How To Use Painters Tape And Which of The 4 To Use

Learn How And When To Use Blue, Green, Yellow, And Orange Painter’s Tape For Your Project

Blue, green, yellow, or orange? You can find out how to use painter’s tape and which of these 4 types to use for which project. 

Read all about them in the post below-

Remember What Happened Last Time?

“Yeah, it didn’t work out too well…”

Sean looks down sheepishly as Linda reminds him. The current paint job they have on their wall didn’t turn out too well. The paint ended up under the painter’s tape so they have to redo it.

“I know I used it right! I mean, how do you mess up putting tape on a wall,” Sean says defensively. His shoulders sag a little. “But apparently I didn’t. I guess I can look up how to use it,” he grumbles. It worked when he looked up how to prep a house for painting.

Sean gets out his phone as Linda watches. He types in ‘how to use painters tape’ on Google.

Here is what he finds.

Using Painters Tape

The best way to use painters tape is to run a putty knife or credit card along the tape as you apply it to the surface. Take it off as soon as the paint dries. Use a utility knife to get under it and pull it off slowly and steadily at a 45-degree angle.

“I guess I didn’t seal it well enough. Now I know,” Sean says. He sees something further down the page about types of painters tape. He scrolls down to find out more.

Blue Painters Tape

Blue is the standard painters tape everyone thinks about. It’s the generic tape. Be sure to press it in firmly and remove it as soon as the paint dries. 14 days is the max amount of time to leave it on.

“Good to know there’s a time limit,” Sean murmurs as he reads on.

Heat can make blue painter’s tape harder to take off. If you’re using it on polyurethaned floors make sure to test it in a small area first. It may or may not pull the finish up with it.

“But other than that it seems perfectly fine to use. But what’s this about different color painters tape having different uses?” Linda asks.

Sean shrugs and scrolls on to find out.

Green Painters Tape

“This would’ve been perfect! Wish I’d known about it before we painted.”

Green painters tape is best at stopping paint from getting under it. It has Paint Blocker Technology that allows the tape to swell when moisture in the form of paint touches it. This swelling keeps the paint from getting under the tape.

“That’ll make our lines look clean and sharp,” Sean says excitedly. He scrolls on to the next color.

Yellow Painters Tape

“Great for delicate surfaces, huh?”

Yellow painters tape is best used for surfaces that need a lighter touch. It has just enough stickiness to grab onto a surface, but not enough to peel anything off with it.

It’s great for freshly painted surfaces, wallpaper, or polyurethaned floors. It’s great for decorative painting such as painting stripes or other decorations on walls.

“Now for the last color of painters tape and its uses,” Sean says.

Orange Painters Tape

“So, it’s the opposite of yellow painters tape.”

It’s mostly used for exterior work because it grabs on well to uneven surfaces. Brick, cement, stucco, or rough wood surfaces are now more easily protected.

“It’s UV resistant for up to 7 days, huh? Still going to remove it as soon as the paint dries, just to be safe,” Sean says.

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“Well, now it’s time to start painting all over again. Maybe I should try to find out a bit more about painting houses and walls before I do…”

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