Taping the Ceiling When Painting the Walls

Place a roll of painter's tape on the stepladder platform for ease of access. Climb the ladder and position yourself at the edge of the upper wall. Slowly pull 8 to 10 inches of tape from the roll. Stick the end onto the edge of the ceiling where it meets the wall.

Hold the roll of tape tightly against the wall. Carefully smooth the unrolled tape against the ceiling edge with your fingers, keeping it as straight as possible. If it touches the wall, or a visible section of ceiling can be seen along the wall's edge, the paint can coat the wrong area.

Pull more tape from the roll and continue to move down the side of the room. Set the roll onto the step ladder when you can no longer comfortably reach the ceiling. Move the ladder for a safety measure. Tear the tape or cut it with a utility knife when you are approaching the angle of a corner.

Hold the length of the blade of a flexible putty knife against the tape that is closest to the seam between the ceiling and wall. Press it against the tape to secure it firmly against the ceiling surface. This will prevent paint from bleeding or seeping under the taped edge. Decrease the pressure on the blade if the tape wrinkles or starts to tear.

Tape the second portion of the ceiling over the wall that is just past the corner of the room. Tear off a 4- to 5-inch length of tape to cover over the gap between the corner angles. Press the putty knife into the corner depth to make sure that the tape is adhered in place. Continue taping the edges of the entire ceiling.