So how do we fix the spots where the paint lifted so we don't see the torn edge under the new paint?

I’m a pro and I also have to paint on occasion. I have had some of the same problems with paint and tape after a drywall patch. This is super helpful information! And for those people making the negative comments, if you didn’t get anything out of this video, keep quiet and move on.

Taping tip , when using high end frog tapes wipe a damp sponge over tape before painting. Moisture activates the seal the tape provides

Another solution is to not paint over the tape on the first coat. Stay shy 1/8-1/4". If you feel the need because of colour, dry brush it towards the tape. Second coat, go over the tape. Pull the tape when you still have a wet edge.

That reminds me of the time when we teenagers. My friend painted the bathroom for his mother, semi-gloss latex over semi-gloss alkyd, no prep. After his mother took a shower for the first time, she noticed a little peeling around the light switch. When she pulled it she got about 90% of the paint off the bathroom in one big rubbery piece. 40 years later and i still tease him about that.

I'm just a regular homeowner that has to paint now and then. I'm also older and have bad eyes so cutting-in is a challenge I've never been able to master. And I don't do it often enough to "practice until I can" like my wife bugs me to do. I also have orange peel texture on everything and it is everything you said. I hate it! I find taping along the ceiling gives me much better results and I can clean up spots where paint bleeds through with a little more tape and a small artist brush. It takes time but my results are good. What I do... 1. Use good tape. I like blue Frog Tape. I don't like the blue 3M "Sharp Line" version as it is thinner and doesn't stick well if you have to leave it up for a day before painting. 2. Make sure where you tape is clean! Clean your walls and baseboards. (No soap!) 3. Use your fingernail to press the tape down. Don't pull the tape tight while applying. You need to make sure the tape has stretch left to fill in the little valleys. 4. Finding the actual corner is a challenge. Your cut line might wander slightly but you can fix it later once you see the whole wall done so it look straight. 5. Once the tape is up put a dab of clear paintable non-silicon caulk on your finger and run it along the corner. Just a tiny amount. The caulk fills in gaps in the tape edge. Don't use to much! 6. Cut in with a brush then use a 3-4" roller as close to the corner as possible 1.5-2" tape lets you get right up to the edge without putting paint on the ceiling. 7. Pull the tape as soon as practical before the caulk has a chance to dry. If you don't caulk pull the tape while the paint is still wet. 8. A small artist brush of 3/8-1/2" works great to touch up bleed through spots. Tape the spot and paint the bleed spot and pull the tape. 9. Keep a damp rag handy to clean up oopsies. Keep in mind I'm doing my own painting so I'm not under time pressure. And I get a little anal and take a little pride about it not looking like a total noob did it. But my wife thinks I'm a bit to meticulous because she just wants it done.😀

If you absolutely have to leave the tape on for multiple coats, (primer, and finish). Brush a coat of your trim paint on the tape first thing after install. Trim color will bleed on trim and seal the tape edges. Use razor as shown to remove tape when done. Myself ive found the best way is to remove the tape as soon as you brush over it. While it is still wet, not giving it time to bleed or fuse. Free hand the following coats, you have a nice line to follow by that point. ALWAYS use a razor when removing tape with dried paint. Flat finish paint rarely fuses. It's normally eggshells, and gloss finishes that fuse. Or you could just spray everything, paint will not bleed or fuse tape if applied with a paint sprayer.

Ben, you are absolutely correct when you said that cutting-in door moldings and baseboards takes the most practice. I own a professional painting business and use the least amount of tape necessary on my jobs. It just takes years of practice and steady nerves to learn how to cut-in and it becomes second nature after a while.

For cutting in around the ceiling I use an 8" drywall mud blade and wipe the ceiling side of the blade with a damp cloth each time I move it along. Using a 12" is faster but on uneven plaster walls you may get bleed through. The results are better than the wavy line of a free-hand cut in, and doesn't take any longer than if you had to tape the whole ceiling and removal of that tape. I must add that you don't force paint into the corner as you do this, paint horizontally and gently swipe against the blade. If you get bleed through, use the blade technique the opposite way to touch up the ceiling with a not so heavily soaked brush.

