[slayer021175666]

Got some frog tape as suggested by another member here. I need to put 2 coats on but the instructions say to pull the tape off immediately while the paint is still wet. Does that mean, I have to pull the tape after the first coat, let the coat dry and mask it again before the second coat? Or, can I leave the masking tape on while I wait for the first coat to dry for 2 or 3 hours and pull it after I second coat it?
Thanks.

 

[thepm4]

I've always removed it after both coats while 2nd coat is drying without an issue. I burnish the tape before painting.
I use the yellow, low tack tape and pull tape at a 45° angle. Generally, my wall paint is BM regal line or Scuff-X.

 

[celicaxx]

I've always removed it after both coats but preferably the next day. Reason being hopefully the paint would have cured enough to not peel off.

 

[slayer021175666]

Thanks.
Is the a plastic cutting blade for the blue hand masker? I can't seem to find one.

 

[slayer021175666]

Well, I just pulled the tape off and once again, it peeled the paint off the edge with it. I'm getting pretty frustrated. I am a novice at this and the only way I can get crisp straight lines is going to be by masking. Everything I try is still peeling paint when I pull off the masking tape. I've tried letting it dry a day. I just now tried pulling it after my second coat. I've tried beige, blue and now, Frog Tape but, it always peels off some paint with it.
Also, last night I caulked the trim with clear paintable caulk. Now, when pulling the tape off, it took off some of the caulk with it! Almost like, the frog tape gell bonded to the caulking.
I have a whole dining room with a lot of crown moulding and other trim to do next and I'm imagining it will be a frustrating mess. I'm open to any and all advice. I just don't get it.
I didn't prime the kitchen part but I planned on priming the dining room. Will that be any help as far as maybe the paint would stick to primer better and stay stuck to the wall instead of coming off with the tape?

 

[celicaxx]

Well, I just pulled the tape off and once again, it peeled the paint off the edge with it. I'm getting pretty frustrated. I am a novice at this and the only way I can get crisp straight lines is going to be by masking. Everything I try is still peeling paint when I pull off the masking tape. I've tried letting it dry a day. I just now tried pulling it after my second coat. I've tried beige, blue and now, Frog Tape but, it always peels off some paint with it.
Also, last night I caulked the trim with clear paintable caulk. Now, when pulling the tape off, it took off some of the caulk with it! Almost like, the frog tape gell bonded to the caulking.
I have a whole dining room with a lot of crown moulding and other trim to do next and I'm imagining it will be a frustrating mess. I'm open to any and all advice. I just don't get it.
I didn't prime the kitchen part but I planned on priming the dining room. Will that be any help as far as maybe the paint would stick to primer better and stay stuck to the wall instead of coming off with the tape?

Part of it is priming, but if you're a drywaller odds are you're probably leaving tons and tons of sanding dust everywhere. You need to dust mop or vacuum down your surfaces before putting any coating on. Another thing is if you're adding soap/etc to mud, it can cause paint adhesion issues, same with "special mixes" like half Durabond and half All Purpose.

It's also important with any coating to follow recoat times or even allow more. Generally you want 4 hours between coats before putting another coat on, or the paint won't cure correctly as there's now paint that didn't fully dry under your new layer of paint.

Also I've never used a clear "paintable" caulk, it might be less paintable than advertised. It's better to use a "Painter's Caulk." If you got Lowes or HD and not real paint stores probably something like this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/White-Lightning-10-oz-Paintable-Caulk/1002702038?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-google-_-paint-_-LIA_PNT_221_Glue-Adhesives-Caulk-Repair-_-1002702038-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjws4aKBhDPARIsAIWH0JUGtjAE6um0WIMjUmlJv8GgmIJDEAgF_Fk2KPmv3fV9ZxrPS55PcCoaAlsZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

That's not the best caulk, but it is a painter's caulk. Before you caulk it's better to make sure everything is clean, but also caulking sticks better to primer than bare wood or bare drywall. Kinda painting 101, but it's generally clean, sand, prime, caulk, paint, in that order.

I'm surprised they've allowed your questions on here as a DIYer, but you are a professional tradesman, so perhaps it's good cross training to know what the person after you has to deal with. (Sometimes tapers are the bane of a painter's existence.) Overall it's basically fruitless to use masking tape to paint an entire room, it's just not time efficient. Tape also doesn't really work right as you'd know as a drywaller, houses are never perfectly straight and level, so it's the painter's job to use a brush to basically create straight lines where none exists, by manipulating light and shadow and basically adjusting everything by 1-2mm in spots. So I would use the tape for a few things, but I would instead spend money on some nice Wooster brushes and go setup some scrap pieces of drywall with trim on them in your garage and practice cutting in for a few hours until you get the hang of it.

 

[Holland]

Got some frog tape as suggested by another member here. I need to put 2 coats on but the instructions say to pull the tape off immediately while the paint is still wet. Does that mean, I have to pull the tape after the first coat, let the coat dry and mask it again before the second coat? Or, can I leave the masking tape on while I wait for the first coat to dry for 2 or 3 hours and pull it after I second coat it?
Thanks.

