Choosing the Right Tape for Painting
Since this is a home improvement blog entitled "I Need More Tape!", it seems fitting to have a discussion about tape. So let's talk about painter's tape. I've done quite a bit of painting over the past few years and I always tape my edges (with a couple of minor exceptions). When I first started out, I used the standard 3M Scotch Safe Release Painter's Tape.
It comes in four different widths- 3/4", 1", 1 1/2", and 2". This tape has a medium adhesive and boasts safe removal within 14 days. I used the 2" variety for maximum protection since I was a bit sloppy at the time. However, I was never really satisfied with the 14 Day 3M tape. I had several instances where the tape pulled up some of the existing paint. This happened even though the tape was only on the wall for 1-2 days and the existing paint was the original builder paint that had been on the wall for several months.
I decided to try another 3M product, Scotch Blue Painter's Tape for Delicate Surfaces.
This tape comes in the same widths as above (3/4", 1", 1 1/2", and 2") and looks very similar to the previous tape, but the inside of the roll is orange. This tape has low to medium adhesion and boasts safe removal within 60 days. This tape was much easier on my walls and I've used it for most of my paint projects, including the vertical stripes using different sheens. This is still my most used tape. However, it costs 30-40% more than the 14 day tape.
As I became a more skilled painter, I moved from the 2" tape down to the 1 1/2" tape, and finally to the 1" tape. I did this for a couple of reasons. First, the 1" tape is about half the price of the 2" tape. Also, I find it to be easier to work with. Since the intersections of walls and ceilings are not perfectly straight, the tape sometimes needs to curve to contour the intersection. 1" tape works better here. At the end of the day, you are applying tape to achieve a clean paint edge and all tape widths have the same edge.
Now, there is one more tape that I've been using recently. On a recent trip to Home Depot, I found Frog Tape.
I bought it because it came in a cool container and it promised to leave the cleanest paint lines with no bleeding. It is a medium adhesion tape and is designed for 21 day clean removal. It is comparable in price to the 3M delicate surfaces tape. I have only used this tape a couple of times so far, but I've been very impressed with the results. It does leave the cleanest line of any tape I've tried. The adhesive feels pretty strong, so I still recommend the 3M delicate surfaces tape for fresh paint and other surfaces that are delicate in nature (e.g. taping kitchen cabinets before painting).
One final note on "clean paint edges"
I think that the best way to remove the tape so that it doesn't pull the new paint is to remove the tape while the paint is still wet. If you leave the tape on for priming and two coats of paint, don't be surprised if you pull up some of the edge of the paint as you remove the tape. Use an xacto knife or box cutter in this situation.
Jon
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[...] This will give you a very straight application and prevent the caulk from smearing. Frog Tape will probably work well for this [...]