Frequently asked questions

Most Scotch® Painter’s Tapes come in rolls that are 60 yards (180 ft or 54.8 m) long. One 60-yard roll can mask an average-sized (10 ft x 10 ft / 3 m x 3 m) room, such as an office or bedroom, including ceiling, baseboards, and door and window trim. Larger rooms, like a living room or basement, or rooms with many surfaces to mask, like a kitchen with a lot of cabinets, might require two or three rolls of tape.

For a more exact estimate, make a list and measure all of the surfaces you are planning to mask. Include all baseboards, trim around windows and doors, ceilings, walls, and fixtures like door knobs and hinges. Remove electrical outlet covers, vent plates and other removable fixtures before you measure and paint, so you don’t have to mask around them. This will help save time and tape.

Check out Prep and tape application for more taping tips.

Scotch® Painter’s Tapes come in a variety of widths, from ¾” (6 mm) up to 3” (7.6 cm). Our 1.5” (3.8 cm) tape is the most popular, and for good reason — painting can get messy, and this width offers a little more margin for painter error.

Trim and doors often require wider tape in order to cover the whole surface or wrap around corners. 1” (2.5 cm) tape is great for narrow baseboards and glass.

See Prep and Tape Application for more advice on paint prep.

Masking tapes use a rubber-based adhesive that is not UV resistant and cannot be left on a surface for extended periods of time. Scotch® Masking Tape is ideal for use on non-damageable surfaces, such as unfinished wood, brick, concrete and carpet.

Painter’s tapes use an acrylic adhesive that provides UV resistance and allows a longer masking time. That makes Scotch® Painter’s Tape ideal for use on glass in direct sunlight — the adhesive will not transfer to the glass.

ScotchBlue™ Sharp Lines Painter’s Tape is safe for use on multiple surfaces, and Scotch® Delicate Surface Painter’s Tape is specifically designed for delicate surfaces such as wallpaper, wood floors and freshly painted surfaces (less than 30 days old). Painter’s tapes are generally recommended for use in most residential painting projects.

Taping protects surfaces from paint drips and splatters that can cause damage or are difficult to remove. It can help you avoid spending time and money doing rework or fixing damage after your paint project is done. It also helps you easily achieve professional-looking results with sharp paint lines.

See Prep and tape application to mask like a pro.

In ideal conditions (21 degrees Celsius, low humidity), tapes can maintain their performance for much longer. Very hot or cold temperatures and high humidity can contribute to reduced performance of the adhesive. Application temperatures vary for different types of tape, but most tapes will work well when the surface temperature is between 10 and 37 degrees Celsius.

See Prep and tape application to learn how to mask like a pro.

You should wait at least 24 hours before applying tape to a freshly painted surface, and choose a tape designed specifically for this application, such as Scotch® Delicate Surface Painter’s Tape.

This is usually caused by dirt and moisture which prevent tape from attaching to the surface.

See our Tape won't stick page for some easy solutions.

Scotch® Exterior Surface Painter's Tape is designed specifically for outdoor use. It has a sturdy construction and adhesive that can stand up to rainy weather, humidity, wind and direct sun.

We recommend Scotch® Delicate Surface Painter’s Tape for masking wood floors. Place rosin paper along the trim, and secure it to the floor along the baseboard.

See more at Protect a wood floor.

Remove tape when the paint is dry to the touch — typically one hour after application. If you are applying multiple coats of paint, don’t remove the tape until you have finished the last coat and it has had sufficient time to dry.

If the tape is still intact on the surface, use a hair dryer to loosen the adhesive, and remove all the backing from the adhesive.

Remove as much adhesive as possible by either rubbing the adhesive off with your finger, or by applying a fresh piece of tape over the adhesive to pull it up from the surface.

If residue remains, use a chemical-based cleaner according to its instructions. For Scotch® Masking Tapes try one or more of the following:

• 3M™ Industrial Cleaners and Adhesive Removers
• Citrus-based cleaners
• Hydrocarbon solvent such as turpentine; a toluene-based cleaner

For Scotch® Painter’s Tapes, try one or more of the following:

• Wallpaper and paste remover
• Citrus-based cleaner
• Ammonia-based cleaner

NOTE: Different tapes have different types of adhesive, so choose the cleaner carefully and test in an inconspicuous place before use. Follow the cleaner instructions found on the individual packaging to ensure proper use.

When using cleaners, wipe with a cheesecloth or loose-nap fabric rags to allow the adhesive residue to imbed into the fabric.

After using cleaners, rinse surface with a generous amount of clean water.

If the adhesive residue has been on the surface for a long time or is highly cured, scraping may be required to break up the adhesive in order to remove it.

If Scotch® Painter’s Tape is used on or with a lacquer coating, the surface may react with the adhesive on the tape, making it difficult to remove. In this case, buffing or sanding may be required to remove the adhesive from the surface.

NOTE: Removing adhesive residue can put the surface it is adhered to at risk. If mechanical means (like scraping or abrading) are required to remove adhesive residue, most painted surfaces are at risk and have the potential to be damaged, regardless of the type of finish or level of cure time.

If you notice that paint is pulling up with the tape, or that paint is cracking along the paint line as you remove the tape, score along the edge of the tape with a razor blade before removing. This breaks the seal between paint and tape, ensuring a cleaner line and easier removal.

See Proper tape removal for a list of steps to follow when removing tape.

Usually, this is due to tape being left on the left on the surface too long. If this happens, paint along the edge of the tape, wait until the paint feels a bit tacky, and then remove the tape.