Excellent presentation, thank you! In the past I've used Benjamin Moore low VOC with a medium pile lambswool Wooster roller and it always worked perfectly. I think the roller itself helped maintain the wet edge since it distributes a thicker coat. I just worked with a Sherman Williams low VOC but with a cheaper roller. It's showing all kinds of lines. I'll use your tips plus go back to my trusty Wooster.
I’ve been doing this for a long time and it works great for me and the guys I work with , my new boss thinks I’m crazy. I’ve worked for 2 painters the last 30 yrs. they didn’t keep me around for nothing .
Hey Dave! I love your videos...I've watched lots of helpful DIY videos, but learned more from your channel in the past couple days than most of those put together! My question is about how you avoid flashing with your taping and cutting in techniques. You appear to apply your paint fairly liberally with both brush and roller. For me, that kind of brushing not only leaves a noticeable difference in texture, but the changing layers of paint tend to cause variations in sheen that stick out like a sore thumb. I'd love to cut in, let it dry, then roll....sounds much easier. But sure seems like the overlaps could be flashing nightmares. I use good Benjamin Moore paints, but I've found that any paint is prone to flash if the substrate varies...primer vs caulk vs other paint vs even the paint itself (i.e., dried cut-ins). So with your trim/tape method, I'd worry about how the paint is going to react over the the primed wall versus the BM Advance trim paint I'd use to seal the tape. Same with your approach to creating those nice straight wall-ceiling transitions. How do you avoid flashing where you're doing all that overlapping on both surfaces? Thanks again. Love your videos!
With different application techniques and different surfaces being painted over, it's pretty hard to avoid these kinds of issues altogether. In most scenarios, they are hard to notice unless you have a very discerning eye. The other times they tend to really show up is when the lighting is directed right at the area, like sunlight hitting it a certain times of the day. In almost all scenarios when I paint with Benjamin Moore's Regal Select, I do not have this problem, but again, if you are really looking closely and looking for it, you're bound to find them. Here are some ways to help minimize the problems. Once the trim has been taped and sealed, you could try rolling the cut in edge with a creeper roller using the same nap size you will be using for the main walls. I still recommend waiting for the paint to dry before the major rolling, and you still might have bit of a lap line, but it should be less noticeable. You could try to minimize the amount of trim paint you "slop" (my term ;-)) on the walls; you'll just have to apply the trim paint more carefully. You could cut in, let it dry and when you roll, roll closer to the tape to create a texture with the roller pad closer to the tape. You also could tape up with a wider tape, seal the tape, then instead of cutting in, just roll everything with your roller pad right up to the tape. You will need to tape up 4" or so of paper to the ceiling to protect it, but...The reason I do not do it this way is that you need to run the roller vertically and horizontally to get all areas and that might slow you down; when you slow down, paint starts to dry, problems could occur. Also, make sure the paint has covered, sometimes these issues show when you've only applied one coat and it needs two. Takeaway: it's hard to complete eliminate these issues, minimizing them, spending more time trying to solve them in super high profile areas is a better way to solve the problem.
very concise, thank you! Just started rolling some metal doors, semi-gloss. Looked great until I looked from the side, and saw a variety of shades and textures! What!!! Now i understand. the tip about letting the cut- in dry has just made my life a lot less stressful also. Thanks Dave!
Some people out there suggest using a humidifier to extend the drying time of low-/no-VOC paints. Wonder whether this is really practical: i.e. I suspect you'd have to have a very humid environment, for a very small change in drying times. Any views?
You mentioned Benjamin More paint I'm from Ireland really difficult to get BM paint here. But I really went out of my way to get it, it has great self levelling properties. I went with the the (hybrid alkyd) Advance white satin for trim. But do you know if it yellows over time? I'm going to hold out painting upstairs (including a dark hall) until I find out more.
Because it is a hybrid alkyd/water mix, yes, it could yellow slightly over time. In my experience, and I have used Advance for years, I have not had this issue. I was at a house where I had painted the trim with Benjamin Moore's Satin Impervo (the pure alkyd paint line) and it has not yellowed at all (I painted it in 2008). Paints are just much better than they were 30 years ago when using an alkyd (oil) would most surely yellow over time. Since the paint is not a purely alkyd paint, the level of yellowing would most likely be very low. Problems with yellowing occur when the paint is not exposed to light (behind a couch, bed, dark closets); but again, I have not noticed these issues unless the house was painted 30 years ago. I'm not saying it can't happen, but it surely not as prevalent these days. If you are really concerned, switch to the Scuff X (use the eggshell finish as it is a bit shinier than other lines). It's a great paint, very durable and is latex (water based). Please let me know if this was helpful, or if you have any other questions. Thanks!
As a general rule, do you recommend finishing the rest of the roll the same day or as soon as possible after cut in? I have a painter who gave me a quote for just the cut in, I feel confident I can finish the rest of the roll myself, but I would ideally have him cut in while I’m at work on say a Thursday or Friday, then finish the roll over the weekend myself to save a few hundred bucks. Would there be a big difference to rolling the rest sans-cut in 48 hours or so later?
