How to Paint a Straight Line-Where the Ceiling Meets the Wall

Have you ever looked up at where the ceiling meets the wall and noticed that the edge looks like something out of a children’s coloring book? Painting a room can be a lot of fun if you know what you are doing. I’ve been painting for over 15 years and can tell you that one of the most painstaking portions is the edging. Edging a line at the ceiling by free hand has got to be the one of the most tedious and irritating things you can attempt when painting a room unless of course you have some tricks up your sleeve. I’m going to share a trick with you today that can help make your painting experience a lot easier. This tip is easy to do but we need to get some of the basics out of the way before you begin. First you need to get all of the prep work out of the way. You know, laying down the tarps, taping down the moldings, repairing the drywall, priming the walls, etc. After the prep-work is completed you want to paint the ceiling first. Once the ceiling is double coated and dried you are ready to begin using my trick.

How to Hold the Brush

I’ve seen a lot of people simply grab a paint brush like they’re pulling on a door handle. They dunk it in a bucket and start splashing paint all over the walls. This is not the correct way to handle a brush when you’re edging. The only time you should hold a brush like that is when you’re slopping paint onto something where precision doesn’t matter (e.g. a fence). The correct way to hold a paintbrush is easy to do and remember. You want to start off with a decent edging brush; I like to use a Purdy brand 2” or 3” angled sash. They’re sleek, the tips are flagged and they last a long time when properly cared for. To start, grab the neck of the brush handle where the long arm meets the ferrule or metal joining piece. Next, rest the notch of the handle into the webbed crux between your thumb and index finger like a pencil. Now, imagine grabbing a piece of bread from the middle. Your index finger should be on top of the ferrule (the crust) while your thumb should be on the side of the ferrule (the white part of the bread). The rest of your 3 fingers should be comfortably supporting the opposite side of the ferrule (the other side of the bread). You middle finger should be directly across your thumb giving equal pressure to the middle of the brush. You should be able to flex the brush up and down like you would a pencil. If you do not know how to hold a pencil, stop what you are doing and call a professional.

Create the Razor-Line

The process is simple but you have to pay attention to what you are doing in order to be successful. First you will need a dull, not dead, utility knife and step ladder (I’ll explain the dull knife later). Position and properly secure the ladder close to a corner so that you can reach the corner comfortably with your knife. Extend the blade out of the knife so that at least half of the blade is exposed, I like to use Stanley utility but any utility knife will do. If you start in a corner you can work your way around the room in one direction, if you’re right handed start with the corner on your left and vice versa if you are left handed. Press the blade into the corner exactly where the ceiling meets the wall and slowly pull the knife along the natural 90 degree angle created by the ceiling and wall (WARNING DO NOT PRESS THE BLADE DEEP INTO THE DRYWALL!!). You are going for a shallow line that does not break into the tape seam underneath the drywall compound. If you puncture the seam you run the risk of cracking your drywall. You simply want to score a line in the drywall deep enough so that a standard office staple could fit inside. If you use a dull knife it will stop you from going in too deep and will also cause the line to be a bit wider than a fresh blade would (I only suggest a fresh blade if you are extremely familiar with this technique). The line you create should follow the natural 90 degree angle of the wall. This was created when you or somebody else mudded and sanded the corner where the ceiling meets the wall. The razor allows you to follow that natural 90 degree angle with precision. Score the entire outline of the room you are painting and dust off anything left behind by the blade.

I’ve scored all these lines, now what?

After you’ve thoroughly mixed your paint, dip your brush into the paint and wipe both sides of the brush on the inside of the can. You want enough paint on the brush so that you can cover a 3’ - 4’ line with paint. Without touching the ceiling, apply the paint to the wall about an inch under the razor line you created. Drag a line of paint parallel to the razor-line (about 3’-4’ long). Go back and forth across the paint moving your brush horizontal to the ceiling and eliminate any ripples of paint. You want the new paint to lay flat against the wall. Also, you want to make the line wide enough so that a paint roller can reach up to the edging without getting too close to the ceiling (about 4”- 5” wide). Note if you have a lot of drips on your first pull then you probably have too much paint on your brush. The starting lines will make it easier for you to spread the next coats of paint into the razor-lines. Once you have good coverage on your starting line dip your brush and wipe both sides again; note for the razor-line runs you’ll need less paint on the brush. Start off under the razor-line again but this time when you drag the paint across the wall gently work the brush closer to the razor-line. Press the brush against the wall just enough to create a smooth brush line that is parallel to the razor-line. Notice the small bead of paint on your bristles closest to the razor-line? Try dragging that bead of paint closer to and eventually into the razor line. Your eyes should be looking just over the top of your painting hand so that you can see the paint filling in the line you created with your knife. Once the paint is in the razor line, slowly follow the line across the wall until the paint on your brush runs out or you run out of arm length. You can bring extra paint from the first line up and into the razor-line, eventually merging the two into one big swath. If you are successful you should notice that the paint sucks into the razor line as you pull the paint across it. The razor line stops the paint from moving onto the ceiling and gives you a strict guide to follow as you paint across the wall. Repeat the process across the wall until you have edged the entire ceiling with wall paint. The new paint will completely cover over the razor-line and effectively seal the line you created. In the end the wall edge should be in a tight crisp line against the ceiling that will defy expectations.

