Cut In Corners Away From the Ceiling — and Never Roll With a Dry Sleeve

The Problem

Corners are where cut lines fall apart. Brushing toward the ceiling flicks paint onto it; jabbing a loaded brush into an internal corner floods it; and a first pass that wobbles tends to get overworked on the spot instead of left for the pass that's actually meant to fix it.

The Technique

External corners: work out and off the corner, touch the ceiling, then cut into the wall — moving away from the ceiling so any splatter lands on wall you're about to paint, not overhead.

Internal corners: work up the corner with just the tips of the bristles seated in it. The moment you touch the ceiling, pull back in, twist the brush, and draw it off to the side. Then the opposite face: bristle tips into the corner, twist, pull to the side.

Straight runs: offload plenty of paint just below the ceiling line, then turn the brush around and drag it back over itself along the line — and keep the speed up on that return stroke. A brisk pass pulls a straighter line than a careful crawl.

Expect two passes. You won't get it perfect the first time round — the pros don't either. The second cut-and-roll is the important one; it's where all the edges get straightened.

The roller: never start with a dry sleeve. Dampen it with water first, then load it so paint soaks into the core, not just the surface — a properly primed and loaded roller carries enough to lay off two or three sections before reloading.