How to keep paint off the trim when painting a room

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By Bfastattiffanys
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keep paint off the trim when painting a room

If masked correctly, you can keep paint off of your trim when painting a room.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

When choosing a masking tape that is most effective for keeping paint off of your trim, make sure it is the kind that can be left on for a long period of time and will not be difficult to remove. The best kind is the blue masking tape you can find in the painting section at most home improvement stores.
Step 2

Tear off a section of the masking tape and lay it on the trim so that it makes a "shelf" for catching paint drops. Cover all the trim where you will be painting in this manner. Make sure the edge is as close to the wall as you can get.
Step 3

After all the trim has been covered with tape there is an additional step that will make the tape even more effective for keeping paint off of your trim. Take a putty knife or something with a straight, flat edge and press firmly against the tape and drag it across the tape where the tape and the trim meet. Press firmly and remove all bubbles and gaps in the tape so there is a tight seal. Gaps will result in paint seeping under the tape and getting on the trim.
Step 4

Before you remove the tape let the paint dry that has dripped on the tape. Take your knife and run it along the crease between the painted wall and the edge of the tape to cut through any place where the paint has dripped and is touching both places. If you don't do this you may pull paint off the wall when removing the tape.
Step 5

Tear the tape off in a swift, upward motion.

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