How to Paint Stripes From Floor to Ceiling
- 1). Tape the baseboards, ceiling and trim around the doors and windows, and paint the lighter base color over the wall, or room, that you intend to stripe. Let the base coat dry overnight.
- 2). Measure the perimeter of the room to find out how many inches you will be dividing into stripes. Decide on the width of the stripe and divide that number into the total number of inches. The quotient should be a whole, even number. If it's not, you will have to tinker with it. You need a whole number so the stripes will be all the same size, and you need an even number so you won't end up with two white stripes next to each other at the end of the wall.
- 3). Climb the ladder and begin marking off stripes at the ceiling level. Make the marks a few inches down from the top of the wall. Measure carefully, and use the level to help keep things straight. Repeat the measuring process at the baseboard level. If you have the time and want to make taping simpler, measure at the midpoint or center height of the wall as well. When you get to a corner, keep going. Some stripes will fall partly on one wall and partly on another. Just keep them even.
- 4). Draw a light line in chalk or pencil from the top mark to the bottom mark for every stripe. Use a yardstick as a guide to prevent wobbles. Run a piece of painter's tape from ceiling to floor along the lines, but next to them so they are visible. Position your friend at the top or bottom of the ladder to help stretch the tape between points so this goes faster. If you failed to recruit an enthusiastic friend, do it yourself, continually checking for straight lines. Erase the chalk or pencil marks.
- 5). Mix your stripe paint color. Wide stripes will appear casual; narrow strips are more formal and must be precise. Use an angled paintbrush to cut in the paint along the tape and a regular brush to fill in the stripes. You can also cut in the paint at the ceiling and baseboard and use a very small roller to apply paint on the stripes. It's fine to get some paint on the tape, but don't slop over into the neighboring, unpainted stripe. Remember, every other stripe is the base color and goes unpainted.
- 6). About every half-dozen stripes, gently remove the tape on the stripes that are beginning to dry. This makes removal simpler and ensures that no paint comes up with the tape.
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