When to remove paper tape from the wall. How to doit without leaving any residue

When should you remove tape paper from the wall? And how can you remove it without leaving any residue, and without ruining the work you have done? Paper masking tape is a great ally for those of us who have to paint small and large surfaces, both flat, round or with corners.

Unsurprisingly, the first strong double-sided adhesive tape was created exactly for this purpose: not so much as a tool to be used to glue something, not to hang posters, but instead to be used as a bodywork mask, to make it possible to paint surfaces correctly, quickly and effectively.

Those who need to paint their houses find in paper masking tape an indispensable tool, together with their brush and roller, to protect the elements that do not need to be painted and to create more complex paint jobs – two-tone walls, colourful strips, and so on.

Today, we will outline how to properly use masking paper tape during painting work to avoid smudging, and we will also especially discuss how and when to remove paper tape from the wall. Enjoy!

What is masking paper tape: its main features

To protect baseboards, doors, windows, shelfs, or windowsills during wall painting operations. But also, as mentioned, to create decorations or meeting points of different colours on the same wall.

Masking paper tape is the ideal tool to protect a surface that does not need to be coloured, creating a mask that will then be easy and quick to remove: this way, with a cheap investment and a minimal time investment, it will be possible to paint without smudging, with absolutely precise lines.

But what distinguishes paper tape from other adhesive tapes?

Well, first of all, of course this is double-sided adhesive tape that is not made of PVC or PPL, but of course of paper, to allow, among other things, for more comfortable tearing.

The outer paper surface is non-adhesive, while the inner one houses glue with a standard adhesive level, which allows for simple removal, without leaving residue and without spoiling and soiling the surfaces.

There are masking paper tape types with different levels of thickness, among which you can choose according to your needs, knowing that these tape rolls will be able to adhere on plastered walls, plasterboard, wood, glass, metal, cardboard, and so on.

What is the right way to use paper tape to paint?

How to use paper scotch to paint

First of all, it is best to choose the right paper tape. As you can see on our professional double-sided adhesive tape e-commerce, you can choose between paper tape rolls of different widths, from 15 mm (0,5 in) models to 100, 150 or 200 mm (3.9, 5.9, 7.8 in).

It all depends, of course, on the type of masking required.

Before applying the industrial double-sided adhesive paper tape, it will always be best to clean the surface, to allow for good adhesion and, above all, regular positioning of the tape: it will then be necessary to eliminate any dust, grease residue, other dirt, or moisture.

At this point, you will have to patiently place the industrial double-sided adhesive, taking care to follow the desired line: masking objects such as baseboards will be easy, masking a line drawn on the wall will require some extra attention, to avoid compromising the final result.

Once the tape is set in place, press it lightly with a quick swipe of your hand. You can now paint the wall.

When to remove paper tape from the wall

Once the paint has been layered on, you can remove the paper tape from the wall. Careful: if you need to paint the wall with two coats of colour, you will obviously have to leave in place all the paper tape until the second layer has been laid on.

When is it the best time to remove the masking tape? Well, it is best to do so before the colour or paint is completely dry, to minimize the risk of removing small portions of colour as well.

The advice, in general, is to finish painting, washing the brush or roller, and immediately starting to remove the tape. Now, let’s have a look at how to remove tape from the wall after painting.

How to remove paper tape from a painted wall

Being built specifically for this purpose, paper tape allows for very simple removal.

The advice is to remove the paper tape slowly, without tearing, forming an angle greater than 45 degrees between the tape and the surface you have just coloured: this will avoid spoiling the fresh colour.

Having been placed a few hours before, the paper tape will not leave any residue on the wall or on the furnishings.