When painting walls you can get the paint roller close enough to the ceiling or molding to complete the job. There are sponge paint applicators that can get close to the ceiling but they are messy to use and don’t clean up very well. The best method for painting corners and ceiling to wall edges is with an ordinary tapered paint brush. Here are some painting tips that will help you on painting walls.

When painting ceiling edges get as close as you can to the ceiling and into the corners with the roller. Since rollers can't get tight to the edges they must be painted with a brush. When painting a room the first painting step should be to brush paint the wall edge to the ceiling and inside corners first. This is called “cutting”. Although this may leave brush marks that won't match the roller texture on the rest of the wall the technique can be mastered with a little experience. A small trim roller will permit getting closer to the ceiling.

For the best looking jobs, you want to cover as many brush marks as possible with the roller but you must be careful not to get paint on the ceiling, unless it is the same color as the wall. Carefully roll the roller up close to the ceiling and inside corners. Face the open end of the roller toward the edge and remember not to use a roller that's fully loaded with paint. With practice you'll be able to get within an inch of the ceiling.

For best results use a three inch tapered brush. Don’t over saturate the brush with paint. Hold the brush at a forty five degree angle to the ceiling and stroke the paint along the intersection of the wall and ceiling in one direction. The idea is to use just enough paint on the brush for it to flow upward into the intersection without getting any on the ceiling and without it dripping. With a little practice even the most novice of painters can become an expert.

Use the same three inch tapered brush and technique to paint the corners. If there is an excess of paint in the corner, brush it outward along the wall and pass the roller over it to blend it into the wall.

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