Thanks to your videos I’ve learnt how to drywall and paint really well, for an amateur. I built my first wall with a rounded corner and a vaulted door and I love it! It took me four months, but I’m sure it would have taken double that time if I had to figure out (or not) all your tips on my own. So thank you, I really appreciate your videos and your nice approach to teaching amateurs and DIYers like me 😊

I always cut in by hand. It's so easy. I only use tape on surfaces that aren't easily coated with simple strokes, or an area that too small to get my brush into without getting paint everywhere.

Thank you for those really great tips. for someone who doesn't paint often but has painted often enough I found there are three issues I've learned from and experienced enough to avoid over the years. 1) Quality of tape and paint (as mentioned). Better to spend more for both to reduce time (which cost money) and the possibility of having to redo or touchup your work. 2) Pressing the tape firmly as you need a solid contact so you don't get tape bleed. 3) NOT leaving the tape too long, but long enough for the paint to dry. I find that when you leave the tape on where the paint bonds you'll have a greater chance of it not coming off with a clean line. Stay safe and healthy!

One trick my Dad learned from his FIL was to use a 6 inch metal putty knife, and line it up with the ceiling or trim, then use a 3 inch paint brush to cut in. Took a bit more time up front, but mistakes were fixable along the way, and no problems with tape pulling paint off. My Dad would do the entire ceiling and trim areas first, then go in with a roller for the walls. He'd go about 6 inches to a foot down from the ceiling for cut in, to ensure no mistakes

If you remove the tape while the paint is still wet it won't peel.

This is great! It's like you're anticipating the steps of my house repair/repaint project.

⚠️ 1. Use high quality tape. 2. Clean surface before applying tape. 3. Apply tape properly by pressing on it firmly. This helps to avoid paint getting under the tape. 4. Remove tape before the paint is dry. This prevents pulling the new paint off near the edge of the tape. Also prevents paint bleeding through tape.

I've only had that happen either when I waited too long to remove the tape or the paint under the tape hadn't dried or cured long enough because I was rushing. Great video!

The way I learned to cut in paint was on inside corners because it doesn't matter if the paint goes on the other side. It's also a good way to warm up when you haven't painted in a while. I always keep a clean damp rag in my pocket to quickly wipe off any paint I get where I don't want it. I'm too cheap to use tape and have had too many bad experiences with it pulling off the paint. I'm hoping your next video is how to fix the paint after.

Nice to see good detail when explaining things. Even the “simple” projects can go a thousand times smoother with proper technique and knowledge. I do a ton of painting/taping for my job. Clean surface is always a must. Damp rags. When applying my tape I always press down along trim boatds with a putty knife or the backside of my utility blade. Always relate the time I pull my tape to about the same as when you would knockdown some wall texture. Dry’ish. But obviously not too dry! And I always score it, just in case. Prevention is always a good idea imo!!

Always good info on this channel and Always explained clearly. you have helped me a lot over the last year since I've been renovating my dump. Thanks for showing us how.

Love the explanations. It makes the process so much clearer.

3 things I learned from an OLD pro painter who used tape more than I thought he would (and I mean old, as in he's been doing it for years, and he was old in years and his hands were not quite as steady as they used to be.). 1. Use the corner of a putty knife to press the tape down on a FLAT surface. Helps with tape adhesion to the surface and prevent bleed under. 2. Remove the tape soon after painting (if the paint on the tape doesn't transfer to your hand when removing, you've waited too long). 3. Don't be super fussy cutting in at the ceiling with the wall color. Paint the walls and hit the ceiling a bit all the way around, let dry for a day or so, then tape the WALL with one continuous piece of tape. Then go back with the ceiling paint to 'cut in' and cover the wall paint overlap. Remove the tape and you will have the straightest cut line from wall to ceiling you'll ever see. Doesn't matter of the wall color is really dark or not, the eye won't tell because of the corner and it's generally dark anyway (or go 'heavy' on the ceiling paint). This avoids the issue of getting tape to stick to a textured ceiling, because the walls are flat. He was 'odd' also in the fact that he painted the ceiling LAST and did his "cut in" backwards (roll the field first, then cut in the corners with a brush. He said, "I don't waste paint with the brush, use the roller to get close to the edge, then just enough brush to fill in".) just for this technique. I asked about paint splatter from the ceiling to the walls, and he just said "Just be careful and take your time. And keep a damp rag handy to wipe off specks. No big deal." I've tried this, and amazingly it works extremely well. P.S. He REALLY liked "Frog" brand tape. He's tried all the brands previously and found that it was worth the extra $$ for "Frog" tape as it doesn't bleed under as much as other brands.

