When to remove masking tape. The most appropriate way to remove it
When should you remove masking tape? How can you remove it properly? And where to throw it once used? In this article, we will answer all these questions. Masking tape, as you know very well, is a particular type of adhesive tape used when you need to paint something.
Thus, the existence of the famous painter’s tape, or masking tape, used when painting the walls of buildings.
But there are also other types of masking tape, designed not to be used for plastering, but rather, for example, to paint cars’ bodywork or, even, to allow perfect painting at an industrial level.
The materials and the technologies used are all different, but the same basic concept remains: masking tape must be applied before painting to cover the sections that should not be painted; However, masking tape is made in such a way that it can be removed easily and without leaving residues when the work is finished.
But when is it time to remove the masking tape?
Which masking tape to use
Before outlining how to remove the masking tape, we must first describe the types of masking tape to buy according to your needs.
Those who need to paint their homes’ walls can, without a doubt, buy the simplest masking tape available on the market, the famous “paper” tape: it’s best to buy quality tape, the kind which remains perfectly adherent to the underlying surface – to avoid unsightly smudging – and which can be easily removed without smudging or staining.
In most cases, normal paper tape will be sufficient; those who have to “mask” round or rounded lines can use crepe paper tape instead, perfect for creating precise masking when the lines are not straight.
For industrial uses, which include, for example, paint cycles with oven use, it’s best, instead, to choose masking tape designed to withstand high temperatures, thus above 60, 80 and 100 °C (15.5, 26.6, 37.7 °F) up to the most resistant masking adhesive tapes, which can even withstand temperatures above 200 °C (93,3 °F).
That said, let’s have a look at when to remove masking tape!
When should you remove masking tape?
When is it the best time to remove masking tape? There is no doubt about it: paper tape should be removed as soon as possible, thus just after finishing painting or varnishing a surface.
There are two reasons. First of all, as we have outlined above, there is the matter of tape adhesion: sure, these rolls are made to be removed quickly and smoothly, without leaving residues and without requiring the use of solvents or scrapers.
It is also true, however, that removing adhesive tape the easiest the sooner it is done.
The second part has to do with the paint that has just been applied.
Once painted, the layer will dry minute by minute, creating a compact surface: the risk, leaving the masking tape in place, is that the colour may end up “clawing onto” the tape, risking the removal of small areas of it when removing the tape.
Much better, then, is to remove the masking tape when the colour is still fresh and “liquid”, to avoid compromising the final result.
Now, let’s have a look at how to remove paper tape!
How to remove paper tape
In addition to correct timing, there is a correct method to remove masking paper tape as well. The goal is, of course, to minimize the possibility of removing part of the colour, or to leave behind stains here and there.
Our advice is to pick up a side of the adhesive tape, and pull it towards you with without violent tears, slowly, so as to avoid breaking the tape (the final part of which could bend and dirty up the newly painted surface of the side that had remained protected until then).
To avoid removing any colour, it is advisable to create an angle between the tape and the painted surface, not simply pulling the adhesive tape forward. By pulling the tape at a 45 degrees angle, you can avoid “tearing” the colour off, “cutting” it exactly where the adhesive tape was applied instead.
Try and see!
Where should you throw used masking tape?
We discussed when to remove masking tape and how to do it. Now, we just need to outline where to throw it away once you have taken it off.
The answer is clear: masking tape must be thrown in with the mixed waste, as it is not possible to recycle this tool, let alone once it is stained with colour or paint.
