What to Consider When Buying Painters Tape

Painters tape is a kind of masking tape used by painters to keep paint away from areas where it is not needed. Painters tape is a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape that uses pressure and heat to adhere to a surface. The most common uses for painters tape is to tape the seam that connects the wall to the ceiling, around the trim, around the molding and around fixtures. Buying painters tape seems like it should be as easy as walking into a home store and picking up the first roll of painters tape you come across. It can be that easy to buy painters tape but you may not like the results you get from the painters tape you chose. The purpose of painters tape is to be able to place on painted areas and then remove it without taking paint with it. The following article will explore what you should think about when purchasing painters tape.

Do Colors Matter

The simple answer to the question is no so do not use color to determine which painters tape to buy. You will see painters tape in three main colors: green, blue and vanilla. There may be red and yellow tape as well but these three colors are the standard. The painters tape that is used the most is the blue painters tape. Just because it is used the most does not mean that it is the best for your needs. Green painters tape has a very light adhesive, is somewhat flexible and is very easy to remove.

Read the Labels

Not all painters tape work the same way as they have different kinds of adhesive on the back of the painters tape. It's important to know what kind of paint you're using so you can consult the label on the painters tape. It will tell you if that painters tape is the right one for your needs based on the paint being used. The different adhesive strengths are not exclusive to the color of the painters tape. Blue painters tape, as an example, comes in several adhesive types. Green painters tape is very limited in types of adhesives.

Flexibility

You will notice that painters tape can differ in how flexible it is. Vanilla painters tape (commonly called masking tape) has no give to it so if you pull it then you will snap it. Green painters tape tends to be more elastic than blue or vanilla painters tape. If you pull the painters tape when you place it on the wall it can remove paint when you peel it off the wall.

Length and Cost

The cost of your painting project can skyrocket with buying too much painters tape. Determine the size of the space to painted and consider where you need to place painters tape. You can measure the areas to be taped and determine how many total feet will be required. Divide this number in half and you will have total square footage. You can now buy enough painters tape and not too much or too little.