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mrspackrat800

Help Triming Knockdown Texture!!

mrspackrat800
13 years ago

We just bought a house that has knockdown in one of the bedrooms. Does anyone have a techniques for painting the trim? I used painters tape and made sure not to sweep up but when pulled, the paint leaked behind the tape and the edge is all jagged. I then went and touched up the ceiling and ended up getting the ceiling color back on the wall. I guess I can keep trading off between the wall and the ceiling until it looks relatively even but I was hoping someone had a better option :) I have many rooms to paint yet and this job is getting tedious.

Comments (3)

  • Faron79
    13 years ago

    This takes a little time to set up, but your lines will be so straight, it'll make you "go to the bathroom"!

    >>> You'll have to bring your ceiling paint down onto the walls a good inch or so...brushing-out bottom edge so it's hazy with no "edge".

    1) Using a sharp razor, cut slightly into/around a roll of good 1" painters-tape, rougly in the middle. Doesn't matter if the cut is wavy...you'll have 2 factory edges now!

    2) Have a helpers in 2 corners on a chair hold a string real tight 1/2' down from their corners. Make light pencil tik-marks every foot or so down the wall. Repeat around room.

    3) Now, use your split-tape above your pencil lines. The wavy cut will of course will face the ceiling, while the straight edge will touch your marks.

    4) Now here's the REAL trick!!!
    * Using a good painter's-caulk, put a pea-size drop on your fingertip, and apply a teeny amount at the tape edge where your WALL-paint will hit.
    * Try to make this "pea" go 8-12 ft. You don't need much caulk.
    * When tape-edge is caulked, use a clean rag and wipe away any visible caulk. You're leaving just a miniscule amount to stop any bleed.

    5) Now...paint away!
    * Don't start at the edge with a heavy load of paint.
    * Unload most of your paint in the field, bringing the remainder of paint UP TO the edge. "Capillary pull" is much less with less paint at a tape's edge!
    * Subtle but important difference there!

    6) This is foolproof...just a little time-consuming!

    Faron

  • mrspackrat800
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Wow thank you!!! I won't be able to get to paint until after Thanksgiving but if I'm able to, I'll post pictures...if I'm successful :)

  • mrspackrat800
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Faron, we went to paint today and I referred to your tip. I'm not sure I quite understand where to put the tape and the painters caulk. The way I read it, the trim line would end up 1/2" down on the wall.

    I ended up asking a paint person at Lowe's and she suggested Frog tape (similar to painters tape but green). It actually worked beautifully.

    Thanks for your tip though, I appreciate it.

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