# How to avoid or get rid of lap marks



## Missionary Painter (Jan 21, 2012)

Hello,

This may like a stupid question to some but I need to ask it. so here goes. When I paint interior walls I usually end up with visable lap marks. What I mean is I usually cut first (the whole room) and then roll all the walls, but by the time that I am ready to roll, the cutting area has already dried up and I roll over some of the cut line (to make sure everything is covered) so this small area has two coats when the rest of the room has one...this is sometimes more visable and sometimes less visable but I would like to eliminate this problem. I am a one man crew at least for now. I know genereally keeping a wet edge is preferred but you may know how I can work this out without a 2nd person or without a wet edge. If you have any suggestions, tips, etc please let me know. thanks in advance.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Do one wall at a time instead of cutting in the whole room.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Put more paint on. Hat banding is often worsened by too thin of a coat. 

Keeping a wet edge is nice, but paint is getting to where it dries so fast its not feasible anymore with some brands.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

Jmayspaint said:


> Put more paint on. Hat banding is often worsened by too thin of a coat. Keeping a wet edge is nice, but paint is getting to where it dries so fast its not feasible anymore with some brands.


Yeh. To produce and keep a wet edge is IMO not even possible with water based. And not even necessary. Roll tight and so on.

Sometimes people will forget to box their paint....and cause themselves problems


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Oden said:


> Yeh. To produce and keep a wet edge is IMO not even possible with water based. And not even necessary. Roll tight and so on.
> 
> Sometimes people will forget to box their paint....and cause themselves problems


And some colors/tints are prone to floating, so they require more frequent stirring.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

What paint are you using


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## epretot (Dec 17, 2011)

Two coats


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

A lot of guys make this really wide cut. Which is bad. IMO. But a lot of even good painters do it. The cut has to be just big enuff for a tight roll...


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Gough said:


> And some colors/tints are prone to floating, so they require more frequent stirring.



How did you pull that off? Did they lift the prone ban or is it just mod magic

Edit: apparently the ban had ben lifted.


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## Carl (Jun 18, 2011)

I think you are confusing the terms 'lap marks' and 'hatbanding'. Really, a lap mark is when you roll and there are lines between each lap of the roller. It sounds like you are having an issue with hatbanding and I agree with epretot that you need to do two coats. The idea is to reach a point of maximum saturation of the paint where the paint is soaked in as far as it will go so that the entire surface will be even and/or the old color will be completely covered up by the new color. Of course, some paints will hatband no matter what you do so you need to pick and choose your brand carefully.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Carl said:


> I think you are confusing the terms 'lap marks' and 'hatbanding'. Really, a lap mark is when you roll and there are lines between each lap of the roller. It sounds like you are having an issue with hatbanding and I agree with epretot that you need to do two coats. The idea is to reach a point of maximum saturation of the paint where the paint is soaked in as far as it will go so that the entire surface will be even and/or the old color will be completely covered up by the new color. Of course, some paints will hatband no matter what you do so you need to pick and choose your brand carefully.


AKA picture framing

www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-arc...e-framing-on-drywall-hatbanding-paint-problem


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

I call it picture framing. Whatever it is. That is what I call it.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Jmayspaint said:


> How did you pull that off? Did they lift the prone ban or is it just mod magic
> 
> Edit: apparently the ban had ben lifted.


Your welcome. :yes:


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## Jasonthep8nter (Aug 7, 2013)

Missionary Painter said:


> Hello, This may like a stupid question to some but I need to ask it. so here goes. When I paint interior walls I usually end up with visable lap marks. What I mean is I usually cut first (the whole room) and then roll all the walls, but by the time that I am ready to roll, the cutting area has already dried up and I roll over some of the cut line (to make sure everything is covered) so this small area has two coats when the rest of the room has one...this is sometimes more visable and sometimes less visable but I would like to eliminate this problem. I am a one man crew at least for now. I know genereally keeping a wet edge is preferred but you may know how I can work this out without a 2nd person or without a wet edge. If you have any suggestions, tips, etc please let me know. thanks in advance.


Cut a wall in than roll it, you should be fine, I used to cut a whole room in an than roll it but as you said in certain lighting you get the picture frame effect


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## MKap (Sep 11, 2010)

Cut thin, roll tight. Use quality paint with quality roller. Put a few drops of water and stir thorough. Don't over brush or use behr/valspar.


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## Damon T (Nov 22, 2008)

Two coats. 
Use good paint. 
Should be fine


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

read painting 101


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## The 3rd Coat (Aug 17, 2013)

Cut in twice, roll twice.
Allow to dry properly between coats.

Sometimes when going over a previously painted surface with the same or very similar colour, one coat will not cause picture framing, if the surface is properly cleaned first. Depends on the sheen level too. Flat paint has poorer coverage so more likely to picture frame.


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## bklynboy1970 (Oct 8, 2013)

When I was in the field I only had this happen when I used America's finest. ..very cheap paint!! Apt rentals go figure....and when I tried to get away with one cut and two rolled always 2 cut 2 roll and flat paint must fully dry before second coat.


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## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

Jmayspaint said:


> How did you pull that off? Did they lift the prone ban or is it just mod magic
> 
> Edit: apparently the ban had ben lifted.


OMG, what will happen to smutnounce??? Damn you powers that be!!!


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## Missionary Painter (Jan 21, 2012)

thanks for all the replies. I appreciate your time.


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## ejs (Nov 4, 2011)

W. C. Fields said to stay away from Laplanders.


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## Krittterkare (Jul 12, 2013)

Oden said:


> A lot of guys make this really wide cut. Which is bad. IMO. But a lot of even good painters do it. The cut has to be just big enuff for a tight roll...


For a time I used a 4" roller to cut in and then use a brush to cut the line, while it was efficient unless I did two coats it had a darker band. I still do roll out a whole room before cutting to hit as much of it as I can with the roller some paints or circumstances show show just what I did.

So rolling first will cut down on the cut line and it amazing how close you can get to the ceiling with the roller.


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

Some paints are much more prone to picture framing, but the roller sleeves with thick naps can cause issues or roller sleeves that don't have a beveled edges can be more problematic 




Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com


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## Darps (Mar 24, 2014)

I've always been taught that everything outside of flat paint needed to be cut in and rolled 1 wall at a time. That being said, I've yet to experience a problem when applying 2 or more coats and cutting in a whole room. And, I've had certain colors that didn't work no matter what I did. If 2 coats doesn't work, try one wall at a time. Sometimes that's how we have to live life: one wall at a time. KnowhatImean?


Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com


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## Danahy (Dec 11, 2008)

I haven't experienced picture framing problems since before Aura. Thinking about it now the only thing I do differently since Aura is get my paint shaken twice, and I always get it made the morning of the day I'm going to use it.


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## bklynboy1970 (Oct 8, 2013)

Danahy said:


> I haven't experienced picture framing problems since before Aura. Thinking about it now the only thing I do differently since Aura is get my paint shaken twice, and I always get it made the morning of the day I'm going to use it.


It only happen to me once!! Cant cheat or use cheap paint...unless you can spray and sheild


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

bklynboy1970 said:


> It only happen to me once!! Cant cheat or use cheap paint...unless you can spray and sheild



North FL is where I learned the spray & shield. Pretty much a necessary down there if your going to make any money.


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