Painting and Removing Adhesive Tape From Drywall

Lift the tape from the drywall with your fingernail or the edge of a plastic putty knife. Peel the tape off the wall slowly. The tape may lift some of the paper covering on the drywall.

Rub your thumb over any remaining adhesive so it balls up. Brush the balled-up adhesive off the drywall.

Dip the putty knife into the drywall patching compound. Smear an even coat of the compound over the tape damaged area. Feather the edges of the compound with the knife to create as smooth a surface as possible. Allow the putty to dry until hard, which takes between two hours to overnight.

Sand the patched area lightly with a fine-grit sandpaper. Use the sandpaper to smooth the dried putty so it is even with the surrounding drywall but avoid sanding it off completely. Brush the putty dust from the wall.

Paint over the drywall with a primer, applying a single even coat. Paint the entire wall if you are changing the paint color or if the entire wall needs painting. Apply the primer to just beyond the edges of the patched area if the entire wall doesn't require repainting. Allow the primer to dry completely.

Apply one to two coats of paint over the dried paint. Allow the paint to dry completely between each coat.