How to select the masking tape used in painting to produce neater edges

Masking tape has a wide variety of uses and it is manufactured with different degrees of stickiness for different jobs. The degree of stickiness is called the tack level.

There are many categories of tape. Some of these are:
Low tack tape, which is used on delicate surfaces. Too much tack will damage the surface, pulling off paint and even plaster upon removal. Low tack tape usually gives clean removal for up to 24 hours.
General purpose tape. This can used on multiple surfaces. It usually gives clean removal for up to 30 hours.
Lacquer tape. This tape is highly adhesive. It is designed specifically for use with lacquer coatings. It works for rough surfaces such as stucco, concrete and wood. It can be cleanly removed for up to three days
Professional finish tape, which can used on multiple surfaces. It usually gives clean removal for up to 14 days.
Some tapes are also different because they are built specially to cover curved and uneven surfaces. If you can get that tape, it will help you cover a curve more easily. 3M’s scotch tape does this.

Manufacturers, by brand, include Duck, 3M, Scapa, Faithfull, Toolstation and Ultratape. You can also get non-branded tapes. Tapes can be bought at the hardware or over the Internet.
Read the label of the tape. The label will usually state whether the tape is for use on multiple surfaces or only on a specific type of surface. It will also state how long you can get clean removal for, with that type of tape.

Summer Home Surrounded by Fall Colors... Buy From Art.com

For optimum results:
Select the right type of tape.
Paint away from the tape, rather than towards it.
Keep in mind that all tapes have an optimum period for removal. After that time it will not lift from the surface as easily.

Remember, in summary, for painting clean edges you want a tape that will
Be removed cleanly.
Be removed without carrying some of the surface with it.

Get to it!

You may also like these articles:

Things to do in Osaka Japan in the Summer
Japanese Samurai Culture Lives on Through the Arts
Tall Ikebana Designs and Full Moon Ikebana Containers

Tips for neat lines in home painting

Lines are used in a room for many different things. They exist between the ceiling and the wall, at corners, border electrical sockets and form some faux finishes. Horizontal lines make surfaces appear larger than they are and can be used on walls to create a seemingly bigger space.

As with everything else, the tool chosen for the job can make a difference in the end result.
Low tack masking tape (this has less glue and is less likely to tear off paint upon removal) is helpful, if applied at the edges of surfaces that you want protected from your paint job- but be careful when using it. Paint actually can leak under the edges. Using it doesn’t give the painter license to paint without paying attention to detail!

A small brush is handy tool when you want to do corners or fill in distinct areas. By small, I mean three-quarter inch to one and a half inches.
There are certain brushes that have the bristles cut at an angle. These are good to have for going around borders.
You can buy an ordinary brush and make an angled brush yourself by cutting the bristles to an angle as recommended.

A good synthetic brush will work well with the thicker paints that we usually use in the home. The bristles are stiffer, so that gives more control when handling the heavy paint.
Don’t put a lot of paint on the brush at any one time. Put just enough to make the portion of line you want with a single stroke.
When painting the edge of a wall, start in one corner. Gradually go down the edge of the wall.
For very wide lines, use a level to draw your lines, then paint.

Japanese Flower Arranging (Ikebana) a... Buy From Art.com

Practise using the different brushes. Your skill will increase and the finish of your work will improve.
Have fun!

You may also like these articles:

Things to do in Osaka Japan in the Summer
Japanese Samurai Culture Lives on Through the Arts
Tall Ikebana Designs and Full Moon Ikebana Containers