When to remove painter's tape?

[Surfingbull]

Hi All, I'm about to start painting my bathroom. I covered the door trim and baseboard with the blue painter's tape. Last time, I pulled up the blue tape minutes after the second coat of paint. I usually get some paint onto the tape and I was afraid leaving it until paint dried would pull up more paint in the process. This time I would like to check with you guys on what is the correct thing to do.

Should I pull up the blue painter's tape very soon after the 2nd coat of paint or should I wait until the paint is dry?

Thanks a lot!

- Andy

[norminn]

Yes, remove the paint right away - before the new coat of paint sets. If left until the paint dries, the paint film is part of the tape and the tape can pull away part of the paint film. When I have to tape a newly painted surface, I wait until the new paint is cured. Always pull the tape back on itself, not straight out from the surface - helps keep it from pulling off new paint. I'm always careful to press hard along the edge of the tape so that paint doesn't seep under it.

[Mark]

I always figure the tape is my 'safety net' to catch when I get the shakes and flub up. I try not to get too much paint on the tape itself so as to keep from building too big a bond between the tape and the painted surface. Then, in the case of where I have had to (or accidently) get more paint on the tape to the point it might pull off paint, I use a sharp utility knife to score the paint at the tape. This works best in areas where there is a right angle between the painted surface and the tape, such as along door casing or baseboard.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Tue 15 Sep 2009 05:45:05p, [e-mail] told us...

Also, it's not a bad thing to get the second paint on the blue tape, but it's important if at all possible to paint in a direction away from the tape. This helps insure that no paint will be forced under the edge of the tape.

[HeyBub]

Almost immediately after painting, for sure before the paint dries.

For most junctions, you can make better use of the paint pad with the two little wheels on it. For those of us who've never mastered cutting in, this gizmo is a miracle. I just painted four rooms and a hall with doors, closets, windows, etc., with ceilings a different color than the walls, and used no tape at all - just the pad thingy.

[Oren]

I bought some of these pads one day to trim paint. "Bubba" said: "If they had these when he was a kid, he would have been a "painter".

[JimmyDahGeek]

If the trim you are covering up is stained wood this is what I do. After I put the tape down I go around with a brush and clear polyurethane and seal the tape. this prevents the paint from seeping under the tape. After I'm finished painting I run a utility knife between the wall and the tape to cut the seal. This make for a nice clean line between the wall and the trim.

[JIMMIE]

Did I get the wrong ones? I tried this pads and they left little streaks where they didn't paint. They were tiny but very visible. I had to go back and cut in anyway.

Jimmie

[Josh]

I also use the pad with the wheels, and agree it's a miracle tool. There are some nuances to using it that takes a bit of practice (but less than other ways to do it) -- making sure every little bristle on the pad gets paint while the wheels NEVER get paint on them (try loading it from the open tray of paint where you can hold it flat over the surface and slide it around a bit)

The one I have doesn't have a foam pad; it looks a bit like velcro with short bristles; got it at Home Depot. You still have to roll over the area as close as you can get, but you need to do that with brush cut-in also.

Josh

[HeyBub]

Hmm. Several ideas:

1. You may not have had enough paint on the pad.
2. You can go back and forth with the device until all the area that needs paint gets paint.
3. The pads are moderately adjustable, so you may have to move the pad a smidgen to match the area you're attacking.

[DerbyDad03]

I always remove as soon as I can so the paint doesn't cure.

If I have to leave it on for a second coat, I cut the junction with a utility knife to separate the paint on the wall (or trim) from the paint on the tape.

[Oren]

Dampen the pad with water (latex paint) before loading the pad (first time) with paint. Load the pad with paint from a roller pan.

Have a damp rag available (back pocket) to wipe wheels (/walls/messes) on the roller.

A trim line at , say, a ten foot ceiling will not be very visible. Most people don't look up!

The wheeled pads do need some attention to detail..

[Slightly Graying Wolf]

A pro painter told me about a great trick. Using very little paint on the brush, wipe it on the wall in a place you will be painting with the same colour so that the brush has very little paint left. Run this over the tape edge and the surface being painted. Do about 8 - 10 feet. By the time you are done you can come back and paint over it with the thicker coat and then remove the tape.

You should get almost flawless lines/ edges.

[Phisherman]

Remove it soon. Personally, I get better edge with a steady hand, as long as that will last.

[Oren]

When the hand slips a bit or the paint runs, a damp painter's rag will clean it up. Rather fast.

[norminn]

God invented painter's tape for those of us who don't have a steady hand. Try as I may, over many years of painting, tape is the only way for me - have tried pads, fine brushes, little brushes, etc.

[h]

Umm, if you're utterly incompetent at cutting in, how about a straight metal edge which you slide along the wall as you paint? I've never understood painter's tape. It's nuts. You won't know if you painted under it until you remove it, and then it's too late. What's so hard about cutting in with a brush? Ifyou have shaky hands, use a smaller brush. Failing that, slide a metal edging tool along the edge, moving as you go. It's not exactly difficult. Sheesh.