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How To Paint Better Lines On Textured Drywall

Repainting your walls is very popular and simple remodel, especially if you have textured drywall. Drywall is pretty easy to work with because it absorbs paint well. However, even a light drywall texture can make it a little hard to paint perfectly straight and clean lines. If you rely solely on painter's tape, there is a very good chance that paint will seep underneath it. Or, if you try to do what professionals do and cut in (that is, freehand the line) the end result is bound to be wavy. If your lines and edges are not clean and straight, it will make your entire paint job looks sloppy. This article explains a great technique for getting straighter and more professional looking lines.

What You Need for the Job

You need painter's tape and lightweight spackling paste to master this simple technique. You might also want to use a yardstick, long level or something else that you can use to trace straight lines on to your wall. Tracing a line is only necessary if you're painting a straight line in the middle of a flat wall. Otherwise, you can just follow the natural edge of the corner or the molding. If you use the natural lines in the house as a guideline, your paint job will look more natural because these lines are often not perfectly straight or level.

Applying the Spackling Paste

Once you have your tape applied, you should get out the spackling paste. To save your fingertips, wear latex gloves when applying to paste. The key is to spread the paste onto the tape line as thinly is possible. Basically, you rub it into the line and then rub it off. This will push the paste into any gaps under the tape caused by the texture. This is where paint usually seeps underneath the tape and leaves behind a splotchy finish. The great thing about this step is that you don't really need to wait for the spackling paste to dry before you start to paint over it. However, it is more practical to do all the spackling at once and then come back and do all the painting at once.

As you can see, this technique will add a fair amount of time onto your project. It will probably double the amount of time it takes to tape off your walls. Nevertheless, it is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make your lines look more professional.