Painting - cutting in, in advance

**Supermofo** · 08-10-18, 11:18

After having our bedroom re-skimmed with fresh plaster I've done 2 coats of straight to plaster white paint ready for colour next weekend. I hate cutting in but always do it as I go. But I'm wondering if I can do the cutting in over this week in the evenings and then come Sat I've just got the rollering/finishing to do which will be much quicker and give me a load of a day back. Good plan or is it likely to look rubbish?

**Silly Car** · 08-10-18, 11:30

It'll be fine in that time horizon. Just make sure you roller over the edge of the cutting in.

I hate* cutting in as well, I spent Saturday afternoon cutting in around the coving in one of our rooms, on pretty much tip toes on the decorating platform due to the ridiculous ceiling heights. My calves are rock solid!

* in fact, I hate all decorating.

**Derek Badger** · 08-10-18, 11:49

I find cutting in strangely satisfying. Especially gloss work.

**Supermofo** · 08-10-18, 11:50

Cool. I tend to use a brush to do the very edges and then one of those mini rollers to blend it anyway so likely to be a fairly broad cutting in.

I ache like buggery this morning, lots of tip toes and up down a small set of steps and kneeling all of which hurt my knackered knee. And 2nd coating the ceiling in fading light is a special kind of torture to go with the shoulder ache.

**Supermofo** · 08-10-18, 11:50

Originally Posted by Derek Badger

I find cutting in strangely satisfying. Especially gloss work.

Fancy coming to Hertford

**Silly Car** · 08-10-18, 12:40

Originally Posted by Derek Badger

I find cutting in strangely satisfying. Especially gloss work.

Originally Posted by Supermofo

Fancy coming to Hertford

Then up to the North!

**ZRX61** · 08-10-18, 14:40

Originally Posted by Supermofo

I ache like buggery this morning,

I'm unfamiliar with the feeling, maybe you were holding the brush wrong?

**Ant** · 08-10-18, 17:37

I take my time cutting in, very carefully using a 1.5" brush. I do the cutting in first, then do the rest.

I've seen the cutting in done by 'professional' painters, which is dreadful, messy and sloppy.

If you take your time, you'll have a very neat job which will look fantastic.

**dodgy** · 08-10-18, 18:41

Probably OK in that time frame

Job is made surprisingly easier if you use a really good angled paint brush. Buy the most expensive one they have, will last a dozen rooms

**a_morti** · 09-10-18, 13:01

The Spanish chap we had do our hallway and balcony (i swallowed the lost manpoints) had a brush that looked like a larger woman's makeup brush. He was able to do all the edges very quickly and to a great standard. Never seen the type before, must be a Spanish thing?

Looks like the one here

**Taipan** · 09-10-18, 13:04

Hate cutting in with a passion. I get the wife to do that and then I do the coverage stuff as that would make her arms ache too much. That's what I tell her anyway...

**V8-Powered** · 09-10-18, 19:24

I'm currently on gardening leave with work (since early August!) so have been tasked by SWMBO to blitz the house prior to selling. I've always purchased boggo Harris brushes but due to the amount I have to do I splashed on some fancy brushes - all I can say is that it makes the task of cutting in so much easier, well worth the expense.....

**KorkyKat** · 20-10-18, 17:20

Gave up cutting in a long time ago. I use a roller with a sharp edged piece of plastic or aluminium to stop the roller hitting the ceiling or skirting boards. Any minor adjustment to the edge is done with a flat artist’s paintbrush.

**bingbong** · 20-10-18, 18:11

when i do cutting in, you really need to cut in, then roller it while its still wet, or the brush strokes will show through

other than that, it just takes time, make sure the brush has enough paint on it to hold all the bristles together and dont be afraid to wipe it off and start again if you make a mistake. use a fairly wet microfibre cloth - those things suck emulsion paint out of all sorts.