"Real Painters" Don't Use Tape

Mr. Mike

I always wipe the base behind the roller, I feel it is 10 times quicker than laying tape across the baseboards. I do this also when the base is not painting, I have never had a problem and I feel I make more money than you when you tape.

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ModernStyle

I don't think it gives a good impression to the HO when they seem me crawling around on my hands and knees with a rag cleaning the base. I would be afraid that they would think I was trying to clean up a mess that could easily have been avoided.
I use tape on all my base, and other things at times. I don't feel that I am less of a painter for doing this and the price of tape really doesn't deter me because it is all figured into the quote.
I dont tape ceilings or anything, and I have worked behind alot of painters who didnt use tape and who thought a lot higher of their ability to cut a straight line then they honestly should have. I worked on a kitchen yesterday where no tape was used, I could have cut the base in better with a stir stick then what the last painter had done, he needed tape but was either too cheap or too convinced of his awesome skill to use tape. I would rather have a guy use a roll of tape then have a customer look at their base and see a wavy line on the cut and possibly some of the old paint peaking through because the cuts were so bad.

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ElementKitchen

Taping or not really depends on the wall you are painting. If its a new construction drywall wall, the area where the joints butt are usually straight and you just need a steady hand. For older construction where the walls are plaster, theres much more "wave" and if you are not a seasoned painter, tape is just fine.

Im able to paint without tape but there are 2 workers on my team that swear by it, and thats fine with me! We have just recently been turned on to "Frog Tape". If you havent used it, its far superior to the blue tape - i.e. it doesnt leak and bleed. One down side, we bought a nice lot @ the Home Depot and when we ran out & were "shaking" for more, they discontinued it! I know they are not selling it there because its a bad product - because its amazing. I'm sure it something to do with more political tape issues.

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4thGeneration

You are right. It is quicker than taping the base off. It seems you do paint high end as I know I do. If you got paint on the base that was not going to be coated in the home of a homeowner I worked for you would be ran off the job. Imagine a homeowner walking in and seeing you in progress of rolling with paint all over the base. You can tell them your going to wipe it off, but it would still make the bad impression IMO ofcoarse with dealing who I have in the past.

Thanks

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olyteddy

I only paint vacants, so the client never sees me wiping the trim.

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Mr. Mike

No listen you know as I do I am the pro, these people can not come in to my working area and try and run me off a job because they see me painting over exposed baseboard. If it is stained base of course I would use tape, other wise we will just wipe it off, and if it does leave a stain I would certainly paint it. I must now tell you that I tell every customer that we have ever painted for while on the estimate that I recommend us going ahead and doing the base. If they opt out of painting the baseboard to save money then we are painting the way we paint.

Also I work for every single person any person on CT works with, Painting over 2700 jobs you know I have worked for them all, I am in charge though when they hire me. Meaning if I tell them it will be O'k they believe me.

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Dave Mac

Taping allows for cutting in faster and straighter, from my testing of doing both ways, for us taping is faster and more effecient, and more professional.
I have painted for many years doing both ways, and taping is more consitent in the long run. imo especially when you have others doing the work.

Mr. Mike

No body used tape on any of these pictures, and if they did I would fire them!

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Thundercow

"a steady hand, and a razor blade"....that's what a master painter told me when I was about 18, and I've never forgotten it.

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Dave Mac

I thought we were talking base boards, and mainly for the protection of sprinkles. Tape is for protection imo

WisePainter

We are, and there are no base boards in any of those pictures. I would not have used tape on any of those surfaces either...maybe the decorative trays that are deep red against white trim.
Base boards get tape.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Mr. Mike

Opps, lol sorry.

I was stuck on the OP wanting us to use tape on everything.

If you want to use tape over base instead of wiping I think it is ok, I just for the most part always paint and wipe.

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Mr. Mike

I was looking through some photo's now that you mention base and found these. Appears there are many reasons to use tape on base.

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Tom Struble

i was trying to understand why this was such an issue? use it or dont

WisePainter

The only issue here is do I really want my clients seeing me wipe paint off of a surface I could easily have masked? My clients are of the common sense crowd, and I don't need them asking me if I am going to do something any first year painter would automatically do.
I can tape the baseboard in an average size room in less than 10 minutes. I use ONE continuous piece of tape for each wall, I HATE when I have helpers that tear the tape every foot or so. Of course a round column requires smaller pieces to navigate the curve, but it sucks to pull up the masking bit by bit.
I have cut plenty of baseboards without tape, but it takes a bit longer to get it right what with gravity trying to pool my paint on top of the baseboard. With tape I can mindlessly fly right through the baseboard cut in without spending all day on my knees.
What happens when the wet rag hits your freshly painted wall? Or do you wait until the paint on the wall cures so you don't damage it? That means returning to the room later on to remove the spattering.

A) 10 minutes of masking with $1.70 worth of tape, and 5 minutes to remove the tape to reveal a perfect line.

or

B) 25 minutes to cut in the baseboard (that is a generous guesstimate), wait 10 hours then return and spend 15 minutes with a rag in your hand trying to remove all the microscopic spatter you can see...all while the HO wonders if you are a real professional.

1 1/2" blue tape: $5.00 a roll.
Application time: $3.50 @ 10 min.
Clients that trust you with their home and referring you to friends: PRICELESS

I don't tape door/window trim unless it is new construction.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

Mr. Mike

Can I use my BS card yet?

I have never seen a perfect line with tape! And it takes more than 10 minutes to tape the base I'm guessing along with you still have to cut in the base,lol.

Got 5 referrals here since last monday.

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Mr. Mike

We even had to clean paint off that tile under the tape.

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WisePainter

No, my post is 100% BS free.

Yeah that happens when you slap your brush against the tape line with a fully loaded brush...rookie crew.
I will apply 75% of the paint just above the masked baseboard then tool (or "brush") the material down along that line with no more than 15% of the paint remaining in my brush as I apply to the tape line.
Tell the guy who shoved a brush load of paint under the tape he can take a permanent lunch.
Unless that is you in the picture...




EDIT: I can clearly see in the pictures of the column where paint is going to seep under each tape overlap, those must be the areas you cleaned up.

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My advice: Hire a real painter to do it.

ModernStyle

Then you dont know how to apply it.

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chris n

Got 5 referrals here since last monday.

Why not say 25 and make it more believable?