Do you ever wonder how professional painters get the flawless results they do? The answer is simple, they know how to use tape when painting.
If you want to paint your walls yourself and get the exact same results, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to find out more about which type of tape to use for painting, and how to use it to end up with an amazing paint job.
Why Do People Use Tape When Painting?
By using tape in your painting projects, you can end up with flawless, sharp paint lines. Before we dive into how you can do that, let’s first have a brief overview of why tape is a highly useful tool when painting.
Let’s start with the obvious. No matter how experienced you are in painting, you’re still susceptible to making mistakes.
You can use tape to protect the surfaces you don’t want the paint to get on, such as the ceiling. By doing so, you minimize the risk of messy miscues.
Also, sometimes you may want to paint different sections of your wall with different colors. Using tape when painting allows you to do so without worrying about overlaps between those colors. It also creates a straight, crisp line between the two sections.
Additionally, when you have the tape as a security blanket, you’ll be painting with significantly more confidence. In turn, you’ll be able to cover larger surfaces in a fraction of the time.
How to Use Tape When Painting a kitchen or bathroom?
Here are the steps you should follow when using tape to boost the productivity and precision of your paint job.
1. Clean the Area You’re Going to Work on
The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure that the surface you’re about to paint is completely clean from any lingering dust or debris.
This is highly important for a couple of reasons.
First of all, you never want to apply a fresh layer of paint on a dirty surface. This will compromise the paint, making your paint job last a significantly shorter time.
Secondly, if the surface is dusty, the tape will have a hard time sticking to it.
2. Apply the Tape
After you’ve made sure the surface is spotless, it’s time to put the tape to use.
You should lay down the tape at the edges separating the wall from the ceiling, as well as around any windows or doors you want to protect from the paint.
Don’t try to apply one piece of tape across the whole length of the area you want to cover. Instead, cut the tape into 1 to 2-foot long sections and make sure they’re completely even with the surface.
The best way to do so is to smooth them down with a putty knife.
3. Remove the Tape After 48 Hours
Once you’re done painting, you need to remove the tape. Some people prefer to take it off straight away while the paint is still wet. However, we recommend that you wait for 48 hours.
The tape may be more difficult to remove once the paint has dried. However, you won’t be risking any mishaps after all your hard work.
The tape should come off without any issues if you peel it off at an angle. If you face any difficulties, use a putty knife to facilitate the process.
Painter’s Tape vs Masking Tape: What’s the Difference?
Now that we’ve established that tape is an excellent tool to use when painting, you may be wondering, which type of tape should you use?
There are two main types of tape for DIY projects: painter’s tape and masking tape. The primary distinction between these two types of tape is the strength of the adhesive on them.
Masking Tape
Masking tape’s adhesive is significantly stronger than that of painter’s tape. This stickiness and sturdiness make it highly suitable for repair or renovation projects.
However, it’s that same feature that makes masking tape a nuisance if you try to use it when painting your walls.
The strong adhesive on masking tape creates a lot of hassle when you’re trying to remove it when you’re done painting. Not only is it hard to peel off, but it’s also highly likely to leave marks on your fresh paint job. In fact, if it’s left for too long, it can actually cause the paint to come off with it.
Additionally, masking tape doesn’t completely seal off the area it’s covering and may allow some paint to seep underneath it.
Painter’s Tape
On the other hand, painter’s tape is specifically designed for use in paint jobs. Despite its weaker adhesive, painter’s tape makes the area it’s stuck on unreachable. This ensures that the paint will only go where you want it.
Painter’s tape is also way easier to peel off when you’re done painting, leaving no trace that it was even there.
Choosing the Right Painter’s Tape
So, which type of painter’s tape should you go for?
There’s no one right answer to this question, it depends on the type of surface you’re going to be painting on.
If you’re planning on painting a textured surface such as concrete or wood, you should opt for tape with strong adhesive.
Tape with even stronger adhesion will be needed if your painting project is outdoors. This is because the tape will need to be able to hold up against whatever comes at it.
For regular indoor paint jobs on smooth surfaces, multipurpose painter’s tape will do the trick.
Conclusion
Tape is a tool that really comes in handy when painting. It allows you to paint freely without worrying about splattering all over your ceiling and windows.
In order to take advantage of this, you must know how to use tape when painting. You also need to know which type of tape to use.
We have discussed how to get tape residue from the wall here.
The best tape to use for paint jobs is painter’s tape. It’s designed for this purpose and has just the right level of adhesion for the job. The exact type of painter’s tape you’ll need depends on the nature of the surface you wish to paint.
So, next time you paint your walls, choose your tape wisely, use it right, and you’ll get absolutely amazing results!
