How to Paint Stripes on an Interior Wall
Determine the width of the stripes., Paint the entire wall with the base color., Once the paint is dry, begin measuring from the least conspicuous corner in the room., Using a level, measure and tape the stripes., Tape off the top and bottom of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the width of the stripes.
This is probably mostly personal preference, but perhaps the scale of the room should be a factor.
In this article, 10" is chosen as a uniform stripe width. -
Step 2: Paint the entire wall with the base color.
If you intend to paint the ceiling, paint it first. , It is unlikely that your last stripe will measure exactly 10" (or whatever size you use), so make sure that strip ends up in the least noticeable corner of the room.
If you are only striping one accent wall, measure the wall and center the stripes (the outside of each end stripe should be equidistant from its corresponding corner). , For the purposes of this article, 2" tape was used (you'll find out why in a minute).
Remember to tape the outside of the contrasting stripe.
This means that if you went with 10" stripes and 2" tape, the exposed wall will alternate between 10" for the semi-gloss stripe, and 6" for the flat stripe.
This is the step most likely to cause problems, so it is recommended that you eyeball the stripes one more time after you've finished taping.
It helps to put small pieces of tape inside of the stripes that should not be painted, to serve as a visual reminder. ,, Once this paint is dry, proceed to next step. (This is so the base wall color will fill in any minor gaps in your tape seam.
When you remove the tape in the final step you will have a nice, clean seam with zero bleed through.) , You may need two coats.
Remember that it was recommended to use 2" tape along the sides of the stripes? Here's why
- with a 10" stripe, you can use a 12" roller and get full coverage on the stripe.
The 2" tape gives you 14" to work with.
The benefit of this is that there is no risk of roller lines.
On the other hand, a standard 9" roller will be 1" short. , If you are working with a partner, just get a 2-3 stripe head start and have your partner remove the tape right behind you. -
Step 3: Once the paint is dry
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Step 4: begin measuring from the least conspicuous corner in the room.
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Step 5: Using a level
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Step 6: measure and tape the stripes.
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Step 7: Tape off the top and bottom of wall(s).
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Step 8: Optional: To prevent paint bleeding (where the tape hasn't adhered 100% to the wall texture)
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Step 9: use a small brush or trim roller to paint one coat of your base wall color over the tape seam.
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Step 10: Paint the contrasting stripes.
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Step 11: Remove the tape shortly (around 5 minutes) after painting.
Detailed Guide
This is probably mostly personal preference, but perhaps the scale of the room should be a factor.
In this article, 10" is chosen as a uniform stripe width.
If you intend to paint the ceiling, paint it first. , It is unlikely that your last stripe will measure exactly 10" (or whatever size you use), so make sure that strip ends up in the least noticeable corner of the room.
If you are only striping one accent wall, measure the wall and center the stripes (the outside of each end stripe should be equidistant from its corresponding corner). , For the purposes of this article, 2" tape was used (you'll find out why in a minute).
Remember to tape the outside of the contrasting stripe.
This means that if you went with 10" stripes and 2" tape, the exposed wall will alternate between 10" for the semi-gloss stripe, and 6" for the flat stripe.
This is the step most likely to cause problems, so it is recommended that you eyeball the stripes one more time after you've finished taping.
It helps to put small pieces of tape inside of the stripes that should not be painted, to serve as a visual reminder. ,, Once this paint is dry, proceed to next step. (This is so the base wall color will fill in any minor gaps in your tape seam.
When you remove the tape in the final step you will have a nice, clean seam with zero bleed through.) , You may need two coats.
Remember that it was recommended to use 2" tape along the sides of the stripes? Here's why
- with a 10" stripe, you can use a 12" roller and get full coverage on the stripe.
The 2" tape gives you 14" to work with.
The benefit of this is that there is no risk of roller lines.
On the other hand, a standard 9" roller will be 1" short. , If you are working with a partner, just get a 2-3 stripe head start and have your partner remove the tape right behind you.
About the Author
Michael Lee
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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