Good info. Video. You got it right all around. One more tip I would add for new painters is to carefully remove the tape before the paint dries. Thanks Ben, good job

I don't paint regularly and It took a lot of practice but I found learning to cut in to be an invaluable skill. Whenever I mask anything I peel it off WET or leave it an ⅛" back from where my line needs to be to prevent any major boo-boos but do anything I can to prevent painting onto the tape. Had way too many do overs because of tape and just don't trust it anymore.

The Mr. Rogers of DIY instruction. And he rides a shred stick well into his 40s. Dude's my hero.

omg, I saw the title and immediately said "this if for me!" thank you so much!

Another great video. I always use Sherwin Williams paint & primer. I make sure I get a can of primer only. I tape from the top/down of the project. I still haven't graduated from 1.5 in. Tape. To prevent tearing I add mineral spirit to the first coat of paint in the roller pan.

To get a nice clean line with tape take some clear paintable latex interior caulk and run a tiny bead along the edge of the tape. Run your finger along the edge and remove the caulk. Then paint your edge and remove the tape before the caulk and the paint dry. Saw this in another video. I have problems with products like Bejamin Moore peeling off even after 8-10 days. We even primed before we painted. 8 to 10 days should be enough time for the paint to cure. I think sanding is a must especially areas where you are going to tape.

happened to me in the summer when moisture levels were really high in my home. After running a de-humidifier I noticed the paint pulled much less and although the problem was not absent, it was better with dryer air. Just a tip!

Last time I painted, I painted the ceiling and trim. Then cut in the ceiling and used tape on the trim. Painted with a one coat paint. Came out pretty nice. Cut in the ceiling with a brush but used a small roller around the taped up trim and cut in again with the mini roller as close to the ceiling as I could. Then rolled the walls with a normal sized one. Peeled the tape off as soon as I could.

I’m rallying for the pull up bar mount video but this should hold me over for a bit:). Thanks Ben!!!

Thank you for all your videos! Sometimes I use a hairdryer to remove the painters tape. It helps.

Video was so helpful to me! Thank you 😊 Also what’s the proper order to painting a room? Ceiling first? Or wall and trim first ?

As you said at the end. There is an order of operation that you explained perfectly. I do walls last and only tape the base to prevent sprinkles or splatter from pro mar 200 mostly. Great video! This coming from an actual pro painter.

I've had good luck with Sico paint. Not so much with Cloverdale but I know people who swear by it. I think they are both good. I always do a light sand between coats to help increase the paint bonding. Thanks for the good advice!

Really looking forward to a future video about cutting-in. 👍

I personally like the sico paint and primer in 1 paints, they cover good over existing paints, not so much for new drywall though. Also dont mix products, i have found that mixing brands almost never works well. Great video! Helpful tips!

I find keeping the tape on the roll really helps. 😉

I have used a very thin layer of caulk over the tape. Apply caulk to the side paint will be applied. Gently pull tape after that segment is painted. Clean straight lines.

Thanks Ben, you're always helpful!!!

This actually happens to me a lot more than I wish. I even use tape when I have to caulk trim. My trick so far is like you said make sure there isn't too much build up on the tape and i remove the tape before the paint fully dries. Not sure if that's a good idea but i think it works pretty good.

