How to Paint Stripes

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By Hey Bruce
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Paint Stripes

Stripes are fairly easy to apply to your walls and they give a room, or especially a stairwell, a very elegant look.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Dropcloths
3 inch painter's tape
2 inch painter's tape
7 inch roller sleeve 3/8 nap and roller frame
9 inch roller sleeve 3/8 nap and roller frame
Rolling pole
Good quality paintbrush
4 foot level
Measuring tape
rags for wiping spills/drips

Step 1

Tape all of your base trim using the three inch tape so you do not drip paint on your trim. If you have a wide base trim as in the pic you may want to purchase a roll of 12 inch paper to cover the trim entirely.(If you are painting the trim afterwards, this is not necessary, although you do want to wipe off any heavy drips). Lay out your drop cloths.
Step 2

Cut in and roll your base coat on your walls using your 9 inch roller and let dry thoroughly, approximately 24 hours to create a good bond.
Step 3

Start in one corner and place a mark on your wall every 12 inches or however wide you would like your stripes to be. Place the marks all the way from one corner to the other across the wall. Use this same procedure every 2 feet down the wall.
Step 4

Use your 4 foot level to mark your lines where your stripes will be from top to bottom. You can then use the level to make sure your lines are straight. If not you can adjust the line a little bit with the level. You may have to do this because all walls, especially in older homes, may not be perfectly square. Just make sure you keep the same width from top to bottom on all your stripes.
Step 5

Adhere a piece of the two inch tape on the right side of the line that you have marked, taping each line from floor to ceiling. If you have a wall that is longer than 12 feet from corner to corner across the room, you may only want to apply the tape to half of the stripes at one time.(Even good quality painters tape may peel your base coat if you leave it there too long).
Step 6

Using your brush, cut in the stripes first. Always use brush strokes starting slightly on the tape and working to the inside of the stripe. Do not brush toward the edge of the tape or the paint may lift it and bleed under your tape.
Step 7

Using your 7 inch roller, roll the area you are going to stripe. Try not to overlap the tape; this may cause bleed under as well. Let the paint set up for about 15 to 20 minutes and pull your tape off slowly. If you let it set any longer than that it may cause peeling of your base coat.