This $0 TikTok Painter’s Tape Hack Is the Secret to Correctly Getting Crisp, Clear Strains

For a easy instrument that’s designed to make portray your partitions simpler, painter’s tape is notoriously troublesome to make use of correctly. Whether or not you’ve skilled paint leaking out from beneath mid-project or peeling solely with the tape when it comes off, anybody who’s tried to make use of painter’s tape is aware of how irritating it may be when it doesn’t work. 

In my very own pursuit of determining greatest practices, I’ve tried eradicating the tape when the paint continues to be moist (which, for the report, is the “correct” approach to do it), ready till it’s nearly dry, and a handful of different methods, all to no avail. Finally, I simply gave up solely and resorted to freehanding the cutting-in course of round ceilings and baseboards. Nevertheless, after I determined to color a half-wall in our daughter’s nursery, I knew I wanted a approach to make tape work for the cleanest strains potential in my colorblocked design. Then, I stumbled upon a super-simple trick, proven within the TikTok beneath from person @afterthefire2018, that absolutely leveled up my approach and formally put painter’s tape again on my good listing.

Let’s say you’re working with two very completely different shades, simply as I did — I’ll check with my white paint as coloration #1 and the inexperienced as coloration #2. I began by portray the partitions solely with the lighter coloration, aka coloration #1, and let that dry for 48 hours. Then, I measured out the place I wished the half-wall to go and utilized painter’s tape. I used a laser degree to maintain this dividing line straight and the identical top all the best way across the room, however you can simply measure by hand, as effectively. No matter your methodology, ensure you press the tape down firmly alongside the sides in order that it doesn’t carry. 

Now, right here’s the essential half: Earlier than beginning with coloration #2 on the remaining decrease half of the wall, take coloration #1 and paint a skinny coat alongside the underside fringe of the tape; this successfully “seals” the tape, which prevents any paint leakage when you add the subsequent shade. Permit this to completely dry to the contact earlier than persevering with, after which apply a layer of coloration #2 to the underside of the tape as effectively. Subsequent, whereas that paint continues to be moist, use a brush to edge alongside the tape earlier than rigorously eradicating it by pulling alongside the wall (fairly than away from the wall). End portray the remainder of the realm with a curler afterward, and say hiya to the crispest strains you’ve ever seen!

Since discovering this trick, I’ve even used it alongside ceiling strains, too. In that case, I apply the painter’s tape to the ceiling itself, across the prime fringe of the wall, and use ceiling paint to seal the wall portion. I discover this trick significantly helpful if you’re utilizing two drastically completely different colours — say, a lighter shade and a darker shade which have a variety of distinction — and a scarcity of line crispness would look super-obvious. You would additionally attempt it alongside baseboards or moldings, too.