I run a paint company and we tape baseboards strictly to prevent any overspray or problems on the baseboards, alot of guys Ive hired on have issues like this and theres so many tricks to avoid having that issue. The best honestly is for the very first coat, apply a super thin coat, like super thin. This does two things. 1) it pushes the tape down little more without stretching it and 2) it acts like caulking, it'll prevent the next coats from bleeding underneath. The thicker the first coat is, the more the problem is. Alternatively you can do other things like have the paint brush pushed 90 degrees to the wall or more aiming up, basically have the brush pointed away from the taped corner and use pressure on the brush to get it closer to the tape, dont worry you'll find ways to get faster with it. Tape isnt a miracle shield like people think it is, the more expensive tape pays for itself but just understanding that its basically a roll of paper with water resistant and glue.

Tape can be a problem and you have some very good suggestions here. Where I really like to use tape is when I am doing a two-tone room, one wall with a different shade. I use tape to make the line between the two tones [usually the corners] very sharp, straight and crisp. It makes the job much easier and I love the result.

Been a painter for a long time and I barely use tape for anything, but you have to protect existing baseboards so here's what I do. I cut in baseboards and everything you can reach from your knees first (no tape), then I go around and cut in the ceilings and corners and window trims down to where I could reach while on my knees. This gives the baseboard cut in enough time to dry to the touch, I run tape along my cut in directly taped to my fresh cut in on the wall, covering the baseboard enough to catch the splatter. This completely eliminates the problem with tape not sticking to your baseboard's top lip due to dust and whatnot as well as. Then I quickly roll the wall, pull the tape immediately after rolling and voila. Never pull paint off your wall again. I have to say there are some paints that are more prone to this as well tho so keep that in mind, your paint might be trash if it seems to pull up no matter what, either that or it's not adhering due to something underneath the paint.

I’m always having trouble when doing full room remodeling and re doing the drywall and re-plastering. I spray the whole room with primer and then wait till it dries and then spray the ceiling paint. Then the next day I tape off the ceiling and spray the wall paint. I never have trouble with the paint bleeding through, but I always have trouble with the ceiling paint pulling off with the tape. I don’t pull out on the tape, I pull back on it to minimize on the pealing. On the job I’m on now that I sprayed almost a month ago. Waiting for carpet to be installed, I finally was able to put the base and casing on and taped the walls so I could caulk the gaps on the trim up against the wall and the home owner repainted the trim to cover the putty on the nail holes and areas that they didn’t get the best when they painted the trim before I installed. Well when they started taking the tape off it was taking the paint off the walls too in areas. Now I’m not sure if it’s taking both the primer and paint or just the paint, I haven’t really looked into that. My finish coat and texture I use the Diamond veneer finish, I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. What are your thoughts.

I use the cheap tape and a bead of sealant if spraying. I do it your way if brushing good vid like always. Dunedwards paints

Hi, Ben :) You are creating a super useful content. You basically taught me how to work with drywall! Could you please make a video regarding how much you charge for your work. Thank you :)

Nicely done.

What I find helpful is if you're painting over drywall mud, make sure to remove all the dust and thin down your paint a lot as the first coat, more water will help the paint to soak into the mud, thus creating a stronger bond.

Great video ! Thanks Ben. I usually paint ceiling and overlap onto wall, then paint trim and baseboard and overlap onto wall, then paint walls cutting to ceiling and cutting to trim and baseboards. I find it easier to cut wall to trim compared to cut trim to wall.

I've tried cutting in all moldings when I paint, I've also tried taping along all moldings when I paint. I have learned that cutting in not only saves time in the long run, but it also eliminates a lot of the problems you get with taping. I taped along all my new moldings when I painted my hallway, it has been a year now and I am still picking away at pieces of tape that are stuck to the moldings.

White popcorn ceiling, dark blue accent wall. Cut in the wall as well as I could, erring on missing a bit of the wall. Went back over the spots on the top of the wall with an artist’s brush. Used same to fix a few spots where the dark accent wall met an adjacent white wall.

