# Multiple coats of paint on painter's tape



## ContractorStevv (Aug 10, 2019)

In order to get a laser sharp, horizontal line half way up a wall, the normal procedure is to peel off the tape before the paint has a chance to dry in order to preserve the line. But I have to apply at least two coats to hide the colour I'm painting over. The first coast has to dry, which creates a problem with pulling the tape afterwards. Any thoughts how you would approach a wall that changes colour half way up without running into the problem of pulling off paint when the tape is removed?


I suppose I could pull the tape after the first coat, let the paint dry and then run another piece of tape along the line before painting the second coat. I'm just wondering if there are other ways around this?


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## onmywayup (Aug 18, 2012)

Question that will help with suggestions I can make: does the color that is going below the line also require two coats to cover?


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## onmywayup (Aug 18, 2012)

And is the horizontal line going it be its own color? Or is it just a dividing point between an upper color and a lower color?


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## dsconstructs (Jul 20, 2010)

Put your tape where you want and then paint over that with the base color. Let that dry so that all the little voids at the edge of the tape are now sealed up with the base color. Then you can apply the accent color without it bleeding under the tape.


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## ContractorStevv (Aug 10, 2019)

onmywayup said:


> Question that will help with suggestions I can make: does the color that is going below the line also require two coats to cover?


 Only the bottom half of the wall is being repainted. The upper half, darker in colour, will remain untouched. In other words, I'm painting the bottom half to merge with the top half.


The finished product will, hopefully, look like this. The whole wall is dark, but I have to paint the bottom half white. Hence, it will require at least two coats, but when I pull off the tape I'm afraid that it will pull off the paint in some, if not a lot, of areas.


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## TheConstruct (Dec 8, 2017)

Looks like wainscoting but it's actually paintscoting. Clever.


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## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

For purposes of pulling tape, the less the gloss the better...

Also, some paints mask better than others -- creating less "bridging".

Pull right after the second pass.


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## ContractorStevv (Aug 10, 2019)

artinall said:


> Pull right after the second pass.


Thanks. I think this sounds like the best approach where two coats on the tape are required. At least when the tape is pulled right after the second coat is applied, only one dry coat is being pulled, not two dry coats.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

ContractorStevv said:


> Thanks. I think this sounds like the best approach where two coats on the tape are required. At least when the tape is pulled right after the second coat is applied, only one dry coat is being pulled, not two dry coats.


The second coat seems to soften the first. Somewhat re-emulsifies it.


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## Navigatorgt (Feb 28, 2018)

You don't caulk your tape edge? Fills all the gaps and makes a laser edge.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Navigatorgt said:


> You don't caulk your tape edge? Fills all the gaps and makes a laser edge.


Yes I was taught this trick and it works great:thumbsup:


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## stelzerpainting (Feb 27, 2014)

*Painting Perfect Contrast Lines on Walls*

You didn't mention whether or not the walls are smooth or some sort of texture. Will definitely make a difference. For smooth wall, green frog tape the line, go back over everything really well to insure it's pushed down thoroughly, then run a damp sponge on the tape after you have it laid out, (it'll activate the adhesive, a common step not known or done by non-painters). Allow any dampness to dry, or rag it dry, and if it's smooth wall, you'd be able to get by with painting right over the tape. If walls are orange peel or some sort of texture, you'll want to fill the voids. Most non-painters have a tendency when masking to pull the tape so tight when trying to make a straight line that there's not enough flex for the tape to fill the valleys & voids. It becomes more problematic with heavier texture. 

If you really want to play it safe, use a 3/8" nap with not too much paint on it when painting the lower color next to the contrast line. Even if this part takes 3-4 coats, you can dry-roll that contrast line on a 12'x12' room in about a minute per coat.

A great suggestion has already been made to paint over the tape with your darker color after you've masked your contrast line. This could fill any little voids where tape might bleed through, (since the only bleed through you'd see when unmasking would be the darker color on the upper half, so it'd blend). This technique works well unless you have a lot of texture. In those cases, use clear caulk. 

Incidentally, the only time I run the risk of peeling when unmasking is trying to unmask before the paint has set up. There really shouldn't be an issue of paint bridging and potential peeling, even if 2-3 coats are applied, provided you give the paint ample time to set up, (24 hrs is typically a safe bet). 

On a side note, you might not want to do any painting on the upper color that you plan to mask, but expect to have a few touch-ups here and there. Hopefully you have the paint. The darker the upper color, the higher the sheen, the longer the duration between now and when the darker color was painted, the more challenging it might be to blend touch-ups perfectly.


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## artinall (Aug 14, 2007)

ContractorStevv said:


> Thanks. I think this sounds like the best approach where two coats on the tape are required. At least when the tape is pulled right after the second coat is applied, only one dry coat is being pulled, not two dry coats.


 Just did it yesterday, masking a semigloss wall to flat ceiling juncture where the corner joint unfortunately had been roundishly caulked - instead of putting in a proper inside corner. Paint line finished right though.


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## ContractorStevv (Aug 10, 2019)

stelzerpainting said:


> Incidentally, the only time I run the risk of peeling when unmasking is trying to unmask before the paint has set up.


Thanks for all the advice. Btw, I thought that the opposite was true, that the best time to avoid the chance of peeling was unmasking right after painting over the edge of the tape? I just did a practice strip yesterday with a second heavy coat of paint on the tape and let dry for 12 hours. Pulled the tape and in many places it peeled back a lot of the paint.

