How to get a straight paint line with heavly textured walls.

One of the biggest problems I have had while remodelling my home is the heavy texture on my walls. When I would attempt to paint a nice straight line of color it would always bleed underneath the tape. Then I would have to come back with a straight edge and touch up the wall everywhere the paint would bleed. For a large wall its a very long and tedious process. 

The other day I decided to try something a little different.  After applying the tape as usual, I also pulled out some Latex Caulk (it has to be paintable) and applied a very very thin amount to the seem of the tape, and then rubbed it in with my thumb to the point where the painters caulking is almost not even noticeable. The idea is the the painters caulk fills in the gaps that the tape cannot.

After the caulk dries (depending on the caulk you use this can be anywhere between 20 minutes and 2 hours) Apply paint as normal, and viola you will have a straight clean line, regardless of how textured the service. 



Taped without caulking

Taped with caulking



As you can see the painted surface using tape and caulking produced a clean straight line, where as the painted surface using just tape bleed and produced splotches and an unclean line. 

So when you need a clean straight painted line, take the extra time and use the caulk, and save time by not having to touch up your work when you are finished. Nothing makes a painted room look worse then messy crooked painted lines.

UPDATE:  So a friend of mine read this post and suggested another way to get clean straight lines.  He told me that a painter friend of his applies the tape, then paints a small amount of the paint color that is underneath the tape. So on my cranberry/white wall if I would tape the white side of the wall, and then paint over the edge with the white paint.  This allows for the white paint to bleed onto the white wall. Once its dry just paint the cranberry wall as normal.  The white paint will seal the tape line (like the caulking) and you should end up with a beautiful straight clean paint line.