Hey Vancouver I just finished retaping my joints due to the old house settling. So I brush on some concrete fortified additive to the areas I fix and it worked I think. It didn't have that dull color after I painted it. I was just curious and now im just waiting to see if the paint adhered to the painted surface and won't bubble.

Peel off the tape before the paint drys.

On the ceiling, take a 5in1 tool, and make a little groove to follow on the ceiling. Works good if the ceiling has texture as you knock the texture down

Have had the never use tape discussion before. My argument is always that typically I don’t use it but sometimes its easier or necessary to use it. It’s a tool just like the rest, sometimes you take it out of the box and sometimes you don’t.

I have had this problem in the past. I always thought it was the paint (latex) polymerizing on the tape and the wall (well, duh). My solution was to remove the tape as quickly as possible before the paint set up. Literally, as soon as the wall was done, pull the tape. It seemed to help and it's my standard practice.

I think you're a good dude. Especially since you posted the new house video and I learned about your little house and all the kids. On the tape. Im a home owner that's gutted and remodeled the whole. house. My contractor/instructor told me I was a loser for using tape so I have learned to have a steady hand. Not saying I'm better, just saying. And I use a paint store paint because I wasn't shown the home depot and lowes paint.

Due to all these issues I'm definitely gonna try painting trim first with some small overlap on the wall, then cut in the walls free hand with no tape.

Hi Ben, Thanks a lot for your videos. A brush of which brand do you prefer to use for cut-ins?

I do general renoes so don't paint all day everyday, so I'm with you, I use tape quite a bit. 1st rule- Never let it dry and then try to remove it. It takes 2-4 weeks for the bond to fully develop between latex paint and the surface. Until then it'll just peel right off as you see here. Definitely recommend to use frog tape. On cutting in second coat, remove tape once it fully soaks in, but before starts to dry. If you have to tape fresh paint, can try delicate surface blue Frog Tape. Test it first. I doesn't stick very hard and still has the sealed edge tech.

I'm just a DIY homeowner, but my success with tape has been iffy. Even stepping up to the expensive Frog tape, which works amazingly on flat surfaces that can handle the extra strain (and not like you said, freshly painted or mudded surfaces), the results can sometimes be no better than the cheaper blue stuff. TLDR; I agree with learning to cut in. When you step back and look at it, it's the cheaper, easier approach that yields a better result.

Hey buddy, thanks for all the info you put out there. I got a question, can you give me some advice about how to estimate a paint job? For instance how do you figure out how to estimate to paint cabinets, or how much to paint a whole house or just a wall and to repair the wall. Thanks in advance.

Great channel! We're moving in three years so lots of things to fix up. I'm learning a lot but if you want to shoot a few dozen episodes here in Maryland why, I won't mind 😁😁

Great video. My take: Always peel off the tape before the paint hardens. Even for amateurs avoid tape on ceilings, practice the cutting in there. For the first coat don't use expensive primers, paint the walls with a mist coat of matt emsion paint diluted with water (sorry no idea for gloss paints). On the skirting I put quick dry primer/undercoat on first, overlapping onto the wall then once it's dry tape with UK yellow low tack Frog tape then paint the walls down onto it. Remove the tape as soon as finished painting then paint the skirting (you can low tack the wall if you like but don't rush, let it harden properly). Think that tape is called "delicate" in Canada. I've never had any significant peel with that method. The knife is a good way to get the peel started perhaps for the first inch or so.

Great video ben

I like your videos and positive thinking God bless you and your family.

Thank YOU for all your video! Literally life saviors! I have a question for you: how to fix paint that peels off of textured wall?

Thanks. I needed this.

Perfect explanation!

My rule of thumb while using tape is to take it off before the paint dries. In case you have two coats to put be sure to put enough paint for the first cutting. Then you take out the tape. For the second coat you don’t have to do as precise. Or the other solution is to find a low tack tape. The frog tape is expensive, a good alternative I find is the «Edge Pro+» tape made by a company called Cantech (different witdhs). At 11:25 about painting the trims. I think it does the best job instead of doing baseboards first and cutting walls after. By cutting baseboards last you have crisper lines. I strongly recommend the «Richard 80842 Angular Paint Brush with SoftGrip Handle» that comes in different widths. As a painter these brushes are saving my life on every job (when doing baseboards.)