I made the mistake you described rolling. I see the streaks. Repainting the area does not fix it. Should I do a light sand of streaks, and paint again? I was using higher end Shirwin Williams eggshell paint.
When you say "streaks" can I assume you mean raised brush marks? If so, then yes, you will need to sand those down. This might not be as easy as it sounds, so be aware of that. Also, how did the streaks happen? Was the paint drying on you as you brushed? Or were you going back into areas that were starting to dry? Are you using a high quality brush? A brush with thick, stiff bristles will cause this issue. I ask because I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again. If you are using a high end paint and you sand the raised brush marks down, you should be able to just cut in again with the brush, but you should not have to do the rolling again.
Hi Dave, It was rolling. I think the paint flashed and I rolled over it. It is like you described, it is when the light hits the wall at a certain angle it shows the roller streaks. Even if I paint the section again, it still shows. So I was thinking of light sanding the area, and painting again.
When you paint a wall, you use a brush to paint the edges next to the trim and the ceiling before rolling the larger areas. "Cutting in" is the term used to describe "using a brush to paint the edges next to the trim and the ceiling."
This was a big surprise for me when I first used Benjamin Moore's Aura (low VOC) - an otherwise great product gave me a bad experience because I wasn't aware of this! Thank you so much!
But don't go over your paint you already cut in(and dried)? Because wouldn't that put on a double coat and give you lines? Or does it not matter because it's so close to the edges?
Bobby I’ve cut twice ,letting dry between coats, let 2 nd cut dry , then rolled first coat,let dry, rolled 2 nd coat you just have to make sure you brush all your edges down when cutting and roll your edges down and roll as close to everything as you can. Edges down means no high spots in your paint.
Excellent video, you explained the problem and offered a solution. You stayed on topic without adding superfluous conversation , great job!
Thanks for the comment, much appreciated!
Great guidance, much clearer than other videos I watched. Thanks.
Thank you!
Excellent presentation, thank you! In the past I've used Benjamin Moore low VOC with a medium pile lambswool Wooster roller and it always worked perfectly. I think the roller itself helped maintain the wet edge since it distributes a thicker coat. I just worked with a Sherman Williams low VOC but with a cheaper roller. It's showing all kinds of lines. I'll use your tips plus go back to my trusty Wooster.
Great video, Dave! Learned a lot! Excited to utilize this new info the next time I paint at work. Thanks!
My pleasure, thanks for the original question and the inspiration for the video!
I’ve been doing this for a long time and it works great for me and the guys I work with , my new boss thinks I’m crazy. I’ve worked for 2 painters the last 30 yrs. they didn’t keep me around for nothing .
Thank you for this video! I am about to start a big job and this is exactly what I was looking for!
Hey Dave! I love your videos...I've watched lots of helpful DIY videos, but learned more from your channel in the past couple days than most of those put together!
My question is about how you avoid flashing with your taping and cutting in techniques. You appear to apply your paint fairly liberally with both brush and roller. For me, that kind of brushing not only leaves a noticeable difference in texture, but the changing layers of paint tend to cause variations in sheen that stick out like a sore thumb. I'd love to cut in, let it dry, then roll....sounds much easier. But sure seems like the overlaps could be flashing nightmares.
I use good Benjamin Moore paints, but I've found that any paint is prone to flash if the substrate varies...primer vs caulk vs other paint vs even the paint itself (i.e., dried cut-ins). So with your trim/tape method, I'd worry about how the paint is going to react over the the primed wall versus the BM Advance trim paint I'd use to seal the tape.
Same with your approach to creating those nice straight wall-ceiling transitions. How do you avoid flashing where you're doing all that overlapping on both surfaces?
Thanks again. Love your videos!
With different application techniques and different surfaces being painted over, it's pretty hard to avoid these kinds of issues altogether. In most scenarios, they are hard to notice unless you have a very discerning eye. The other times they tend to really show up is when the lighting is directed right at the area, like sunlight hitting it a certain times of the day. In almost all scenarios when I paint with Benjamin Moore's Regal Select, I do not have this problem, but again, if you are really looking closely and looking for it, you're bound to find them.
Here are some ways to help minimize the problems. Once the trim has been taped and sealed, you could try rolling the cut in edge with a creeper roller using the same nap size you will be using for the main walls. I still recommend waiting for the paint to dry before the major rolling, and you still might have bit of a lap line, but it should be less noticeable.
You could try to minimize the amount of trim paint you "slop" (my term ;-)) on the walls; you'll just have to apply the trim paint more carefully.
You could cut in, let it dry and when you roll, roll closer to the tape to create a texture with the roller pad closer to the tape.