We pretty much tape everything when the trim is not being painted (we cut-in the ceiling, as pictured).

The results (razor sharp, straight lines) justify the time spent taping.

Rolling a room is faster when it is taped- the time spent taping is made up by the time you get to the second coat.

A couple things that we do, specifically:
-use green Frog tape 1.4"
-are very careful to create "perfect" straight lines (with tape) and sharp corners.
-press down tape with a putty knife, so paint does not get under it and marr the crisp lines.
-do not load the roller when rolling against the tape. less is more.
- the first coat can dry, as long as the above is followed, and you pull the tape immediately after the second coat.
-if paint starts to peel, then you will need to score the tape/trim edge with a utility knife.

can tape a room like this in about an hour, maybe less.

 

[slayer021175666]

Ok, Guys. I will try again. I did wonder if I was putting too much paint on top of the masking tape and creating a bond. Its just that, its hard to get it fully coated and thin on the tape at the same time. As far as the 2 trades go, my hat is off to you guys. I guess there is a reason we both spend so many years getting good at it.

 

[slayer021175666]

What do you guys vacuum the walls with that doesn't scar the soft drywall mud?

 

[cocomonkeynuts]

We pretty much tape everything when the trim is not being painted (we cut-in the ceiling, as pictured).

The results (razor sharp, straight lines) justify the time spent taping.

Rolling a room is faster when it is taped- the time spent taping is made up by the time you get to the second coat.

A couple things that we do, specifically:
-use green Frog tape 1.4"
-are very careful to create "perfect" straight lines (with tape) and sharp corners.
-press down tape with a putty knife, so paint does not get under it and marr the crisp lines.
-do not load the roller when rolling against the tape. less is more.
- the first coat can dry, as long as the above is followed, and you pull the tape immediately after the second coat.
-if paint starts to peel, then you will need to score the tape/trim edge with a utility knife.

View attachment 112677

View attachment 112678

can tape a room like this in about an hour, maybe less.

Can I send you a new tape I'm carrying to try out? Washi tape from Blue Dolphin. Made in Japan.

 

[slayer021175666]

Can I send you a new tape I'm carrying to try out? Washi tape from Blue Dolphin. Made in Japan.

Sure! I'd acually need 5 or 6 rolls for the room, though.

 

[Holland]

Can I send you a new tape I'm carrying to try out? Washi tape from Blue Dolphin. Made in Japan.

absolutely!
Would love to try out a roll, thanks.

 

[Pete Martin the Painter]

Can I send you a new tape I'm carrying to try out? Washi tape from Blue Dolphin. Made in Japan.

Love that stuff. The only tape I use, unless I am using the Dolphin rough surface tape.

 

[cocomonkeynuts]

Love that stuff. The only tape I use, unless I am using the Dolphin rough surface tape.

I've recently started carrying blue dolphin as it gives me access to linzer products like arrowworthy and they have some interesting tapes and good pricing on abrasives as well. EJ/Whizz was recently acquired by masco corportation (Behr paint) so I may drop them in favor of arrowworthy. BD also makes a great smooth exterior tape as well as a poly sheet hanging tape that sticks extremly well to painters plastic and won't pull paint. Great product. @Holland I'll send you a few...
I still like the 3M 2020+ orange tape as general purpose masking tape though

 

[celicaxx]

What do you guys vacuum the walls with that doesn't scar the soft drywall mud?

One of those, but I personally always used a dust mop on a pole and just wiped it until it was smooth enough.

 

[slayer021175666]

Thanks.
I wet mopped the walls. Would I still need to dust them before paint?

 

[celicaxx]

Thanks.
I wet mopped the walls. Would I still need to dust them before paint?

Probably not. As long as everything is clean and not dusty. If you have stains/etc on the walls you'd need to prime over them, preferably with oil or shellac primer over the stains. Latex is basically 50/50 if it will work and block stains.

 

[propainterJ]

use your razor knife to cut the paint edge against the tape before you pull it

Also wet the frog tape before painting on it

Just use a wet rag to moisten it,that activates the chemical that keeps the paint out,you might try,and I;ve never done this but I just thought of it,but see if you can take your knife and just score the edge of the tape while the paint is still wet to keep it from "Bridging" in the first place?

Or more aptly to destroy the bridge before the paint dries

just a thought

LMK

 

[cocomonkeynuts]

use your razor knife to cut the paint edge against the tape before you pull it

Also wet the frog tape before painting on it

Just use a wet rag to moisten it,that activates the chemical that keeps the paint out,you might try,and I;ve never done this but I just thought of it,but see if you can take your knife and just score the edge of the tape while the paint is still wet to keep it from "Bridging" in the first place?

Or more aptly to destroy the bridge before the paint dries

just a thought

LMK

You don't need to do any tape wetting or knife with the washi tape fyi, it's a dream to work with

 

[slayer021175666]

Thanks. I'm going to try again, today.