I always take the tape off when the paint is still wet, never gave me a problem. And always use the sharp line tapes, they are more expensive but they leave a very nice cutline.

The couple of times i painted I learned within minutes to cut in. Time saver that is.

How do you handle the painted area which peeled from the surface? Do you keep peeling it? Do you put a thin layer of joint compound to smooth the transition, and paint it again?

I've been painting for almost 15 years now and the best way I've found to cut base is to not have the base on and I know that's more work but when you want a good finish then you do the work. the only other way to do this is just take the tape off before the paint is dry. As for corners just take the tape off before it's dry even if you're doing multiple coats just new tape and remove it when that coat is done. The best advice I ever got with tape is that you never rely on it rely on your ability to cut-in and the tape is there for backup in case you slip or get too much in your brush.

On Paint Life TV channel, they showed a trick for popcorn walls/ceilings - they apply a small bead of transparent caulking in the corner and glue the tape to the bead. So there is no paint under the tape and extremely sharp edge.

. . . Also have a look at "Painting and Decorating" channel. That said it's real nice to see you having a go as an amateur as we don't all have the steady hands of a professional decorator. Thanks again.

How do u fix the big spot when u go to repaint ? I know sand but it would still stick out. Should you spackle or mud the ripped area ? Great vid btw

Thank you for video! Do you have tips on how to remove skin off of old tin of paint, and how to mix properly? I have a can that has been sitting for a couple of years, I love the colour. Thanks!

The last job we did where we painted too I had the hardest time explaining to my "lead guy" that they need to paint the ceiling first and cut in the wall. They were doing it backwards and having an awful time. Seems like the procedure would be obvious but today's youth knows more than the old experienced guys! 😳

Hahaha- I use painters tape for all sorts of things- except painting😂. I was that guy you were talking about saying "learn to cut in!", Right as you said that🤣🤣. But seriously, cutting in can be aggravating, but much less so than when the tape peels your paint and triples time. We've all heard cutting in is an art. And just like art, it's never perfect. Patience and acceptance will get us far in painting, and life!

The question I have is what to do when you need to apply a thin bead of paintable caulk at the baseboard-wall interface. My painting order is ceiling, baseboard and trim then wall. I caulk where the baseboard and trim meet the wall, then paint the baseboard and trim (overlapping into the wall). After that dries can I mask this right along the line on top of the caulking bead were it meets the wall in order to finally paint the wall? Then do I have to pull the tape off before it dries which means I have to mask again for the second coat? Or, is there a better way?

I don't use a lot of tape, but on the rare occasion that I do, this works well: pull the tape as soon as you're done painting the run. Don't let the paint dry on the tape before you pull it. Also- don't rely on the tape so much. Use it as a guide to get close, but don't slop all over it.

I'm crying as I just did this at the baseboard on an otherwise almost perfect room. I hired someone to do drywall and prime, and they wanted to paint it but was unsatisfied by the quality of their work. I reskim coated, primed and painted two times. Tape is my only failure and was huge, I remembered incorrectly that you should wait for paint to dry before removing tape The only silver lining is that its the utility room, so not important. I wish you were local to Seattle and I would have just paid you to do it. What i did wrong 1. Left what the contractor had on the baseboard from priming. This was regular masking tape and was on mud that was weak as well and the paint wicked under 2. Left the same tape on between first and second coat. My remediation: 1. Remove all the mud from the top of the baseboard so the wall is a right angle to the baseboard top. 2. remove pulled paint and lightly sand edges Doing a minimal spot fill in really low places and brush off after sanding. 3. prime around line with an edger this time, and feather edge to finished paint with a nice bead. (if the edge sucks, revert to frog tape) 4. Second spot fill and reprime the spots. (if needed) 5. If edge looks bad, apply paintable caulk. 6. two layers of paint on the edge. Not really worried about flashing unless really bad. if its bad then its another layer, at least the paint layer will be very strong when it cures.

