Tricks for Taping Textured Walls

Clear Coat

• Smooth on your painter's tape onto the adjoining surface. Apply a clear coat of water-based polyurethane or glaze with a small paint brush to the top of edge of the paint and overlap onto the wall's surface. This forms a clear barrier and does not allow paint to bleed under the tape.

Base Paint

• After your painter's tape is in place for the trim, brush on a coat of the trim's paint color. Similar to the clear coat technique, if any paint bleeds through it will match the trim's color. The paint also forms a seal over the edge of the paint.

Popcorn Ceilings

• A common paint problem is getting a clean cut edge where the wall meets a popcorn ceiling. Take a flathead screwdriver, and lightly scrape the inside corner of the ceiling line. You will remove any large sections of plaster. Attach your painter's tape in sections, and apply immediately before painting the area. Often the tape will not adhere well to the ceiling and may fall before you can paint near it. Alternatively, avoid tape completely, and use an angle paintbrush to cut into the ceiling line.

Burnish

• Anytime you apply painter's tape near textured walls, burnish the tape well. Use a plastic putty knife, and firmly rub the tape. An old credit card also works well. Before painting near the tape, give the tape a quick rub down to ensure it is in place and no paint can seep under the wall's texture.