High on my list of despised activities is painting… and I’ve about gotten to that stage in a project where I’ve got to paint a large, high cathedral ceiling after doing some skylight and plaster repairs. The thought of edging it 2 ft at a time off a ladder is already making me gag. Anyone tried any of these gadgets like rollers or brushes with a shield? Any good at all?
Sighhhhhhhh… I expect I know the answer but… thanks 😉
Replies
I've been painting rooms and ceilings for more than 40 years now. And the best, fastest way to cut in the edges is with a really high-quality sash brush.
No tape.
No fancy shields or corner pieces or guards.
Just a steady hand, and a reasonably good eye.
And depending on the height of the ceiling, a cheap plastic footstool that gets me up high enough, but can be easily kicked to the nest location. If the room's too tall for that, my bid goes up exponentially, and I generally use some platforms or staging (home-built if necessary).
Because, like you already seem to have noted -- moving a ladder around only gets you about 30" of painting. Resetting that ladder takes way too much time.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
I agree with Yesmaam.
I've used one of those pad applicators with the wheels that's supposed to make cutting in easier. It sort of works, but it's pretty critical that it be loaded with exactly the right amount of paint and that you NEVER get paint on the guide. Also, it probably won't work on corners much greater than 90° (such as the sloped face of cathedral ceilings).
If you were working at a height where it would be easier to move around, the pad applicator might save some time, but they don't work well on the end of an extension pole so there's probably no advantage since you have to get up there anyway.
When I paint rooms, I always paint the ceiling before the walls because it's easier to cut in a vertical surface than an overhead horizontal surface. Keep that in mind if you were planning on painting the whole room. If not, a good brush, a good cut bucket, good lighting, a flexible neck and patience will be your best approach.
3 inch angle brush (Purdy for me) is the way to go and the steady hand helps too.
I’m an interior trim guy, but I’ve worked alongside some first class painters. So I know what a good paint job should look like, and now I’m painting my own work and learning as I go.
I’m amazed at what a difference the brush makes. A really good brush is a delight to use. It gets a better job done with less paint in less time with ½ the mess of a lousy brush.
I've never used a Purdy, but I just paid $11+ for a 2" cutting brush from Ace and its great. Its nice and springy and holds a good point. I never knew painting could actually be fun because I was always using bad brushes.
Yup, a good brush makes a big difference. Purdy makes good brushes, but they're not the end-all, be-all brush. I find them a little soft for cutting in, but I really like them for painting trim where you don't want to leave brush marks. For cutting in, I like the GenX brushes by E&J. Brushes, like pens and pencils, are a personal preference so the best one is whatever works best for you.
makes all the difference. I end up doing it all and painting seems to come in bunches for me. Typically, I'll add the new brush price into the job because my wife isn't the best at cleaning them after she uses them......oh well, at least she paints.
Sounds like a job for painterman. Sub it out, painters are slow these days.
Possibility of getting one of those $100 mini scaffolds? They roll right along a smooth floor and you never have to dismount. They were the surprise tool of the year for me. You find a hundred other uses (tool caddy) for them and they fold right down to nothing for storage..
I got two. HD has 'em.
Yeah, I've got a decent one but not nearly high enough to help... this ceiling is about 14 or so feet at the peak :sPaulB
http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com
http://www.finecontracting.com
My favorite gadget for jobs like that is scaffolding. ;-)
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
Many years ago I was a contract painter. High quality brush, brush clamp and an extension pole was the solution I arrived at.
Takes a little bit of slow and careful handling, but still the most efficient and easiest way to get good results that I tried.
How far can you reach with a brush on an extension pole?
I've tried it and beyond about 1-1/2 feet I can't control the brush well enough to make even a half-decent cut line.
Been a long time but it seems to me the pole was a three section extender so probably 8 or 10 feet. It was a lot more stable once the brush made contact. I had to move it slowly and carefully but a good brush properly loaded was possible to manage and got easier with practice. Really handy for stairwells.