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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Minnesota.
    Posts
    85

    Default Painting stripes

    Has anyone tackled this? If so, how hard was it and do you have any tips to share?

    THANKS!

    jeannie

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Tulsa OK
    Posts
    8,398

    Default RE: Painting stripes

    I haven't yet painted stripes on a wall but I have been considering it. I did paint a floor cloth with several stripes and let me tell you it was a pain with a capital P!

    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/32454.jpg

    If you plan to use two colors, paint your base color first. This will be the color that covers the largest area. In my floor cloth example it was the cream.

    Then plan your stripes! Measure twice: paint once! The more carefully you measure the better it will look, this takes FOREVER. I highly recommend using blue painter's tape to get a crisp line. Also, if your stripes are narrow enough, you can use tape to measure instead of a ruler, which will save you a ton of time. Here's how:

    Say all of your stripes are 2" thick and you have 1" masking/painters tape. You would lay down many rows of solid tape, and then peel off two rows every two rows. I hope I explained that right so you can understand, it would be easier to show you! You can re-use the peeled off layers in future rows so you don't waste tape.

    Hopefully some people who have done walls will weigh in here, I just thought I would help if I could!

  3. #3
    bchafin is offline Silver level (200+ posts)
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Germantown, MD, 20874.
    Posts
    229

    Default RE: Painting stripes

    I have done walls. My friend wanted her DD nursery to be a circus theme, so I painted a giant big top. As the PP said, paint the main stripe color on the wall first as your base coat. In my case the stripes were the same width, so I chose the lighter color. The stripes around the room were pretty wide. You have to measure the size of the room and make sure that your stipes turn out even. It would be a bummer to do all of that measuring and taping and end up with one little stripe left over. I used a level and painter's tape. Make sure that the tape is pushed down really well to avoid bleeding. (I have heard that if you use a thin coat of poly on the tape edge it will avoid this. This is another step and I don't have patience to try it.) When you are done painting, try to pull the tape off while it is still a bit wet, this will avoid any paint peeling.

    I hope I helped and didn't make it sound more complicated than it really is. Good luck with your project.

    Barb

  4. #4
    sunflowercat Guest

    Default RE: Painting stripes

    I painted stripes using two shades of the same color, but you can also use different sheens of the same color for a more subtle effect. Like the PP I applied the base coat (lighter color) and allowed it to cure for several days (it is humid here and I didn't want to risk paint peeling). Then I measured, starting at the corner opposite the doorway (where the eye is immediately drawn) and ending so that my 'skinny stripe' is behind the door in the corner and barely noticable. I measured at the top, middle and bottom for each one. I used a level to make sure my tape lines were plumb and went over the tape edges very firmly with my nails to be sure they were completely sealed. (My fingers hurt bad after this) I put a piece of tape in each area I did not want painted. I painted the edges with a brush and the centers with a roller, then I removed the tape immediately after painting to reduce bleeding/seepage. They turned out perfect and Dh (and egineer) could not find one single mistake in the entire room.

    Here are some pics. The stripes are 12 inches apart.

    <img src=http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc00b3127cce970f7cc8b87f00000016109AcuHLZo2a2>
    <img src=http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc00b3127cce970f7c7939fe00000016109AcuHLZo2a2>
    <img src=http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dd24b3127cce97c7154e86cb00000015109AcuHLZo2a2>

  5. #5
    FlamingJune1967 Guest

    Default RE: Painting stripes

    JUst wanted to throw another option your way.
    My SIL striped her wall the same color, just different sheens. She did not tape, just used the roller freehand to make the stripes. It looks so nice... kind of whimsical. She's done a LOT of painting (she repaints all her rooms every couple of years) and has done the taped stripes a couple of times. She was very happy with the results of freehand and said it was 1000% easier!

  6. #6
    WitMom is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Twin Cities, USA.
    Posts
    1,593

    Default RE: Painting stripes

    My husband and I did it for our baby's nursery, and I second the PP who said it was a pain with a capital "P". My husband has said he will never do it again. Of course, we aren't the handiest of people, so that may have played a part. I am happy with the finished result, but boy was it trying!

    I agree about painting your base color first, and then paint your stripes over top of that. Also, when you tape off your stripes, place your tape so that the "bulk" of the tape lies outside of the area to be painted. I know it sounds obvious, but it's one of those things that you overlook in the heat of the moment. Also when taping, somehow identify the areas to be painted with a pencil mark or something- otherwise once you get everything taped off, you have multiple tape stripes and it's hard to remember which areas need to be painted and which stay "as is".

    I can't remember the specifics of how we did everything- it's been a few years- but I do remember that we used a laser level vertically so that our lines were straight. Otherwise we kept running into the problem (even though we measured) that our stripes would narrow as we got closer to the floor.

    Good luck!

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