Serious question about painting techniques - do you roll or brush first?

I've been painting rooms for 10 years always rolling on the wall first then cutting in the edges after. But last week my buddy who does houses for a living in Portland told me I'm doing it backwards - he cuts in first then rolls. I tried his way on my living room and the edges looked way cleaner. But now I feel like I'm wasting time cutting in when I could just roll faster. Which way is actually better for a rookie like me? What do you guys do?

2 comments

2 Comments

dianab6814d ago

Think about it from a paint drying perspective, not just technique. If you roll first and then cut in, the cut-in paint might dry slightly faster on the edges, creating a visible "halo" around your walls. Doing it the other way lets everything blend together while still wet, so your finish looks seamless...

theawest14d ago

That point about the "halo" effect is something not enough people talk about. If you cut in after rolling, you can actually feather the cut-in paint into the still-wet rolled sections to prevent that line from forming. It takes a little more coordination but the end result is way smoother with no visible transition between the brush and roller work.