| Painting walls is one of the simplest ways to update | | | | pencil. In taping off your stripes, you will begin to see |
| and personalize a room. Spicing up a solid wall color | | | | how useful a laser level truly is in painting horizontal |
| with horizontal stripes adds unique character to a | | | | stripes. |
| room and can open up the space, making it appear | | | | Remember that you will be using the painter’s |
| larger. While level, crisp horizontal stripes add style to | | | | tape as a guide and paint inside the lines, so you will |
| a room, poor execution when painting the stripes can | | | | want to apply the tape to the outside of where you |
| lead to underwhelming results. Let’s take a look | | | | will be painting the stripes. |
| at some techniques to help you paint perfect | | | | For example, if you would like to create stripes similar |
| horizontal wall stripes in a room. | | | | to this: |
| As with any painting project, preparation is crucial to | | | | |
| achieving a high quality result when painting wall | | | | Your measured outline guided by the laser level would |
| stripes. Whether you are painting one horizontal stripe | | | | look something like: |
| or floor-to-ceiling stripes, you should first measure the | | | | |
| walls and determine the thickness and positioning of | | | | Painter’s tape should be applied outside of your |
| the stripes. Use painter’s tape to mask all door | | | | outline, as shown: |
| and window frames, ceiling edges, baseboards, chair | | | | |
| rails and fixtures, just as you do to prepare for | | | | Be sure to avoid the common mistake of placing |
| painting the room a solid color. Also cover the floor | | | | painter’s tape on the same side of each line, for |
| to protect from paint drips. Begin by painting the | | | | example: |
| entire wall (or walls) a solid color, which will end up as | | | | |
| one of your stripe colors. Try to plan your project | | | | Once you have all of your stripes outlined with |
| around applying a basecoat of your lightest color, | | | | painter’s tape, you are almost ready to begin |
| followed by painting stripes with your darker color(s). | | | | painting stripes. Press the painter’s tape along |
| Next you will use the painter’s tape to outline | | | | the outline of each stripe to be sure it is attached to |
| where the stripes will be positioned. Be sure the | | | | the wall as securely as possible. A good way to |
| basecoat is completely dry before applying tape. | | | | ensure that your stripes come out with crisp lines is |
| Though you can outline horizontal stripes using a | | | | applying a thin layer of caulk along the inside of the |
| standard level, a laser level will significantly simplify the | | | | tape outlines before painting. This will help prevent |
| project. After carefully measuring and determining | | | | paint from seeping under the tape. You can go ahead |
| where each stripe will go, use the laser level to | | | | and paint the stripes inside the outlines before the |
| project a perfectly horizontal line along the edge of | | | | caulk has dried. Remove the painter’s tape |
| where the first stripe will be painted. You can apply | | | | before the paint has dried completely for best |
| painter’s tape directly to the wall along the level | | | | results. Finally, your beautiful new room is unveiled! |
| line, without the extra step of marking the line with a | | | | |