How to Tape Before Painting

Taping over areas you do not want to paint or "masking" is essential a neat paint job. Just follow these steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blue painters tape

1. Decide which areas you do not wish to paint.

2. Work your way methodically around the room applying the blue painters masking tape onto the area you are protecting.

3. Cover small round items like doorknobs by tearing the tape into small slivers and using these to tape around the object.

4. Guard your ceiling by lining long straight lines where the ceiling meets the wall. Do the same to protect a wall you do not wish to paint.

5. Protect windows with old newspapers and connect the newspaper with the blue tape to protect them from splashing drips of paint.

6. Secure your drop cloths to the floor with painters tape as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove the tape when the paint is still wet to avoid chipping which can happen when the paint is dry.
• If you do not remove the tape until the paint is dry, use a razor knife to cut the paint at the tapes edge before you remove it to avoid chipping.
• Press the tape down firmly so that you do not leave a bubble on the edges of the tape. Bubbles in the tape can allow paint to seep underneath and get on the areas you are protecting.