Interior and Exterior
Paint Masking Techniques

Masking is a critical part of both interior and exterior paint preparation. Painting is messy work, and paint can and will get onto anything that's not covered! The techniques for masking are the same whether you're working indoors or out, with one major exception: when applying exterior paint with a sprayer, extra precautions must be taken.

Clear Out the Workspace

It's always better to remove an item than to mask it. For interior jobs, light fixtures, switch plates and outlet covers should be removed. To avoid losing the screws, either replace them in their holes or use masking tape to affix them to the items they go with.

Outside, unhook hoses, remove planters, toys, and patio furniture, and consider parking your car on the street if it's near the work area.

Cover Everything That's Left

Many items cannot be removed and must be covered. Some items you may need are:

• Drop cloths. These are used mainly to protect the floor or sidewalk from drips. There are some very cheap ones available, but splurge on the rubber-backed type to avoid seepage.
• Tape. Several varieties are available. Beige-colored crepe tape, also known as regular painter's tape, is the standard for attaching plastic or paper to almost any surface. This tape is available in several widths, from 3/4" to 2". Its adhesive is strong and can be difficult to remove after a few hours, or when exposed to heat or sunlight.
  
  Blue painter's tape, otherwise known as low adhesive safe-release tape, is the best choice if the masking will be in place for awhile, or if the surface underneath can be easily damaged. This variety is often rated by the number of days it can stay in place.
  
  If your project involves lacquers or enamels, which can dissolve most adhesives, you'll want to use a high adhesive solvent tape. These tapes are typically green in color and are specially developed to hold up to exposure to hot solvents.
  
  Tape can be used by itself, to create straight edges and decorative effects, or it can be used to hold your masking paper or plastic film in place.
• It's important to use commercially available masking materials. Newspaper disintegrates when wet and can leave ink stains; regular plastic film is hard to handle and attach. A hand held masking machine dispenses specialized paper or plastic film, attaches the tape, and cuts it to the appropriate length.
  
  Masking paper is available in two varieties: regular brown kraft-style paper, which is cheap and easy to find, and a more expensive green variety for use with enamels, lacquers, and other high-solvent finishes.
  
  Plastic masking film is heavier than most general purpose plastic films, and easier to handle. It is available in several widths, from 24" to 99". Conveniently, the plastic is sized to fit popular window and door sizes.

What to Cover

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Anything that you don't want splashed, splattered, or dripped on needs to be covered. Indoors, you'll want to protect windows, doors, base, trim, cabinets, and floors.

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Trim

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Use 1-1/2" crepe or blue tape. Press it firmly against the trim, apply slight pressure with a putty knife to create a good seal and prevent seeping.

Wrap the tape around the door or window frame to help you cut in more cleanly.

Carpet

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Use 2" painter's tape to protect carpeting along baseboards. Place the tape 3/4" up the baseboard, then force the tape under the baseboard with your fingers. You'll be able to quickly and easily paint the baseboard with a brush, without worrying about damaging your carpeting.

Windows and Doors

A strip of paper covering the top of your windows and doors will probably provide enough protection from splatters if you're just painting the walls; more coverage is a good idea if your project includes painting the ceiling - especially if you have acoustic ceilings.

Exterior Paint Masking

Exterior paint masking includes windows, doors, trim, brick, deck floor and handrail, and sidewalks. Don't forget about fixtures like water valves, phone and communication boxes, electrical meters and lights.

Cover fences, plants, and shrubs with heavy, rubber backed drop cloths.

For wood decks and other horizontal surfaces, place the drop cloths a few inches from the house and use a masking machine and masking paper to cover the edge close to the house. Attach the paper to the drop cloth with wide tape.

Outside, vertical walls can be masked the same way as interior surfaces. Just be aware that on rough surfaces, like brick, masonry, and concrete, the painter's tape often will not adhere well. Try to attach the tape to a painted surface instead.

Cover windows and doors should be completely covered for the best results when undertaking exterior painting projects.

Whether painting indoors or out, using high quality paint, brushes, and rollers can help reduce splatters.

Special Situation: Spray Painting

Tight seals and complete coverage are essential when spray painting. Overspray is impossible to control- especially outdoors, where it may be windy.

Windows, Doors, and Cabinets

Completely covering windows, doors, and cabinetry is important if you will be spray painting. The plastic film is faster to apply than masking paper. Using the film dispenser, attach an appropriate length of plastic film to the top of the frame.

If you're painting the ceiling and don't want to change your wall color- or if you need to protect an accent wall- you can drape the entire wall in plastic. Use 2" tape, attached horizontally to the wall. Leave the bottom half of the tape free; position the plastic underneath, then press firmly to adhere. Finish by sealing the side and bottom edges of the plastic.

Pull down the plastic and tack the bottom corners with two small pieces of tape. Next, tape the edges to the wall, creating a tight seal. Be careful not to leave any gaps.

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Ceilings

For smooth or textured ceilings (not acoustic) you can apply masking to protect from overspray if you're painting walls. Attach wide masking tape along the perimeter of the ceiling, then, using a dispenser, attach 12" masking paper to the tape. You'll need to overlap the paper to ensure complete coverage.

Plastic can be attached the same way, and provides better coverage than the paper does.

Take the time to properly protect your work area. Masking everything that can't be removed will save you hours of frustration and touch-ups!

Wood decks and fences also require covering or you will be forced to clean then sand and refinish. Drop cloths are your first defense.

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