apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Am I the first one to take the survey? I DO have a steady hand and a good brush, so I prefer it. That's generally at any edge of something (edge of a wall; up against a window/door frame, etc.) But there are time when that's truly not enough; for those things, I prefer painters tape.

That said, when you do a survey and you use loaded words like "fancy", you're betraying a prejudice against the thing itself, because it makes it sound unnecessary. It's just a little watch-the-tone-of-voice thing that I think should be kept in mind.

I bought one of these and tried to use it to paint plaster walls in my old house where the walls and the ceiling meet. It was a total waste for its intended purpose. The surfaces I was trying to paint were just way too imperfect for this gadget. I did re-purpose it to paint between a clawfoot tub and the wall in my bathroom. Neither a brush nor a roller were thin enough to get in that narrow space. Maybe it would work on drywall in a new house.

Bought it, tried it, threw it away within 30 minutes.

i've used the edgers several times with good results. there is a small amount of skill involved to use them but not nearly as much as a "steady hand and a good brush."

I use the Shur-line edger in combination with tape and love it! I don't trust the edger to not get paint on the ceiling so I tape the ceiling off with the brown painter's tape that is sticky along one edge only. And I don't use the pole as shown in the photo--I use a ladder and hold it in my hand. I would love to have the steady hand to do it with a brush, but I don't, and the tape ensures a crisp, clean, straight border.

i use the exact same method as michael w - except w/ blue painters tape. it works really great - just painted a friends bedroom and my office - no problem and DEFINITELY easier than trying to do it freehand.

I have huge tall walls on the stairway and I am terrified to even get on a ladder and paint the very top of the wall along the trim, my husband tried but doesnt have a steady hand. Are walls have been unfinshed for several months now so I will definitely have to try this for 3$ to see if it works before we bring in a professional.

I borrowed one from a friend and haven't returned it yet.... it's been a few years. She won't notice!

It works really well for me. Albeit my wall are new and straight. Never used the pole though, I just get up on a ladder to be closer to the action.

I agree with Curtis, this tool is a lot less "fancy" than some of the expensive brushes I have seen. In fact, it is easier to clean and can be reused more often than a typical brush.

Painting freehand is really not at all that difficult. Definitely much easier than taping all the edges. And this tool just looks like it would be more of a pain than anything, especially since you have to be careful to keep the rollers clean, can apparently only successfully use it on a smooth surface, can only successfully use it where the wall/surface abuts a smooth surface, etc., etc.

No, I'll go freehand first any day.

Just a quick tip that I'm sure houseno8 can agree with--if you use the tape and edger method, be sure to take the tape off before the paint dries, otherwise, it may peel off the paint too. I've learned that the hard way.

The trick to edging is to buy a really good quality brush and take proper care of it. Clean it thorough with running water and a pet comb, then wrap it in paper towels to dry so that it keeps its shape.

And when you first bust it out to edge, practice in a vertical corner first, or maybe in a closet. Once you've got your feel for it back, then do the ceiling. Just don't let yourself get in a hurry!

I bought one of these years ago - it totally sucked. Best thing: buy a really good angled paint brush (e.g., Purdy), and learn to cut in with a steady hand. It's not has hard as it looks, and it takes minimal time to learn and master.

this tool has always worked well for us (and we've used it lots and done los of painting... having renovated/updated 3 homes in 8 years). like any tools, though, each has an ideal/intended purpose -- uneven, unlevel surfaces are not ideal for this one as mentioned. however, on fresh drywall, it can't be beat and if adjusted/used correctly does not leave the mentioned gap. imho, it gives a line better than a pro-freehand (sorry, true), but not quite as nice as a perfect (non-bleed) tape line. there are "cheap" versions though and i've found the sureline to be the best. the microhairs do have a tendency to pull out, so careful with thick/heavy/drying paint.

We've repainted our entire house, started off using one of these edgers and got paint on the ceiling fairly fast. We went the blue tape route and tore old paint off of ceilings and now we've landed on the perfect solution - a slow, steady hand and an angled brush. Saves hours on taping and looks better too.

I've used this tool numerous times and have enjoyed it. So much faster than taping and using a brush, and not any more difficult to clean than a roller.

When I do corners, I use the pad on one side and allow to dry, then come back and do the other side of the corner, and touch up the few missed spots with the small sponge brush that I use to clean up the drips from the paint can.

Don't waste your money. Spend it instead on a GOOD tapered paintbrush. Wooster is a favorite of the painters I know. I paid about $40 for mine and it's been worth every penny. I have popcorn ceilings so an edger would be useless for me anyway. Edging (called cutting in) with the Wooster I have is a piece of cake as long as I take it slow and don't have too much coffee.

I'm not a shaky person 99% of the time, but put a paintbrush in my hand and I quake like as Aspen tree. I have one of these waiting for me when I start my master bedroom paint job. Hope it works!

I am not a shaky person, can paint a great edge. But this thing works well as long as its not overloaded with paint.

Edger or no edger, spending the time to mask off the edges and borders makes a world of difference.

For a room or two, the edger works fine...but after a few uses, the pad wears out (especially near the edges) and dried paint near the wee wheels attracts fresh paint and it gets gummed up much too easily, getting a line of paint on the wall/trim you're trying to keep paint-free.

I'm not one for brand loyalty usually, but I have two brands for painting: Purdy (in total agreement with David) – they'll last years properly cleaned – and green Frog Tape when you want a really straight, no bleed line. I'm a big (poor) penny-pincher, but these two products are indeed worth it.

We painted our 2 bedroom home with The Easi Paint System that we bought at a home expo. They were fantastic! Especially around windows & doors, once you worked out the correct amount of paint to load on it & the pressure to apply it. I defiantly recommend it & will use it next time we have to paint. I'm in Australia, not sure if you have something similar over there.
http://www.easipaint.com.au/

I use them, but not at the very edges. I use a brush for the edges and then pat the paint pad on the area below the very edge to eliminate the brush marks...

As the others said, it's not good on old plastered walls. It is good for painting behind the toilet!

A steady hand, and a handy rag are all you need. Put your eyes where you can see the paint coming off the brush. For example, if you're doing the quarter-round on your baseboard, your head will be just above the floor. Breathe in when moving the brush towards you and out when moving it away.

ICI Paints (Glidden) publishes (or published) a book called Skip's Tips: Painter's Handbook. The author is R.A. (Skip) Lennox. It is an excellent reference. An ICI rep might be able to get you a copy.

I guess my hands are too shaky because I love using this instead of taping and using an angle brush. it also takes me less time to paint and it get in areas I can reach as easily.

I use an edger and am able to complete a painting job in half the time and with very good results. It's just a matter of getting used to it.

I used the edger for the tops and sides of my walls, where they meet the molding (not the bottm, bc it's no good upside-sown) and it was great.

And I totally feel like an asshole for taking this survey and having to say I use "fancy" tools. The men at my hardware store told me they were great.

I finally used mine today and I swear I will never dread painting again. This thing is AWESOME! What a huge difference. I edged one long wall of my bedroom at the crown moulding and the baseboard, around the fireplace, around 2 light switches and 2 plugs, an alarm panel and along the edges of the corners in 15 minutes with no mess and a perfect line. No taping whatsoever. I wish I had known about these things years ago. I also saw that they make paint pads for the rest of the wall (no edger). I think I'll try those for the next paint job as it doesn't spatter like a roller and is easier to apply paint to the textured walls.