Paint Life TV has a great technique. He caulks his tape, paints over the caulk, then pulls off the tape while all is still wet. Crisp clean lines. He does use Frog Tape. I’ve tried it. It works just like he showed.

How do you repair the torn paint, blending that edge into the new paint?

Thanks, Ben. I've had that exact same problem and wondered why. I thought it was too much drywall dust, even though I used damp cloths to wipe it several times. Good to know it was likely a mismatch between paint and primer, as that is much easier to fix. One thing, though - I think your wall needs a little more remedial work. At 3:42 you can see what looks like a big paint run on the wall above your hand. And just above where the green tape separates from the trim, there's what looks like a valley in the wall with sharp sides. Sorry to mention it, but it's there.

Hi Ben. Thank you for the video. It's very helpful. I am a DIY person and I had a problem painting a wall in a house built in the 70s. I prepared the surface of the drywall ( sanding and priming) and applied one coat of paint. Next morning I noticed that paint bubbled in many spots on the wall. I could peel off big chunks of the paint even with the primer on it. I tried to repaint the spots but ended up with same result. I assumed that some chemicals in the drywall prevented the primer and paint to stick to the surface. There was no grease or other contaminants on the wall prior to the painting. Do you have any idea what the possible cause of the problem it could be? Thank you.

Awesome video! By the way, SICO is actually a PPG brand. You can find it at independant retailers so it's not a Rona exclusive (at least in my area...).

This job looks like a nightmare repair haha have at it and good luck!

Here in California Sherwin Williams 1 gallon of paint has rocketed to $60+. I really like the brand and their color matching. But crap the cost is crazy high now.

I am scraping my ceilings. Priming and Painting all surfaces. I am planing on removing all trim (some is broken and needs replacing some is poorly caulked, especially on the crown where I scraped the "popcorn) work to reduce cutting in and taping time. Thoughts or suggestions or ideas?

Rarely do I use tape. My preference is knife edge blade and a "dry" paint brush. Learned how to cut edges from long time sign painter journeymen as a teenager. I'm retired now.

Something I learned on KZfaq is to remove the tape when the paint is still wet. That prevents the paint from pulling up. If you’ve waited too long already you can quickly add a bit of paint over top and wait a few minutes for the solvent to soften the paint underneath. The downsides are that this is more messy and you run the risk of getting wet paint from the tape onto other stuff if you aren’t careful. I assume this is controversial, because I’d previously heard you should only remove tape after the pint has dried. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it, Ben. Also, what do you think about those handheld paint guides? My house has a lot of popcorn ceilings so I can’t use tape, and my cut-ins weren’t as good as I would have liked. Seems like a paint guide would result in a good final product.

The best and only way to eliminate these issues is pretty simple. Tape is used in areas where you can’t really get your brush in or in an area where you can’t get proper strokes. If your using tape in open areas you really shouldn’t be painting.

I like using tape. I find it relaxing to take my time to tape off areas. I’ve also never had any issue with peeling tape up while the paint isn’t fully dry. Just be careful how you grab the tape or you’re going to get paint all over everything

Something most people don’t realize is that painting tape, even the high end brands, state that you need to remove the tape while it’s still wet and then apply new tape for each subsequent coat of paint. It makes using tape super tedious. So using tape or learning to cut in, just know it’s gonna take sometime.

I actually pulled off some drywall mud and paint in a few spots with tape. Do you have a video on how to repair that?

Frog tape. Has never failed me, especially if after I apply, I wipe over it with a damp microfibre cloth. This technique seems to really seal the connection.

All my taping issues happened when I left the tape on after painting. Either the paint accumulated on the tape and it pulled away just like in this video, or the adhesive on the tape cured onto the wall, and it teared off the existing paint. Since I tape, paint and remove the tape within a few hours, I have no issues. Don’t leave the tape on overnight,