The Inside Corners

You can either do this step as you edge the ceiling or after you have finished. The inside corners should be done when you edge the vertical corners. If you have completed the horizontal edging, work the vertical edging into the horizontal edging at the ceiling. If you said that it’s really hard to get the paint into the corners precisely you’re right, it is. To pull this off you need to flex the brush against the wall so that only a few bristles are touching the absolute threshold of the inner corner. This is why a good stiff brush is a must, it keeps its rigidity even after you flex it. Through a series of different pressures and angles you should be able to tie all the edging together. A good tip is to keep the pressure on the tip of the brush when you press it into the corner. This gives you the ability to press the paint onto the wall with a small amount of bristles. If you find that you still can’t get your brush into the corner or you’re not confident enough to do it with a larger brush, you can always use something smaller to brush the paint on, think Q-tips.


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How to manage low-back pain

How to Manage Low-Back Pain

Have you ever had a searing pain rip through your lower back? Have you ever had to toss yourself onto your stomach to relieve the pain in your legs? Like many low-back pain sufferers a multitude of symptoms can put you into a tailspin of anguish. Some of the symptoms include; burning, tingling, dull pain, stabbing pain, muscle aches, joint pain the list goes on and on. If you clicked on this post than either you know somebody with these problems or are suffering with them yourself. The most maddening thing that can occur is the relentless ability for the pain to languish on. Most of the time a pain in your body will subside after the swelling has gone down. However for low back pain it might never go away on its own due to the fact that your lower back is used for almost every move you make. A malaise or depression can set in due to the suffering associated with each move which can leave you bed ridden. Here, I will share some tips that helped relieve my back pain*.

Medication

Get the inflammation down! This may seem like a no brainer but anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen (Motrin) and Naproxen (Aleve) are great at calming down an inflamed muscle. This and ice can help severely reduce the inflammation around your muscle(s) and give them time to pull away from your nerve(s). Some of the most maddening pain can come from a disc knocked into the wrong position or an inflamed muscle irritating your nerve. When the pain is extreme a doctor could prescribe muscle relaxers or opiates that can help mask the pain. However, using drugs like Vicodin or Percocet are not as ideal long term. They have many side effects and can create a dependency. Your goal should be to treat the cause not to cure a symptom. Other medications such as Neurontin and Lyrica are classified as anti-depressants or anti-seizure medications but are used with great success at managing severe nerve pain. The goal of any medication should be to get your immediate and or daily pain down so you can manage a more normal routine. Talk to your doctor to see which medication might be right for you.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be a great resource for those that have the ability to get up and move around. Either on your own or through a physical therapist, stretching the back in the proper manor can be a great tool to help reduce pain as well. Physical therapy is best although not always needed. Most insurance companies cover physical therapy with a prescription so if you can get one I highly recommend this route. If you can strengthen the lower portions of your back you can help eliminate and stop the pain from coming back again.

If your doctor decides that you do not need physical therapy some simple stretches can help strengthen your core as well. A heating pad applied to the painful area prior to your workout can also help ease the sore muscles into the exercise. The goal is to strengthen the weak muscles surrounding your nerves to help reduce irritation and add support. After your stretches a cold pack or ice can reduce any additional swelling.There are many exercises and stretches out there; the 4-square leg stretch is my favorite:

 Loosely, tie one end of a tension band around your right leg and the other end to an immovable object; walk backward until the band is taught and keep your legs shoulder width apart. While facing the object you tied off on, keep your legs straight and pull your right leg backward. Once you have reached your stretched leg’s pinnacle return the leg back to your standing position (this is called a rep). Repeat this move for 10-15 reps or the amount you are comfortable with. After you complete the backward leg stretch return to the standing position, turn 90 degrees (it doesn’t matter which direction) and stand upright. Stretch your leg away from the object you tied off on. For example, if you turned 90 degrees to the left you would be crossing your right leg in front of your left leg (about a foot in length away from your standing leg) and return it back to the standing position for a rep. Keep in mind that in every move you will be stretching your tied leg in line with the cord and away from the object you tied off to. Once you complete all four positions switch the rubber tension band to the other leg and repeat the 4 stretches for your left leg.

Sleep

This one is often overlooked and may be better evaluated if you keep a journal. How do you feel in the morning? Is your back pain worse or better off than when you laid down? If it’s worse than the increased pain can almost always be associated with the kind of bedding you are laying on or the position you are sleeping. Is the bed too firm? Is it too soft? Do you feel better after lying on the floor? Take a long hard look at where you spend 8 hours a night and you could be on your way to recovery. The Sleep Number bed is a great alternative to traditional bedding because you can actually adjust the firmness of the bedding up or down. The way you position yourself may also be worth taking a look at. Sleeping on your side while placing a pillow or full body pillow in-between your legs can help separate the sagging that can occur in your pelvis and spine. In any case the idea is to take the pressure off of the affected area to reduce the inflammation surrounding your nerves. If you can get the swelling down, you may have a better opportunity to alleviate the pain.

For the majority of us that live with chronic back there are many solutions available. The most important thing is not to give up hope because you are not alone. Talk to your doctor and develop a treatment that works best for you.

*Please note, I am not a doctor; you should consult with your physician before attempting anything designed to relieve pain (e.g. medication, stretching, heating or otherwise). This should not be considered medical advice and failure to consult your doctor could result in injury. Please do not attempt any treatment without consulting your doctor first.

My website http://james-jilbert.artistwebsites.com