# Cutting a clean line on knockdown



## dwbrooks (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm wondering if any of you have any tips or tricks for getting a very sharp line on knockdown. I was thinking of running a thin bead of caulk in the corners in order to get a smoother surface to cut on. 

Thanks much


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

Hello, welcome to Paint Talk.



dwbrooks said:


> I'm wondering if any of you have any tips or tricks for getting a very sharp line on knockdown. I was thinking of running a thin bead of caulk in the corners in order to get a smoother surface to cut on.
> 
> Thanks much



Rather than thinking about it, why not just try it?


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## dwbrooks (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm a long time reader of paint talk and contractor talk, at this point I'm confident you all know what your talking about. So I figured I'd ask


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## MAK-Deco (Apr 17, 2007)

dwbrooks said:


> at this point I'm confident you all know what your talking about. So I figured I'd ask



:thumbsup:


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2008)

dwbrooks said:


> I was thinking of running a thin bead of caulk in the corners in order to get a smoother surface to cut on.
> 
> Thanks much


Yup.. done that. It's not a PERFECT solution and will not take all the ridges out. But! it will smooth things just a bit. I did an interior a couple weeks ago that had knockdown walls and ceiling... I caulked and did the best I could. I did "ok" for dealing with knockdown. .. .. ... I don't know any other way.. Well.. if your painting the ceilings, you could caulk the corner and after it cures/hardens you could drop the wall with plastic and use a tape edge for your line. A paintable clear caulk would work.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Could dropping the line down on wall be an option?

http://www.painttalk.com/f6/ceiling-lines-4817/


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## dwbrooks (Oct 23, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> Yup.. done that. It's not a PERFECT solution and will not take all the ridges out. But! it will smooth things just a bit. I did an interior a couple weeks ago that had knockdown walls and ceiling... I caulked and did the best I could. I did "ok" for dealing with knockdown. .. .. ... I don't know any other way.. Well.. if your painting the ceilings, you could caulk the corner and after it cures/hardens you could drop the wall with plastic and use a tape edge for your line. A paintable clear caulk would work.


Yes I'll be painting the ceilings also.

RCP, I have to keep the cut line all the way up. Were you going to suggest something similar to what Jason said?

Thank you for your responses. I've learned a ton from you all in the past years.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2008)

dwbrooks said:


> Yes I'll be painting the ceilings also.


In that case, Caulk the corner, paint the walls all the way into the corner (ceiling), mask with 72" or 99" film from the ceiling down and spray the ceiling, Done! I did a multiple of apartments remodeled into condos this way. It was easy and fast but they were all 8' ceilings.... This saves from the tedious task of hand cutting that rough edge that will still exist (but not as bad as before) even after the caulk is applied.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

In rooms where you are going to paint the walls and ceiling you can paint the walls and then tape and plastic the wall you just painted and spray the ceiling, as long as you don't spray to heavy into the corners you will end up with a clean line.If you are going to brush I would thin my paint so when you run over the ridges with your brush your not raking off a roll of paint. Some areas you are going to have to jab and pull down with your brush. These are tough jobs that if you are doing accent walls with you may want prep the home owner to expect there my be some imperfections


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## VIBE (Apr 7, 2009)

Hey there when I cut in along "popcorn" ceilings I usually run the edge of my putty knife along the corner and create myself a trench you don't have to remove anything really just take the edge and scrape a line for your brush to follow. Works for me every time!


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

VIBE said:


> Hey there when I cut in along "popcorn" ceilings I usually run the edge of my putty knife along the corner and create myself a trench you don't have to remove anything really just take the edge and scrape a line for your brush to follow. Works for me every time!


yeah, I think anything you can do the smooth out the wall will help, putty knife, can opener, caulking.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Not like this huh!:blink:


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## painterdude (Jun 18, 2008)

bottom line is tell the customer that knockdown walls and ceilings will never be perfect. Point out the bumps and crecives and explain why things will be what they will be. pd


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## cullybear (Mar 10, 2008)

take 1 inch blue tape and caulk then paint. Try it on your trim too,I know the NPR craftsman dont like that but it looks like high def laser lines when you pull that tape off


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

had something very similar two weeks ago.

Smooth walls, popcorn ceiling that I think the HO blew (double entendre intended)

The first strip of paper I put up and trimmed I was horrified, almost puked. There was no F-ing consistant line to trim to. I dug deep into my bag of tools of mass destruction and pulled out and old triangle scraper. Scraped the sh!t off the walls and "reformed" the corner line. Every other trim looked MUCH better. Making a "trench" as vibe describes is the same idea. You are actually creating a new corner ABOVE the sight line. It will read real good.


