4 Men 1 Lady

a lifestyle blog about the persuit of bringing beauty to a house full of men.

To tape or not to tape…

by

The other day I was at a friends house and she was giving me the Vanna White show off of her latest paint job.  She had picked a very muted, tasteful yellow for her walls and her trim was bright white.  What impressed me was how crisp her lines were between the yellow and white.  Of course I asked her which tape she used and I was shocked when she told me she doesn’t use tape!

Me: “WHAT! NO TAPE”?
Her: “No, I don’t bother with it.”

I seriously had to process in silence for a minute. The concept of no tape is foreign to me.

Me: “WHY? HOW? WHY?…” (It was a “Which way did he go George?…” sort of moment).

After she explained her process I could see the logic.
1. Not having to buy expensive tapes.
2. Not having to spend the time taping.
3. No worrying that you might have bled under your tape.

Now, there are some dang good tapes out there…I’ve blogged about many of them. Tapes now have awesome technologies that block paint from bleeding. But there’s also the human error element that is a huge factor. Now I’m not saying ban taping altogether…there’s no way I could have painted all these stripes without tape.  But I love the idea of giving this technique a shot.

I mentioned Glidden’s line of “Show Me How” videos…they’ve even got one that demonstrates how to cut in when painting.

Raise of hands, who has done this before?
I’m so beyond sold on trying this idea!

You can check out several more of Glidden’s Show Me How videos as well as get other great advice on Glidden’s My Colortopia website.
–Tips for picking paint.

I have been sponsored by Glidden® brand paint for PPG to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Comments

  1. Yes to No Tape!
    This is how I always do it! Definitely the best way to go. Just make sure you invest in a really nice brush 🙂 It makes it more fun.

  2. I second what Meghan said about getting a nice brush. It makes it so much easier to paint a nice line. I hate taping and only do it if there is a weird angle that I wouldn’t be able to cut in very easily.

  3. I have used both of those methods for twenty years since the first time I painted my room as a teenager. I rarely ever use tape and that drives my perfectionist husband nuts but I always get the job done and it turns out just fine.

  5. Actually, I prefer no tape. I was able to perfect this a few years ago, and when we helped my friends paint their new 1920s plaster walled home, I cut in by hand every wall, ceiling and detail space. Steady hand= super fast clean result. It may or not help that I knew a lot about the consistency of paint on a brush from my art school days, but still this was fantastic!

    Try it, you might love it 😉

  7. No tape for me, too! When I paint I am usually so excited to get it done that I don’t have time for tape. I save a lot of time not taping but I do have a steady hand. Plus, if you really mess up badly you can easily wipe it off and start over. Luckily that doesn’t happen often. Good luck!

  8. When we bought our last house 2 years ago, without a drop of paint on any walls, I decided to stop using tape. It didn’t take very long to learn how to cut in a clean line, once I figured it out I actually preferred it. I make less mistakes than I did with even the best tape, it takes way less time to prep and paint and there’s actually something therapeutic about painting straight lines, it’s my favorite part of painting.

  10. Rasing hand on the no tape. I have freehanded trim for years. It is so nice not worrying about bleeding,taping etc. less time and just keep a damp rag handy if you do make a small mistake (small drips or smears of Latex paint will wipe away while wet – at least in my experience)

  11. I’m a “No-Tape” convert in the past few years. I used to swear by tape but after watching a few “cutting in” tutorials, I can honestly say that it takes me less time overall to carefully cut-in than it does to tape and be quick and messy. Plus….we are old-house lovers and the walls/trim are NEVER straight so taping is difficult in the first place. I honestly do find my cutting in lines are more crisp and accurate than with tape. My all-time favorite brush is “Wooster 2 in angle sash”. It’s a “shortie” and gives you lots of control. I’m sure there are tons of great comparables…I just ALWAYS vote for the short handle for better control.

  12. i hardly ever use tape – only when i’m up against natural wood and can’t paint over a mistake

  13. I’m in the dark ages with you Michelle. I have done tape and no tape and I always get cleaner lines with tape and it takes me forever to try to get a good line without tape. I would love to hear more brush recommendations. Maybe that is my problem,

  14. I’ve been on the No Tape train for years! It is faster and easier but all hinges on the brush!!! My fave is the Cubby Brush from Sherwin Williams – it is also a 2″ angle brush with a short handle. The short handle makes a huge difference – makes it so much easier to get a clean line without working around a long handle. I find the SW brush also lasts way longer and the bristles don’t fall out as easily as others. I paint it all with no tape – walls, trim… One of my painters who was painting the exterior of a house I flipped saw me painting the inside of the house and watched me do cut-ins and said “Wow. You are good at that. I guess I may be out of a job soon.” It’s all about the brush :):)

  15. I am on the no tape team! I use to use tape all the time until I saw a how to video. It takes practice but if I can do it you definitely can! Its easier to not go through the process of taping. Just make sure you invest in a quality angle brush.

  16. I never use tape when I’m painting a wall, and it saves me a lot of time! A good angled brush is key, and that tip about keeping a damp rag handy is my secret weapon. If you do make a mistake, you can see it and wipe it away immediately — not so with tape that bleeds. Even against woodwork, it works like a charm!

  17. I don’t tape along the ceiling or door frames, but I do along base boards. For me, that is just a weird angle to cut in at.

  18. Never use tape – a quality brush, a steady hand, concentrate of what you’re doing, enjoy the vision as it unfolds!

  21. No to tape fore too! I paint everything and the time and the fact that noatter how great the tape is it runs! I love a 1.5 or 2 inch brush with a slant! Dip in paint, bruah one side against the side if the can and then lay the brush on the trim and pull it 8-10 inches! Works like a charm!!

  22. I don’t tape when doing basic painting. Stripes or any color change require it, like the tricky transition from hall to dining room on an arched door way. But when I do tape I always paint the base wall color over the tape, let that dry, and then do my new color to get a nice clean removal. I’ve been burned too many times by tape having bleed through on trim work to use it much. If you screw up when cutting in then you can clean it up immediately, that’s not the case with tape.

  23. I rarely use tape. Have you ever noticed that the pros on tv who come in to paint for the designer don’t use tape? I used to work for an interior designer and her painting contractors never used tape, just a well made angled brush. I’m too impatient for tape.

  24. No tape! I use a really good angle brush. I do use frog tape for tricky/tight spaces.

    Side question: Can you use white graphite on chalk board?

  25. I use that same technique and don’t tape. I use tape for baseboards sometimes but NEVER for the ceiling. My ceilings are popcorn and it wouldn’t work anyway. It’s much quicker and easier to not tape.

  27. I would love to be able to do without tape, but my walls out here in Colorado are all finished in texture (orange peel look) – ugh! What would normally take me one day to paint takes days and many coats. If someone has a good method for painting trim and edges with those kind of walls, let me know.

  28. I’m a (recent) convert to the no tape movement. Definitely need a good brush – I’ve found that the short handled ones allow more control. For me the paint goes on slower than with the taping method *but* it’s faster than taping + painting. And no seepage under the tape!