You also could tape up with a wider tape, seal the tape, then instead of cutting in, just roll everything with your roller pad right up to the tape. You will need to tape up 4" or so of paper to the ceiling to protect it, but...The reason I do not do it this way is that you need to run the roller vertically and horizontally to get all areas and that might slow you down; when you slow down, paint starts to dry, problems could occur.
Also, make sure the paint has covered, sometimes these issues show when you've only applied one coat and it needs two.
Takeaway: it's hard to complete eliminate these issues, minimizing them, spending more time trying to solve them in super high profile areas is a better way to solve the problem.
Fantastic video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
very concise, thank you! Just started rolling some metal doors, semi-gloss. Looked great until I looked from the side, and saw a variety of shades and textures! What!!! Now i understand. the tip about letting the cut- in dry has just made my life a lot less stressful also. Thanks Dave!
great video thanks for clearing things up I appreciate it Dave 👍
2 gl bucket, 1 gl grid in bucket, 4 inch roller, and brush. Cut in close with brush for about 3 feet, and immediately back roll.
Some people out there suggest using a humidifier to extend the drying time of low-/no-VOC paints. Wonder whether this is really practical: i.e. I suspect you'd have to have a very humid environment, for a very small change in drying times. Any views?
You mentioned Benjamin More paint I'm from Ireland really difficult to get BM paint here. But I really went out of my way to get it, it has great self levelling properties. I went with the the (hybrid alkyd) Advance white satin for trim. But do you know if it yellows over time? I'm going to hold out painting upstairs (including a dark hall) until I find out more.
Because it is a hybrid alkyd/water mix, yes, it could yellow slightly over time. In my experience, and I have used Advance for years, I have not had this issue. I was at a house where I had painted the trim with Benjamin Moore's Satin Impervo (the pure alkyd paint line) and it has not yellowed at all (I painted it in 2008). Paints are just much better than they were 30 years ago when using an alkyd (oil) would most surely yellow over time.
Since the paint is not a purely alkyd paint, the level of yellowing would most likely be very low. Problems with yellowing occur when the paint is not exposed to light (behind a couch, bed, dark closets); but again, I have not noticed these issues unless the house was painted 30 years ago. I'm not saying it can't happen, but it surely not as prevalent these days.
If you are really concerned, switch to the Scuff X (use the eggshell finish as it is a bit shinier than other lines). It's a great paint, very durable and is latex (water based).
Please let me know if this was helpful, or if you have any other questions.
Thanks!
You helped me allot, much appreciated
My pleasure!
Great video very handy
Thank you!
As a general rule, do you recommend finishing the rest of the roll the same day or as soon as possible after cut in?
I have a painter who gave me a quote for just the cut in, I feel confident I can finish the rest of the roll myself, but I would ideally have him cut in while I’m at work on say a Thursday or Friday, then finish the roll over the weekend myself to save a few hundred bucks. Would there be a big difference to rolling the rest sans-cut in 48 hours or so later?
I made the mistake you described rolling. I see the streaks. Repainting the area does not fix it. Should I do a light sand of streaks, and paint again? I was using higher end Shirwin Williams eggshell paint.
When you say "streaks" can I assume you mean raised brush marks? If so, then yes, you will need to sand those down. This might not be as easy as it sounds, so be aware of that. Also, how did the streaks happen? Was the paint drying on you as you brushed? Or were you going back into areas that were starting to dry? Are you using a high quality brush? A brush with thick, stiff bristles will cause this issue. I ask because I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again.
If you are using a high end paint and you sand the raised brush marks down, you should be able to just cut in again with the brush, but you should not have to do the rolling again.
Hi Dave,
It was rolling. I think the paint flashed and I rolled over it. It is like you described, it is when the light hits the wall at a certain angle it shows the roller streaks. Even if I paint the section again, it still shows. So I was thinking of light sanding the area, and painting again.
Great vid thanks hello from uk
What does it mean to “cut in?”
When you paint a wall, you use a brush to paint the edges next to the trim and the ceiling before rolling the larger areas. "Cutting in" is the term used to describe "using a brush to paint the edges next to the trim and the ceiling."
This was a big surprise for me when I first used Benjamin Moore's Aura (low VOC) - an otherwise great product gave me a bad experience because I wasn't aware of this!
Thank you so much!
Here's a quick video on using Aura paint; another issue that's good to know:
th-cam.com/video/qW9sZ5AqxB0/w-d-xo.html
Thanks!
If I understand you Dave do your cutting in let it dry and then roll it only don’t roll when you’re paint is beggining to dry
That is correct.
@@DaveMartin many thanks Dave enjoying your videos all the best Joe 😃
But don't go over your paint you already cut in(and dried)? Because wouldn't that put on a double coat and give you lines? Or does it not matter because it's so close to the edges?
Bobby I’ve cut twice ,letting dry between coats, let 2 nd cut dry , then rolled first coat,let dry, rolled 2 nd coat you just have to make sure you brush all your edges down when cutting and roll your edges down and roll as close to everything as you can. Edges down means no high spots in your paint.