A Brush With Destiny

This past Saturday started pretty slow for us.  Slept in late, had some lunch, watched some TV.  Over lunch, we started discussing our horribly cold and drab basement and launched a renovation plan.  We tend to make big decisions quickly (go in for an oil change, leave with two new cars...), yet for some reason tend to dwell on the insignificant/less important... I'm sure there's some psychology behind that.  Probably traumatized as youths.  Who knows?  Anyways, we made a late afternoon trip to the Depot and picked up a bunch of supplies for our Awesome Plan of Basement Domination (no domination actually involved, we're not those kind of people), to be detailed later.  Of course, one aspect of our plan is painting and I am here to tell you about the discovery that is sure to change your life.

My painting duty is always cutting in.  John takes over the rollers and within minutes, he's practically painted an entire room, while I'm still crouched in a corner/up on a stepstool/contortioning over a toilet/imagining a way I could suspend myself from the ceiling upside down, trying desperately to create straight lines and avoid painting on trim/doors/toilets/mirrors/electrocuting myself around outlets.  It's a wretched job that I love/hate and my OCD/control issues won't let me not do.  Frog Tape was a first step toward salvation from complete insanity.  I foolishly reverted back to the standard, blue tape this weekend, in an attempt to save a bit of money since the Frog Tape is more expensive and we had a whole ton of basement cutting in to tackle and honestly, I found it first.  What a mistake.  It quite obviously did not adhere to the ceiling nearly as well as the Frog, yet when I finally tore it off, it came off in multiple pieces... with one tiny speck of blue still stuck up on the ceiling.  So frustrating.

Now, cue my new find, descending from Home Depot Heaven, upon a cloud, all bathed in rays of sun: Shur-Line's Teflon Surface Protector brushes.  I've tried several of Shur-Line's products before, like the ridiculous little pad you scoot around and supposedly will give you clean lines.  Yeah right.  There's no way to dip the pad in your tray without also getting paint all over the gripper! 

With all the gimmicks out there, I was extremely skeptical.  However, these brushes are amazing.  The Teflon helps keep the bristles together and apply paint in a smooth, uninterrupted stroke, versus the usual bristles flapping everywhere and leaving gaps along the way and streaks on the trim.  They're conveniently sold in a three-pack of sizes (advertised as: "1" Angle Rattail, 1-1/2" Angle Sash, 2" Beavertail").  Who says that?  Oh yeah, "Hey John.  Can you pass me my Beavertail?" 

Note: Mine came in a user/environment friendly cardboard package and
they've switched to bamboo handles.  Guess it makes up for all that Teflon...

Using the one-inch angled brush, I was able to cut in, without the use of tape, throughout our entire basement, with extraordinary success.  I did have to tape off a bit around our carpeted stairs (which, the Frog stuck to just as well as non-fluffy surface and not one drop of paint snuck through onto the berber) and around the utility sink.  I should have taped off along the ceiling down the stairs, as the meeting of the walls and ceiling do not form any sort of straight line and it ended up looking wavy, though not to the fault of my beloved Teflon Rattail.

So, there's my advertisement for the day.  If anyone out there has any painting in their future, I would definitely, definitely recommend picking up a set for yourself.  The three pack was only about $15.  Who can beat $5 a brush!  Especially if you're the poor sucker that has to do the cutting in.  Trust me, it'll save you a whole bunch of time, money, and agony.

Now, stay posted for updates on the project itself.  It's quite the tale.  Not tail, as in Beavertail brush.  Seriously?

*Note: No beavers were harmed in the writing of this post.