Masking Tape

Author
Discussion

Billy Eyelash

Original Poster:

802 posts

223 months

Yesterday (11:15)
quotequote all
I'm slowly decorating and increasingly frustrated by masking tape.

I have purchased two brands of premium low-tack tape, and I'm having problems with both not sealing properly while also lifting paint.

The walls were finished a week ago, and I have masked them off to paint the woodwork, but the gloss is managing to get underneath.

I suppose professional painters must be good enough to get a good edge without using tape but I'm not at that standard.

Does anyone have any helpful hints?

Lotobear

7,940 posts

143 months

Yesterday (11:17)
quotequote all
Frog Tape

FlopperV60

251 posts

223 months

Yesterday (11:29)
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Lotobear said:
Frog Tape
That's the correct answer

Fallingup

1,698 posts

113 months

Yesterday (11:34)
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Frog tape and remove it before the paint dries.

Crumpet

4,378 posts

195 months

Yesterday (11:36)
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I always used to buy Frog and even their low-tack one used to cause me issues, either bleeding behind or pulling paint off.

Then I was recommended Q1, in particular their pink ‘Sensitive Surface’. It’s so much better! I actually just used it in my garage last week; painted the top half two coats in the morning then taped it off and painted the bottom in the afternoon. Because it’s just a garage I didn’t really care too much but there was minimal bleeding behind the tape and it’s so low-tack that it didn’t pull any paint off the freshly painted surface. I was very impressed and wouldnt use anything else now.


dhutch

16,375 posts

212 months

Yesterday (11:45)
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Learn to cut-in without tape!

For the sake of a hour or two practice its quick and easier for almost all applications.

Mojooo

13,207 posts

195 months

Yesterday (11:49)
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Another shout for Frog - I use it for all sorts

The green is best general purpose but yellow is lower tack

it can get expensive though.

dhutch

16,375 posts

212 months

Yesterday (14:01)
quotequote all
dhutch said:
Learn to cut-in without tape!

For the sake of a hour or two practice its quicker and easier for almost all applications.
Here we are:
https://www.youtube.com/@PaintingandDecorating/sea...

Simpo Two

88,990 posts

280 months

Yesterday (14:09)
quotequote all
Billy Eyelash said:
I'm slowly decorating and increasingly frustrated by masking tape.

I have purchased two brands of premium low-tack tape, and I'm having problems with both not sealing properly while also lifting paint.

The walls were finished a week ago, and I have masked them off to paint the woodwork, but the gloss is managing to get underneath.

I suppose professional painters must be good enough to get a good edge without using tape but I'm not at that standard.

Does anyone have any helpful hints?
You can try running a fingernail along the 'live' edge to get a better seal - then pull it off (slowly and at a backwards angle) before the paint dries.

JoshSm

1,042 posts

52 months

Yesterday (14:22)
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For Frog Tape you're meant to moisten it before painting as that triggers the anti-bleed gel.

The yellow low tack stuff is pretty good but a poorly adhered paint will pull off under little provocation. Maybe work out why the paint isn't stuck.

Tesa Professional tape is pretty good, a lot like the yellow Frog Tape but in theory a very long indoor/outdoor life. Might be worth a go as an alternative.

For some recent jobs I've been using the orange Frog Tape, definitely not for delicate surfaces and for some reason not always easy to get but sticks when the others don't like protecting a surface under a water cooled cutter.

Kwackersaki

1,533 posts

243 months

Yesterday (15:21)
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The method I use with tape is this one.


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jgYkGokWnZw

21TonyK

12,408 posts

224 months

Yesterday (16:42)
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Kwackersaki said:
The method I use with tape is this one.


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jgYkGokWnZw
I was just about to try putting this method into words.

It works.

(for me, originally posted by another PH'er somewhere back in the mists of time)

JoshSm

1,042 posts

52 months

Yesterday (16:50)
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21TonyK said:
Kwackersaki said:
The method I use with tape is this one.


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jgYkGokWnZw
I was just about to try putting this method into words.

It works.

(for me, originally posted by another PH'er somewhere back in the mists of time)
But is that working because the matching paint bleed has filled the holes, or because it's Frog Tape and you're wetting it so it seals before doing the other coat?

21TonyK

12,408 posts

224 months

Yesterday (18:10)
quotequote all
JoshSm said:
21TonyK said:
Kwackersaki said:
The method I use with tape is this one.


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jgYkGokWnZw
I was just about to try putting this method into words.

It works.

(for me, originally posted by another PH'er somewhere back in the mists of time)
But is that working because the matching paint bleed has filled the holes, or because it's Frog Tape and you're wetting it so it seals before doing the other coat?
IME the matching paint fills the holes. Tried frog tape, now I just use cheap 50p a roll stuff and the above method.

Turtle Shed

2,057 posts

41 months

Yesterday (19:23)
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Yep. Any old tape and painting over with the other colour first. Being doing it that way for years.

Kwackersaki

1,533 posts

243 months

Yesterday (19:32)
quotequote all
21TonyK said:
Kwackersaki said:
The method I use with tape is this one.


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jgYkGokWnZw
I was just about to try putting this method into words.

It works.

(for me, originally posted by another PH'er somewhere back in the mists of time)
I’d used tape for donkeys before this method popped up on YouTube and I realised I’d been using it incorrectly.

If I do remove some of the paint when removing the tape, I just touch up with some fine artists brushes.

OutInTheShed

11,313 posts

41 months

Yesterday (20:05)
quotequote all
I use the blue masking tape from toolstation.

For woodwork e.g.skirtings, and emulsion walls, I paint the woodwork first and cut the emulsion in.
Any emulsion which goes off piste is easily wiped away with a damp cloth.
Usually no need to mask.

dickymint

27,154 posts

273 months

I found that using masking tape is a harder skill than painting without it nuts