge you want the change in color. Wipe off the excess with your finger then using a blade clean off the rest.

 

Paint the wall and remove the tape before it dries too much.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I would love to know if there is a brand of masking tape that isn't total crap for this sort of job.

 

My missus painted a wondrous design on the wall of my kid's bedroom, and it was my job to touch up all the bits where the paint had bled.  Took about three times as long as it did to paint the thing in the first place

[RobHawk]

Isn't frog tape supposed to be good and bleed free? Never used it myself  but it might be the solution although its a bit more expensive than standard masking tape.  Might do the job - Wheres Webbo when you need him?

[Buce]

Easy.

1) Draw a pencil line where you want the edge to be.

2) Mask the side you intend to paint.

3) Paint adjacent to the tape with something water repellant, vaseline, maybe (I'm assuming you're using a water based emulsion?)

4) Remove masking tape, and paint.

5) When paint is dry, remove vaseline. Voila.

Disclaimer:

I have never done this, neither am I a decorator.

[Dr The Singh]

Easy.

1) Draw a pencil line where you want the edge to be.

2) Mask the side you intend to paint.

3) Paint adjacent to the tape with something water repellant, vaseline, maybe (I'm assuming you're using a water based emulsion?)

4) Remove masking tape, and paint.

5) When paint is dry, remove vaseline. Voila.

Disclaimer:

I have never done this, neither am I a decorator.

I can imagine you use Vaseline very often and for many purposes

[Kinowe Soorie]

Use a small brush and take your time, infill with larger brush/roller. @@Webbo will point you in the right direction like JJJS said

[Webbo]

If it was me I'd do it by hand and use a 4" brush, take long strokes. If you must use masking tape use low tack tape, don't leave it on there for any longer than you need and take it off very carefully.

[Kinowe Soorie]

If it was me I'd do it by hand and use a 4" brush, take long strokes. If you must use masking tape use low tack tape, don't leave it on there for any longer than you need and take it off very carefully.

All that stood out to me there was, "do it by hand" and "take long strokes" sorry!

[Webbo]

All that stood out to me there was, "do it by hand" and "take long strokes" sorry!

I'm excessively proud of my work.

[Countryfox]

And there you are,  another problem solved by the boys at FT.     

[adam]

I've not long done this in the kitchen. Frog tape worked surprisingly well . No paint bleed or peeling .Just make sure you remove the tape the second you have done with it.

[AoWW]

If it was me I'd do it by hand... take long strokes.

 

Doesn't this get messy?

[ElusiveEd]

All that stood out to me there was, "do it by hand" and "take long strokes" sorry!

 

 

..........And make sure it doesn't bleed. 

 

 If it does, there is too much application. 

[indierich06]

Cheers for all the advice guys (and the innuendo). In the end, I went and got some Frog Tape - the delicate surfaces one - and used that.

 

It was more tacky than sticky, but it stuck to the wall ok, and I got a nice clean line. Removed the tape more or less as soon as I'd painted, as the guy in the shop advised not to let it dry. Worked a treat.

[Parafox]

Cheers for all the advice guys (and the innuendo). In the end, I went and got some Frog Tape - the delicate surfaces one - and used that.

 

It was more tacky than sticky, but it stuck to the wall ok, and I got a nice clean line. Removed the tape more or less as soon as I'd painted, as the guy in the shop advised not to let it dry. Worked a treat.

 

How straight was the finished line?

 

I've tried to do this and I really struggled to make a completely straight edge and in the end just used a batten to get a clean, if slightly disjointed, line.

[indierich06]

How straight was the finished line?

 

I've tried to do this and I really struggled to make a completely straight edge and in the end just used a batten to get a clean, if slightly disjointed, line.

 

Yeah it was perfect, but I did spend a good 10/15 mins getting the tape on as straight as possible.