How to Tape a Room for Painting

1. Plan the Paint Taping

   Two distinct surfaces—walls and trim—need to be painted separately with different paints. You may choose to paint the trim first or the walls first. Since you will be taping both surfaces, the order is more a matter of personal preference.

   • Trim first: Painting the trim first gives the paint more time to dry, especially if you're using high-gloss paint or oil-based paint. You also get the painstaking work out of the way at the beginning, when you have the most energy and patience.
   • Walls first: Painting the walls first lets you see the final results right away. And with the wall color established, you can experiment with different trim colors.

   This guide assumes that you'll be painting both walls and trim, and that you'll be painting the trim first.

2. Remove Items

   Take down every item on the walls and trim that is easily removable. Use a hammer, drill, or screwdriver, to remove:

   • Light switch and outlet plates
   • Ceiling lights
   • Light sconces
   • Pictures, mirrors, and hangers
   • Heating registers
   • Door stops attached to trim or walls

   Tip

   Unless you are extensively remodeling the room, do not remove baseboards and trim. Tape around removable items only when removing that item may cause damage.

3. Lay Down Coverings

   Tape the 12-inch masking paper directly up to the baseboards. Apply the tape to the floor. Do this for all baseboards around the entire room. If you plan to paint the ceiling, fill in the center area with large dropcloths or with strips of 3-foot-wide builder's paper. If using builder's paper, tape adjacent rows every few feet to prevent them from separating.

4. Clean and Dry the Surfaces

   Clean any surface to be taped that is dusty or dirty. Painter's tape may not stick to these surfaces. Or, the tape might not stick well enough to prevent paint from seeping underneath.

   Not all surfaces need to be cleaned, so clean only on an as-needed basis. To test, run a clean, light-colored cloth over surfaces. The top edges of baseboards and window and door trim always need to be cleaned.

5. Gather Taping Supplies

   Have all of the paint-taping supplies in the room with you, so you can work rapidly and efficiently. Make sure that you have enough painter's tape. If you're using a tape applicator, order enough rolls in advance and have them on hand. Ordinary 60-yard rolls of painter's tape do not work in tape applicators. Most applicators use special 20-yard rolls of tape.

6. Tape Around Trim

   Begin by taping all flat surfaces (walls and ceiling) that border the trim, leaving the trim exposed for painting.

   • Baseboards: Tape the wall above the baseboards, keeping the tape flush with the top edge of the baseboards.
   • Crown molding: Tape the wall below the crown molding and tape the ceiling adjacent to the crown molding.
   • Door trim: Tape the walls above and on both sides of the door trim. Be sure to include rosettes and plinth blocks, if the door has any.
   • Window trim: Tape the walls above, below, and on both sides of the window trim.

7. Secure the Painter's Tape

   After applying the painter's tape, go over it again with your finger and press the tape firmly in place to prevent seepage. Using a finger is better than using a putty knife or another mechanical device because your finger can conform to the wall texture.

   After the tape is secure, paint the trim. Generally, you can apply up to two coats of satin, eggshell, or semi-gloss paint to taped trim. Tape may not be able to cut through three or more layers of paint, especially when the paint is semi-gloss or high-gloss.

8. Remove the Painter's Tape

   After the paint has dried to the touch, remove the painter's tape by starting at one end and pulling at a 45- to 90-degree angle. The edge of the tape will cut the paint, leaving a sharp edge behind. Use the utility knife to cut away the tape only as a last resort. Doing so leaves slivers of tape that are difficult to remove, plus it can damage trim and drywall.

9. Let the Paint Cure

   The trim paint must be fully dried and cured before painting the walls. That's because you'll be applying painter's tape to the trim. Taping the trim prematurely may rip off the paint.

   Water-based paints dry and cure faster than oil-based paints. Usually, 72°F and a humidity level of 40- to 50-percent are the best conditions for the paint to dry.

10. Tape Walls Adjacent to Ceiling (Optional)

    If you plan to paint the ceiling, you may choose to tape the walls. This prevents the ceiling paint from contacting the walls. The tape applicator works well for these long runs.

    1. Move the ladder to a corner of the room. Start the tape near the corner.
    2. Run the tape the length of the wall, frequently moving the ladder.
    3. Press newly applied tape with a finger to secure it to the wall.
    4. When you reach a corner, cut off the tape, leaving 2 or 3 inches of extra tape.
    5. Press that extra tape tightly into and around the corner.
    6. Start a new piece of tape and continue the next wall run.

    Once the walls are taped, paint the ceiling. After a maximum of two coats of ceiling paint, remove the tape.

11. Tape Trim

    Before painting the walls, tape off the trim to protect it from the wall paint.

    • Baseboards: Tape the top edge of the baseboards all the way around the room.
    • Crown molding: Tape the bottom edge of the crown molding.
    • Door and window trim: Apply tape to the edge of the trim.

12. Tape the Ceiling

    If you are using tape corners, apply tape corners to the ceiling at every 90-degree junction. Then, use the tape dispenser to run from one tape corner to the next tape corner.

    If you are not using pre-cut tape corners, tear the tape by hand. Tear one piece of tape at a 45-degree angle. Apply the tape to the ceiling, with the pointed end of the tape in the corner. Next, tear a second piece of tape in an opposite 45-degree angle, also placing the point of that tape in the corner. Press firmly into the corner with your finger.

When to Call a Professional

Do-it-yourselfers may find themselves bogged down in taping, especially for large rooms, high ceilings, whole-house projects, or rooms with complicated angles and detail work. Whether they prefer to tape a room or cut in freehand, most professional painters are experienced at painting walls, ceilings, and trim, and doing so quickly and efficiently.