# caulking



## timhag (Sep 30, 2007)

Starting an interior painting job in two days. The previous painter used white caulking at the 90 where the wall and ceiling meet to create a straight cut line. Ceilings are white with colored walls and white trim. Also used caulking at the meeting place of the baseboard and wall. I have never heard of such "talent" nor come across something like this. The guy made more money for me because it all has to come out. Have you guys ever seen or used this method?


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## Joewho (Apr 17, 2007)

yes.


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

I have never done it...
..it makes sense I suppose, but it's not something I do


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## Flikka (Nov 12, 2007)

I always caulk painted baseboards where they meet the wall if they haven't been done. One thing I hate is a nice newly painted wall and baseboards with gaps between the two. Stained baseboards I don't and it bugs me if someone has previously done it.....looks sloppy. I have caulked a time or two at the ceiling as well but that would only be for slight separation cracks and using drywall compound caulking wiped smooth. What bugs me is when someone before me uses that white silicone crap and doesn't wipe up as they go leaving ridges and blobs.

Cheeers
Mary


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## Mopaint (Oct 17, 2007)

I am getting ready to start an interor with heavy texture on walls and ceiling. The ceiling goes white and walls different colors in every room. I am thinking about a thin bead at the ceiling cut to create a line to cut to. I will let you know how it works. But no I don't do it generally. Base to wall on painted base we do it going the same color or if it is unusually large gap. Mopaint


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

Every painter in the world caulks baseboard. Caulking inside corners never turns out that great - as the cracks will continue to seperate and the caulking then becomes a mess.


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## timhag (Sep 30, 2007)

plainpainter...i know every painter caulks. These people used the caulking to create that perfect line. In most places i can see the over lapped wall paint under the caulking. We use caulking b 4 painting, not after to to hide over laps.I feel its not a pro way of doing things.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

At the moment, there is no such thing as "The Perfect Line"
I'm sure it will follow soon after the invention of "The Perfectly Square Wall" when we can use a laser for that perfect cut
Until then, all we can do is make it look good by a series of (admittedly teeny) corrections to try and make it look like it was "Supposed To Look That Way"

We are compromisers

But, to refer to the original question, I've not seen caulk at the ceiling/wall for "cutting lines", only for some hack job gone wrong

I've used caulk in that spot for (settling) crack repair
Works very well too...surprisingly well...(unless you start to think about it, then it kinda makes sense)
But that's an extreme, and rare occasion...and not to cut a line

I've done floor molding caulking
But I don't think you mean the type I'm talking about (pre topcoat space filling)

I have seen (and had to remove) the "after caulking" on floor molding, but I figured they were just DIY "painter" attempts
I didn't think it was to Cut The Perfect Line
Looked like butt and gave me a PITA
...and the customers a PITA charge


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## jackrabbit5 (Oct 1, 2007)

I will occasionally use a fine bead of caulk in the corner between ceiling and wall to get a cleaner line. Specifically, when both ceiling and walls have had a knockdown texture, that corner can be pretty nasty to cut a straight line against. A fine bead to fill in the voids makes for a NEARLY perfect line.:thumbsup:


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## Joewho (Apr 17, 2007)

Since moving to Vegas, I've had it up the butt with the knock down and trying to get straight lines at the ceiling. But I do it, without caulk. It's a pain to get it really, really straight, you have to go back and forth between the wall color and the ceiling color.
I've seen what tim is talking about and I've never done it. I can just imagine the caulk falling out of there later on. Otherwise, like everyone else, I definately caulk painted base, occasionally have caulked stained base, without getting caulk on the acutal stained base and I've even caulked corners with and without wet mud in an attempt to end a chronic crack problem (lmao, go for it). Durabond and caulk has been the best last resort for bad cracks.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

jackrabbit5 said:


> I will occasionally use a fine bead of caulk in the corner between ceiling and wall to get a cleaner line. Specifically, when both ceiling and walls have had a knockdown texture, that corner can be pretty nasty to cut a straight line against. A fine bead to fill in the voids makes for a NEARLY perfect line.:thumbsup:


Ahhh...that makes sense
I don't see much of that up here (texceil/texwall), but I do remember hearing/seeing that somewhere before


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## regal (Oct 23, 2007)

clear caulk against stained and urethaned trim prior to painting walls makes for great cutting in. This is if you couldnt pre paint walls. it goes on milky but dries clear.


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## slapiton (Jul 28, 2007)

I caulk all trim before I paint and then the edges of trim to give that straight line. Elastomeric caulk is the only caulk to use.It stretches instead of cracking, I have had no problems with it. I never heard of anyone caulking ceiling and wall joint. If you can't cut that line in maybe you need to look at another profession. Painting is all about tricking the human eye.IT'S AN ILLUSION.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I agree with slapiton - it's an illusion. Once I was working with this guy - where we were cutting the top of the walls against 'popcorn' ceilings. And the guy was amazed how straight my cuts were - and then he looked up close - and he said, ahhh - you make your cuts low. While he was trying to get so close to the popcorn - that every couple inches a popcorn dove below his cut.


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