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Where beginners run into trouble is cutting in along ceilings, moldings and other areas that require a perfectly straight line of paint. We’ll give you some tips and pointers to help you increase the speed and improve the accuracy of your cutting-in technique.
Pat Your Brush on the Pail
Dipping the paintbrush and then wiping off the paint on the edge of a bucket is a common practice, but it’s not very efficient or a good painting technique. It’s better to leave more paint on the brush by dipping the bristles about an inch into the paint and then just patting the brush against opposite sides of the pail. With that amount of paint on the brush, you’ll be able to cover more surface before you need to reload.
Wiggle the Brush Into Corners
Wiggling the brush a little bit is good trick for painting corners as it helps the paint release into tight corners. Wiggling the brush is also a good technique for filling in missed areas as you make a second pass. Don’t wiggle too hard. Just a little vibration is all that’s needed to get great results.
Mask Only the Tops of Trim
When you master cutting in, you need to apply painter’s tape to only the tops of windows, doors and the baseboard. And the only reason you do this is to avoid spattering the woodwork when you roll paint onto the walls. Painting without tape less saves you time and money, and you don’t have to worry about paint creeping under the tape or the paint job getting messed up when you pull off the tape.
Buy a Good-Quality, Angled Sash Brush
We’ve seen many pro painters cut in perfectly with a big square-edge brush, but for most people, angled sash brushes, like the ones shown here, are easier to control. A good angled brush will make choosing the right paint brush an easy task. You can fan the angled tips out to get a fine line of paint, and the angle makes it easier to get into corners. A 2-1/2-in.-wide brush is about right for most interior room painting. But if you’re painting windows or other small woodwork, buy a smaller brush too. It’s easier to paint accurately with a smaller brush.
Get in a Good Position with Bright Light
To paint an accurate cut-in line, you have to get your body into a position where you can see the line clearly, and you need bright light. One of our Field Editors sent us this tip—to use a a good quality headlamp—and it really helps. For cutting in along the ceiling, get your head close to the ceiling for the best view of the cut-in line.
Work Up to the Line
When cutting in against a ceiling, molding or other surface where a straight line is required, start by sweeping into the line to unload some paint onto the wall. Don’t worry about getting close on the first pass. Without reloading your brush, make a second pass to coax the paint closer to the line. Fan the bristles so you’re using the tip of the taper to spread the paint in a straight line. You may even have to make a third pass to get a perfectly straight cut-in line.
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