Adding Paint To Your Walls

Painter's Tape: Why You See That Blue Tape Everywhere, And Only That Blue Tape

22 January 2021

Paul Lucas

When you have the interior of your house painted — and often the exterior — you'll see a lot of blue painter's tape around the place. You likely already know that the tape is used to protect areas of the structure from being inadvertently painted when they're not supposed to be, but the tape does more than just protect light switch plates and assorted other spots on the walls. The painters you hire use the tape as a tool as well.

An Easy Painted Straight Edge

When you see the painters use that tape, you'll notice they make sure the edges are straight. They don't just place tape down, paint, and clean up with detail brushes. That's because the tape also serves as a straight edge for the paint. When the painters remove the tape, the edge left behind will be clean and look wonderful. Note that not all painter's tape is the same; the width differs, and it makes a huge difference. Wider tape allows the painter to make faster and bolder brushstrokes because there's less risk of the brush spreading paint onto the wall on the other edge of the tape.

It's the Blue Tape, Not the Plain Masking Tape

Another thing you'll note is that the tape they use is only that blue tape. The blue color distinguishes the tape from other types, especially masking tape, which uses a different adhesive that can leave residue behind. Painter's tape uses an adhesive that separates cleanly from the wall. It is possible, if you leave painter's tape up for too long, for that adhesive to leave residue behind. However, that's not going to happen after only a couple of days.

Removing the Tape Can Be a Bit of an Art

One more thing about painter's tape — and this is one of the reasons why you want professionals to paint your home instead of trying it yourself — is that removing the tape can be a bit of an art. The tape will separate from the wall easily; however, if you wait too long and the paint dries too much, then when you pull the tape off the wall, it might pull paint off the wall with it, leaving a jagged edge. Painters know the best point at which to remove the tape.

Professional painters can take care of the interior of a house in a relatively short time, including preparation and cleanup. The larger the house, the longer it will take, but a team from a painting company won't need that much time overall to make your house look terrific.

To learn more, contact an interior painting service.

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