I'm thinking that two or even three light coats, let it fully dry and then running a razer blade along the tape edge before I pull the tape would guarantee what I want. Time consuming indeed, but less time consuming than dealing with peel back. Btw, the walls are smooth, not textured. Cheers.


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## stelzerpainting (Feb 27, 2014)

ContractorStevv said:


> Thanks for all the advice. Btw, I thought that the opposite was true, that the best time to avoid the chance of peeling was unmasking right after painting over the edge of the tape? I just did a practice strip yesterday with a second heavy coat of paint on the tape and let dry for 12 hours. Pulled the tape and in many places it peeled back a lot of the paint.
> 
> I'm thinking that two or even three light coats, let it fully dry and then running a razer blade along the tape edge before I pull the tape would guarantee what I want. Time consuming indeed, but less time consuming than dealing with peel back. Btw, the walls are smooth, not textured. Cheers.


You can either pull it before it dries or after it dries. I suggested after since you'll be applying 2 coats. Pulling 12 hrs after 2nd heavy coat was probably too soon. As I stated in the initial post, much better to apply multiple light coats to that contrast line vs fewer heavy coats.

What tape are you using? What paint? How long did you wait between coats? What direction are you pulling the tape? There's an infinite number of variables. Razor blade will work but then the straightness of your contrast line is then predicated on you being able to score a perfectly straight horizontal line on the walls. You'd also run the risk of seeing the cut from the razor when unmasked.


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## ContractorStevv (Aug 10, 2019)

I just want to say thanks to all who provided advice. It was most valuable. I should let everyone know that I walked away from this fairly big job b/c the client was trying to chisel me on the labour rate.

Most of my work is in framing and it's rare for someone to try to cut me on labour. But it seems that the public thinks less of painters. This job, like I'm sure other painting jobs, had its unique challenges and the unique challenges require someone with experience and expertise. That's why I came here for advice. And I got it.

After talking with this client for about 15 minutes earlier in the week I knew he needed someone with experience and dedication to get a professional looking job in his large store, but I got bad vibrations from him. He called the other day, wondering if I wanted the job still. I had to blow him off with excuses for my own sanity. I'm feeling so much better for doing so too. I don't need another headache or problem.


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## skintscot (Aug 27, 2019)

Of course - as long as everything is dry on your matt finish before peeling. Can lead to cracks


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## Not That Guy (Aug 29, 2019)

Navigatorgt said:


> You don't caulk your tape edge? Fills all the gaps and makes a laser edge.


Could you please expand on this a little?


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Not That Guy said:


> Could you please expand on this a little?


You lay a small bead of caulk on the tape line and wipe it so it's very thin and it will make a seal so the paint will not bleed. It will fill all the non smooth wall so it can't bleed.


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## ProQualityLA (Jan 1, 2020)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> You lay a small bead of caulk on the tape line and wipe it so it's very thin and it will make a seal so the paint will not bleed. It will fill all the non smooth wall so it can't bleed.


That’s amazing btw I’ve never seen that.



But you could always paint the first coat, take the tape off immediately, then retape on your line once it’s dried and paint the second coat, take the tape off immediately again. Use the green frog tape.


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## avenge (Sep 25, 2008)

ProQualityLA said:


> That’s amazing btw I’ve never seen that.
> 
> 
> 
> But you could always paint the first coat, take the tape off immediately, then retape on your line once it’s dried and paint the second coat, take the tape off immediately again. Use the green frog tape.


That would be a pain, extra cost, extra work and would have to be taped off perfectly especially if it doesn't cover in 1 coat.

Takes about $100 worth of tape to do some shadow striping in my own home no way I'm taping it twice.


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## ProQualityLA (Jan 1, 2020)

I think I misread the original post. I was picturing a 3 foot section between a cabinet and countertop where a kitchen meets another room, or an 8 foot wall transition or something, not 100’s of feet. I don’t think it would be too hard to tape it perfect on the line a second time though either way.

I guess I would try scoring it with a knife if there was that much taping... I’m not a seasoned pro, I’m still figuring stuff out; offering ideas seeing how it goes.


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## GCTony (Oct 26, 2012)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> You lay a small bead of caulk on the tape line and wipe it so it's very thin and it will make a seal so the paint will not bleed. It will fill all the non smooth wall so it can't bleed.


I saw this tip in a magazine years ago. Maybe Fine Homebuiding or Fine Woodworking. However I think the suggestion was to wipe off all the caulk with a damp sponge Never tried it but someday I may get the chance.


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## IamUprise (Oct 21, 2017)

I would just put the first coat on heavy then pull the tape. The second coat use your fav brush and your skills. Get it as nice and close as your comfortable With.


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## A&E Exteriors (Aug 14, 2009)

ContractorStevv said:


> In order to get a laser sharp, horizontal line half way up a wall, the normal procedure is to peel off the tape before the paint has a chance to dry in order to preserve the line. But I have to apply at least two coats to hide the colour I'm painting over. The first coast has to dry, which creates a problem with pulling the tape afterwards. Any thoughts how you would approach a wall that changes colour half way up without running into the problem of pulling off paint when the tape is removed?
> 
> 
> I suppose I could pull the tape after the first coat, let the paint dry and then run another piece of tape along the line before painting the second coat. I'm just wondering if there are other ways around this?


Chair rail.


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