vandyandsons

Lets say for discussion sake that we are talking about repainting a living room. Ceiling, walls, trim package.

The way I prefer to do it and why:

Step 1) Cover/ drop out etc...
Step 2) Vigorously stick sand, patch, caulk where needed.
Step 3) Paint ceiling.
I like to slightly splash onto the walls when run my ceiling perimeter.
I also usually brush in my ceiling perimeter, but do occasionally use a whizz or hot dog sleeve too. Dont let it drip onto your walls though! Then roll out your ceiling.
Step 4) Paint your trim package.
Again, I like splashing slightly onto the walls. I prefer to cut my walls sharp into the trim and ceilings then the other way around.
Step 5) Next day, mask off horizontal trim and Paint the walls
Step 6 Clean up, collect cash, leave.

Again, this isn't gospel, just ideal.
Obviously, due to drying times, this can't always work.

Usually, what ends up happening for me is:

One afternoon, I go cover, prep, and run my trip package. Next morning, mask off horizontal trim, sand and spot prime patches, run the ceiling and then the walls.

any scenario ends up with clean up, collect cash, and leave.

Mellison

Your prefered method is pretty much spot on, except for masking the trim.
Any splatter (usually none to very little) will get touched up.

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"Enjoy Every Sandwich" Warren Zevon

Mr. Mike

We don't mask trim.

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Commercial Painter KY. Residential Painter Louisville Painting Photos Louisville

WisePainter

Sounds good.

It's almost a crime how easy it to steal business away from other companies when my clients see in the bid that I tape all horizontal trim...

almost.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Mr. Mike

If I were bidding against a bid that said that and I got to take a look at it, I would close the deal for sure. Mr. and Mrs. Jones let me share something with you, I have had the pleasure to do business with lot's of people I have seen every type of Painting job out there and let me share this with you, if they put tape on the painted trim with in a few days of painting it the fresh paint could peel off. I am a professional and when I do a job we free hand all the trim and ceilings this away we have a very straight line up to all surfaces. I understand you were thinking about going with them and you felt comfortable with them, I am sure they are very nice, we are a lot more expensive I'll agree but with us you get everything can I earn your business?

And if that don't work I'm one more No closer to my next yes.

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Commercial Painter KY. Residential Painter Louisville Painting Photos Louisville

jfranklin

your smooth. and right. real painters dont tape trim.

vandyandsons

ok kids,

we are not talking about putting any of this in writing in the bid, just plain methodology.

i am just as much a pro as anyone on the site and i mask off horizontal trim.

no level of professionalism can defy the law of gravity that causes sprinle to fall down onto horizontal surfaces.

i can, and have, and sometimes do freehand in my trim after walls are painted due to time constraints, but it always looks better to mask off your baseboards before you do your walls.

i dont have issues with my tape pulling off my trim paint if it had overnight to dry

it's called blue painters tape with the orange core, low tack.

ps- not only does it look better wen base has been masked off, it's definitely faster than trying to laserline it freehand after everything is said and done.

when quality and speed come together, we call it efficiency here in Chicago.

vandyandsons

hey wise,

i think i will start putting that in the bid, just to give more business to Mr.Mike in KY

Sportioli

Had a client eyed me during my presentation the other day as I can to the end of the "our process" section and asked me this...

Do you use tape on the trim when you paint?

I looked at him in the eye and said no.. Real painters don't use tape sir, they know how to paint.. Then I smiled at him, and he said "Good, my father in law told me to ask that. He was a painter in his youth and said the same thing you did.

The job is done. The customer loved it, and asked me for a price on 2 more rooms yesterday while we were cleaning up

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Painters Louisville KY, Commercial Painting Contractor Louisville, Drywall Repair Louisville KY, Exterior Painters Louisville KY

vandyandsons

you boys from KY must know something about this business that big city boys like me don't.

I guarantee that my perfect masked lines where the wall meets the baseboard look exponentially better than your freehand lines at the same location.

evidently painters from Kentucky, the GC's that also chimed in, and the siding guy don't think that there is any room in this business for another method that is both faster and better.

I learned this trade in a big city market where both speed and quality count. Most of us mask off the base here in Chicago.


another question: do your customers like the way their baseboadrs feel like 80 grit sandpaper after you don't mask off base and touch it up later?

Mr. Mike

Don't get out of line, we can place a wager of any amount.

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Commercial Painter KY. Residential Painter Louisville Painting Photos Louisville

WisePainter

2 wrongs has never made a right...
I think I smell some BS in your perfectly tailored response.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

WisePainter

Times are tough, I don't want to take your money.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Mellison

Vandy,
Just a diference in opinion
Don't get your panties in a bunch.
NYC is pretty big as well and I have never seen painters here use tape for this purpose.
Not saying it is never done.
Just that I havn't seen it done by a pro.

As far as base feeling like 80 grit.
As I mentioned, when you take your time and paint properly you can do a great deal in regards to preventing splatter on the base. The result being "none to very little".
I have been doing this for many years and I have neither received a complaint about rough feeling base moulding or had a customer run their hands along it.
The bottom line is do what makes you feel like you are providing a quality job every time.

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"Enjoy Every Sandwich" Warren Zevon

Dave Mac

nuff said

StefanC

Another thread that spins off into the 'real painters don't use tape' argument.

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nEighter

procedures vary depending on the locale.. seriously. Best to be fluid with what you do, and to understand what it is that you need to do for the specific customer/job.

DRC

We always paint the base after we paint the walls. Tape is too expensive and time consuming to use. High quality paint and roller eliminates most of the splatter.

WisePainter

I would have to roll like some 90 year old painter in order to keep every last drop of paint on the roller and off of the baseboards.

I would finish a small room every 4 days...

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Sportioli

I dunno.. Maybe you need to clean your mustache more often? Who am I to say?

On the other hand. Thank you for the compliment on my writing skills. It was very kind of you to mention them because it wasn't always this way for me. I actually had to take evening classes at a local university to enhance them to the point where people were motivated to comment favorably on them.

Your favorable mention and the spirit it was delivered in are appreciated

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Painters Louisville KY, Commercial Painting Contractor Louisville, Drywall Repair Louisville KY, Exterior Painters Louisville KY