Masking Tape

Just to pick the brains of you experts / trades persons out there.

It has been deemed that WE will paint the outside of our bungalow PREchristmas.

Given that we have a LOT of windows, we have views to Dartmoor and Exmoor, we need to to mask the UPVC frames. Locally sourced tape is c**p, it doesn't stick to itself after 10 mins. B & Q's Diall tape is better but 30 mins in daylight and the glue is migrating.

What do you experts use?

theeggman said:

Just to pick the brains of you experts / trades persons out there.

It has been deemed that WE will paint the outside of our bungalow PREchristmas.

Given that we have a LOT of windows, we have views to Dartmoor and Exmoor, we need to to mask the UPVC frames. Locally sourced tape is c**p, it doesn't stick to itself after 10 mins. B & Q's Diall tape is better but 30 mins in daylight and the glue is migrating.

What do you experts use?

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Try car body shop supplies. Usually better quality and cheaper than B and 'thingy'!
Regards Dave

Go to your local Decorators Merchant. They will normally have a choice. The usual buff coloured product is generally a budget range - the premium products are a different colour and have a brand name such as Kleenedge, Frog or whatever. However ask for advice - they have different purposes. Some are designed for minimal edge bleed, others are intended to stay on several days without the adhesive curing.

There are, of course, different tapes for different applications. Get the right one. Some can become fairly difficult to remove after UV exposure and some are very temporary.

Take Martley's advice and get advice from the experts.

It's called cutting in and saves on time and masking tape

OK ... I'm an expert ... 25 years in the in situ spraying business. If you want the best then you need to use 3M Blue tape .. it's waterproof (so you can leave it on outside when it's raining and it will stay stuck), it's clean edge so your paint doesn't bleed under the edge and it's solvent resistant so it won't crinkle when you use solvent based paints. The trick to a good edge is to remove it whilst the paint is just ever so slightly tacky - if you have been a bit heavy handed and got a lot of paint over the tape then you can always run a Stanley knife down the edge of the tape which will break the seal and stop a rough edge as the tape peels away. Your paint line will only be as good as your masking and nothing sticks to silicon mastic so if you are masking up to a silicon filled joint don't waste your time trying.

This is the stuff you want ... it's not cheap but it's the best there is ..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOP-QUALI...603?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5411b0dd9b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-Scotch...892?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3ce491cfac

My company used to get through about 4 miles of it every year .. I tried every other tape known to man and always came back to this stuff. 25mm is good for most purposes - pay attention to corners and if you can't mask a clean line then over mask and run a Stanley knife down the tape where the glass meets the frame. It will take a bit of time to start with but you will get quicker. Always try and do a 'run' in a single piece of tape as overlaps can allow paint to bleed under the tape and overlap corner joints and cut them clean with a Stanley knife. I can bore for England on masking and protection ... good luck ! Right tools mean right job ...

Martley said:

Go to your local Decorators Merchant. They will normally have a choice. The usual buff coloured product is generally a budget range - the premium products are a different colour and have a brand name such as Kleenedge, Frog or whatever. However ask for advice - they have different purposes. Some are designed for minimal edge bleed, others are intended to stay on several days without the adhesive curing.

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Yes, there are outdoor and indoor varieties, and 'same day' and 'can leave for a week'. Maybe even "for uPVC" ?

Go to a proper trade specialist (not B&Q this time) and ask for guidance.
It might or might not be cheaper but it will "do what it says on the tin".

Might do no harm do ask about pro paints, undercoats and preparation (fungicides etc) while you are there …


/// cross-posted, not contradicting pargyle's post!

Builders/decorators masking tape is usually low tack so it won't take the paint of your walls but if you use car body masking tape it has a better grip but don't leave it on for days otherwise you will be taking it off with a scraper.
Personally I agree with Tom, cut in with a brush or you can buy a cutting in tool

Tom Bick said:

It's called cutting in and saves on time and masking tape

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It's masonary paint going onto a tyrolean wall surface.
Lots of splatter hitting the glass and frames.
The frames are a woodgrain finish and a bu**er to clean any splashing off even when the paint is till wet.

In that case the 25mm masking tape may help a bit but masking out the whole windows at this time of year is set with problems. If it's easy to fit one band of masking tape around the windows then fine and then nice and slow painting around the windows. You could try a piece of card on left hand and brush in right but not easy up a ladder. It's not the best time of year to paint the outside of the house you may only have short painting periods each day.

Should say perhaps Devon is good weather at this time of year.

Masking tape holding up a sheet of plastic over the whole window.
Thanks for the tips on the tape pargyle.....will get some of that
E

for the feedback / info. folks.
I'll follow up on your links Pargyle, thanks.

Tom, the weather here is verrry wet but given our views we can see the rubbish clouds coming up over Cornwall so tend to get a couple of hours warning.

We have chunks of plastic DPM cut to size for our windows but need to mask the frame against the tyrolean to be able to paint into the reveals.

Tom Bick said:

It's called cutting in and saves on time and masking tape

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I had to look that one up
It's what I've always done....never knew the technique had a name

Erichalfbee said:

I had to look that one up
It's what I've always done....never knew the technique had a name

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and the next sophisticated step up was to use a piece of metal with a handle on it..

Dishmop said:

and the next sophisticated step up was to use a piece of metal with a handle on it..

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Wrong for painters it was to stand upright

two inch brush for cutting in tom, paint only half way up brush, use tip of brush sideways, and wipe of whilst still wet on plastic windows, a lot quicker than cutting and masking off, after the first ten windows you will be a pro and twice as quick.

My problem is textured window reveals that need the masonry (spelt correctly this time) paint stippled in and wood-grained Upvc frames.

Once anything is on the frame it ain't coming off. If you use a strong solvent it just takes the print off the finish and leaves white instead of light oak.

Tape as per pargyle's link is on order.

theeggman said:

It's masonary paint going onto a tyrolean wall surface.
Lots of splatter hitting the glass and frames.
The frames are a woodgrain finish and a bu**er to clean any splashing off even when the paint is till wet.

Click to expand...

Still say car body shop supplies (read Pargyles reply again) The adhesive should then be suitable for PVC and not react to masonry paint either. including the resin based paint which I suspect you will be using if buying the 'good stuff'.

yeogi75 said:

two inch brush for cutting in tom, paint only half way up brush, use tip of brush sideways, and wipe of whilst still wet on plastic windows, a lot quicker than cutting and masking off, after the first ten windows you will be a pro and twice as quick.

Click to expand...

or buy a proper cutting in brush..

theeggman said:

My problem is textured window reveals that need the masonry (spelt correctly this time) paint stippled in and wood-grained Upvc frames.

Once anything is on the frame it ain't coming off. If you use a strong solvent it just takes the print off the finish and leaves white instead of light oak.

Tape as per pargyle's link is on order.

Click to expand...

I used to buy square miles of masking polythene but it's only available in industrial quantities .. the next best thing is this:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/harris-taskmasters-polythene-dust-sheet-roll-50m-x-2m/19574

Cheap as chips and 100 sq mtrs will cover a lot of windows ! It's very thin so it's quite easy to hang as it weighs next to nothing and the 3m tape sticks well to it .. what you do is leave the window side edge of the tape (ie: opposite the side to the masking line) a little away from the surface and then you tuck the edge of the polythene under the edge of the tape and press it down ...

We also used to use brown Kraft masking paper like this:

http://www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co....02157&csrfPreventionSalt=6cM6Tp2To0dF2L6GQAZh

In many respects it's a lot easier to use than polythene but has the disadvantage that it isn't waterproof !