how to paint stripes

18 years ago

My friend asked me to help her painting stripes for her baby's nursery. Her walls have medium texture and when you tape, the paint always bleed under the tape making it impossible to get a straight line.

Any tip on keeping the paint from bleeding under the tape? I remembered a painter I met long ago telling me to use clear paint (?) to seal the tape but I had no clue what he's talking about ...

Thanks a million!

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Comments (6)

fnmroberts
18 years ago
I'm guessing your painter was suggesting glaze. Haven't heard of using it to seal the edge of tape but it might be worth a test.

I've had success using the delicate blue painters tape, going over the edge several times to make certain it was tightly adhered. I've found the Scotch brand to be better than the knock-offs. Haven't used the newer brand - Frog, I believe. Good luck.
Faron79
18 years ago
I'm a fan of using a teeny bit of cheap "painter's caulk".

Apply tape as normal.
* Use just a pea-sized ball of PC on your finger-tip.
* Lightly rub it along an 8'-10' line of your tape.
* The whole key here is to NOT APPLY MUCH in the first place...just a faint, visible line.
* Now, using a lint-free cloth, wipe visible caulk away.
* You'll be leaving just a trace of PC at the tape-edge, which is all you need.
* IMO...this is a faster method than brushing a clear liquid. PLUS, there's no potential "ridge" from brushing something on.
* PC's usually are ready to paint in 1/2-hr. or sooner. Since you only have a trace to start with, it's usually faster.

Faron
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nthemdl
18 years ago
Definitely get some of the FROG painters tape. It is green and a bit spendy, but SO worth it. I just painted stripes on my daughters bathroom wall and there was not one trace of bleed through
simoneb
18 years ago
We painted stripes in our current bathroom (which we are now leaving) several years ago. We just used the blue painters tape. We were very careful to press it down well and even more careful when we pulled it up, but we had zero problems! Good luck to your friend!
kitchendetective
18 years ago
Faron,
So I go into a paint store and ask for "cheap painter's caulk" and they'll know what I'm talking about?
decorativewalls
18 years ago
if you are worried about paint seepage, don't spend time on doing the caulk thingy- get yourself some matte varnish, acrylic matte sealer or cheap glaze and seal the edge lines. Much quicker, trust me- you'll see and burnish your tape edge really really good. Depending on how nubby, raised, or bumpy the texture is, may be a little harder to get a good tight seal. May also need to back track afterwards with a small detail artist brush .