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## dreemr13 (Jul 9, 2009)

At my company, currently I am the only one who can cut flat ceilings and I can do them almost as quick as knockdown and popcorn as long as the line is straight and no homeowner mess. I use ONLY use a 2.5 inch Purdy Glide Elite as I know exactly what the brush will do, anything else feels like a wet sock 

I did though have a repaint a few months back that was an interior stucco wall to painted popcorn ceiling. Luckily it was only 8 feet because it totally sucked as the homeowner wanted a chocolate brown on it against a white ceiling...

Other than that. A scraper, Dry Dex, Dap and a little bit of ceiling paint can fix almost anything!


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## tntpainting (Apr 3, 2008)

Thats Never Gonna Be Perfect I Shake The Brush Slightly As Im Cutting In , Works Pretty Good For Me I Dont Like Tape Looks To Unprofesional Il Use It On Baseboards Because I Have A Bad Back( Sucks Geting Old)


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

tntpainting said:


> Thats Never Gonna Be Perfect I Shake The Brush Slightly As Im Cutting In , Works Pretty Good For Me I Dont Like Tape Looks To Unprofesional Il Use It On Baseboards Because I Have A Bad Back( Sucks Geting Old)


Yeah: If you shake the brush you learned from the old timers. I do the same and I learned from my dad many years ago. Funny, I don't see a lot of the younger guy's doing it.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

johnpaint said:


> Yeah: ... shake the brush.....



????????

I'm having visions of what you mean, but can you explain? 

Like kind of a wiggle or vibrate as you lay on the paint, or shake it to get the paint to the end of the bristles ???

I'm old, but also confused


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

I'm old, but also confused

No your not Bill: You got it together.

Well it's not really not a shake, and it not a vibration thing. It's more of a very minute pushing and releasing of the brush that ends up pumping the paint down to the end of the brishels.Kind of looks like your a nervous painter on a early Monday morning, after a hard weekend.
I think it works by getting the solids particles in the paint to flow past each other, be more liquid I guess, but I'm just guessing.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

johnpaint said:


> I'm old, but also confused
> 
> No your not Bill: You got it together.
> 
> ...


Got it! If I remember correctly, it's a slight "flexing" or "bending" of the bristles that coaxes the paint to the tip.

I like the "nervous painter on a early Monday morning, after a hard weekend" ..... not that any of us have ever been there, but we have seen it in others.......right? :whistling2:


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Yeah, you bet: Sometimes you have to use both hands to keep that brush steady.


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## BADPIG (Sep 5, 2008)

*I caulk all of the ceiling and corners on a knockdown room. Then I get out my halogen lights, fan, radio and get to work on them with either a 2" or 2.5" Purdy. It just takes patience and a little practice to make these heavier knockdowns look crisp and straight. Sometimes you have to paint little off from the true corner (up or down) to give them the visual look of being straight from the ground level.*

*I'm not a big fan of watering down the paint. I know it is easier to get the paint into the fine holes and crevices, but I just don't prfer it. I have walked into many a room where I can tell that someone has watered down on the cuts.*

*Then the HO asks me after the job, "How did you get it so straight"? I never tell them, I just say...thats why you hired a painter remember!*

*In addition, I use these types of room/textures as a selling point to help justifying $400-500 a room to the cautious HO. Once I explain the labor and lengths we all go through to make rooms look smoking they usually agree. *

*James. *


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## scholarlypainting (Sep 30, 2008)

cullybear said:


> take 1 inch blue tape and caulk then paint. Try it on your trim too,I know the NPR craftsman dont like that but it looks like high def laser lines when you pull that tape off



so you lay down your tape.. then caulk over it, let that dry and then paint it?

wouldnt that leave a huge ridge?


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

I usually stand back about three feet and flick it off the end of my brush.If I want a cleaner line, I get a little closer.I can fine tune it to within .003 inch.


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## Romanski (May 4, 2008)

scholarlypainting said:


> so you lay down your tape.. then caulk over it, let that dry and then paint it?
> 
> wouldnt that leave a huge ridge?



You use very, very little caulking. You basically wipe off as much as you can and there is only a tiny little bit sealing the tape so it doesn't bleed threw the crevasses. I use it on color changes for those darn rounded corners or for stripes. I think someone also mentioned replacing caulking with peel bond (dries clear and fast) or the color of the paint the tape is on. I'm sure it all works the same.


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