Continuing on the DIY tips and tricks theme… I thought I would mention how and when to use painters tape.
First, good painters tape does make a difference; I would recommend Frog tape if your budget allows for it.
After the sequencing blog post, we now know that the ceilings and trim should always be painted first. Now that you have freshly painted baseboards, you want to ensure that you don’t splatter your wall colour all over them. Simply tape off the top of the baseboards before you start painting your walls. This will allow for faster cutting along the baseboards (with your brush) and ensure that any splatter from your roller does not land on the baseboards.
Secondly, you could tape off any section that you don’t feel confident to free hand. Most pros will not use tape on the ceilings or along the sides of accent walls, but as a beginner – you should feel totally free to do so. Whatever lines you decide to tape off, please make sure that you firmly press the tape securely to the surface to minimize ‘bleeding.’ Also, you will want to remove the tape while the paint is still a bit wet. This method allows for the cleanest lines without paint chipping away because it has dried to the tape and wall simultaneously. You can then ‘cut in’ with your brush for the second time and simply stay off your original line a bit. Once everything dries, everything should blend nicely, and you will have clean, crisp lines.