why is masking tape removing my paint?
But when I try and remove the masking tape, -ALL- paint comes off the area it was covering, down to the plaster! eeek!
I think i will soak the rest of it off.
This has never happened in any other house I've been in. Have the people who rented it done a rubish paint job or what, why would it do this?
I didn't think bargain basement masking tape was that strong!
Answers:
I've had that problem, it's the primer that it actually adheres to the tape. I just gave up and free handed it. Now I'm a pretty damned good painter, although I still hate painting.
Other answers:
You can try soaking the tape, as it's paper it should come off. Or use alcohol as that will break down the glue.
You can try soaking the tape, as it's paper it should come off. Or use alcohol as that will break down the glue.
It could be that you're taping a semi gloss finish. That type of paint peels off easy. It could also be the tape that you're using. Stores sell special blue tape to use when painting. Try that tape and maybe your results will be different.
Brown masking tape should be removed in 4-8 hours the blue tape should be removed within a week and the blue "sensitive" tape can be left in place up to 60 days. There are different qualities of primer. you have just experienced low quality primer.
They do make a low tack masking tape it is usually blue in color should be able to pick it up at a hardware store. Hope this helps. And yes sounds like to me they did a bad job before.
are you using the blue painters tape? you have to make sure your paint is really dry before you put it on, dont use regular masking tape, there are several sorts of painters tapes, and they are labeled for new paint, older paint, wallpaper, etc. cheap tape has totally unknown qualities. sorry. you will need to use a tiny bit of plaster patch to fill the areas up to the new paint level and then paint the spots with new paint . likely more than one coat, best of luck
you needed to use blue masking tape it comes off easier. but the regular kind need to be pulled off as soon as possible, preferably when the paint flashes off.
A good trick I learned about using masking tape to make the lines strait, is to take a razor blade and cut lightly along the edge of the tape so that it doesn't pull up paint with it. It sounds like your tape is actually pulling up the existing paint, not the new paint... that sucks. I'll bet the previous people used cheap paint.