PAINTERS TAPE when to remove?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Is it best to remove this tape when the paint is completely dry or sometime before? I don't want it to pull of some the paint on the wall. Thanks. Alan in Md. BTW this is the end of my oak stairs project if anybody remembers. I'll post pics when I'm done. Then I can get back to regular woodworking. Yippeee!!!!

[Chris Padilla]

A trick I saw on TV to help with peeling tape back to leave a crisp line is to do this:

(1) Put your painter's tape on (blue or green or whatever)
(2) Paint on some clear, flat poly (don't recall the exact one I have but it dries pretty quickly, 15-30 minutes) such that it bridges the tape and the wall where you intend to paint
(3) Paint as normal

Now when you peel back the tape, you'll have a crisp line. This method has worked every time for me and it doesn't really matter when you pull the tape.

[Bart Sharp]

Is it best to remove this tape when the paint is completely dry or sometime before? I don't want it to pull of some the paint on the wall. Thanks. Alan in Md. BTW this is the end of my oak stairs project if anybody remembers. I'll post pics when I'm done. Then I can get back to regular woodworking. Yippeee!!!!

I have always been taught to remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Not only does that keep you from lifting the dried paint off of the wall (or wing, I was taught this during an A&P painting class), but it minimizes the paint ridge that gets left behind.

[Bart Sharp]

A trick I saw on TV to help with peeling tape back to leave a crisp line is to do this:

(1) Put your painter's tape on (blue or green or whatever)
(2) Paint on some clear, flat poly (don't recall the exact one I have but it dries pretty quickly, 15-30 minutes) such that it bridges the tape and the wall where you intend to paint
(3) Paint as normal

Now when you peel back the tape, you'll have a crisp line. This method has worked every time for me and it doesn't really matter when you pull the tape.

You can also get the same effect by painting the base color over the area to be striped (for example) and over the edge of the tape. The idea is that what seeps under the tape (and there will be some somewhere) will be the same color as the base so it won't show up, and that coat seals the tape edge to prevet any more bleeding when the contrasting color is applied.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I removed it while the paint was almost dry and it came off fine. There were a few areas where the paint got under the tape. I see an advantage of removing when I did in that any paint I wanted to remove came off very easily. Thanks for those tips guys; I'll remember them next time. Chris, how is the project going? Alan in Md.

[Chris Padilla]

Still going, Alan...slowed up quite a bit now that I'm back to work and have a 2.5 year old daughter to look after in the evening! :)

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Still going, Alan...slowed up quite a bit now that I'm back to work and have a 2.5 year old daughter to look after in the evening! :)

Chris, It sounds like you are a busy guy who has his priorities right. The kids aren't kids for long. Alan in Md.