The Art of Cutting In

So it’s about that time. The interior of your house hasn’t had a new coat of paint since 1976, and it has been put off long enough. You’ve gone through the color wheel, the paint has been picked out, you have your brushes, rollers and all the necessary tools. It’s time to start painting. It sounds easy enough. You just put the paint on the roller and get it on the wall. But first. . .. the tricky part. This is when it comes to the edges. What should you do here? You could pull out the masking tape, or you could cut in by hand. These are the tough decisions you have to make in order to get that paint job perfect, and these are the types of decisions and techniques that the skilled professionals at the Angie’s List Award Winning University Painters specialize in.

Cutting in is a technique that requires skill and patience. It involves using a brush to put a layer of paint around the corners and edges of the area being painted. It truly is an art. When cutting in, it is difficult to get the paint to dry the exact same shade as the paint that is being rolled on. One thing I have learned is that it is important to pick the right brush. A high quality brush doesn’t have to be expensive; you just have to know what you’re looking for. A firm, angled brush, 2-3 inches in width is perfect. But once you have the brush, then what?

If you look online you will find a laundry list of articles about the proper way to cut in when painting. Some say put on one thick coat, some say two coats with the first being a light coat, some say to let it dry, others say leave it wet. You can spend more time looking at videos and reading up on the process than it would take you to do the actual painting. This is such an unnecessary headache. The trained craftsman at University Painters have perfected this technique, and are ready to provide the perfect paint job for you. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit universitypainters.com.