The
difference between a small painting job and a big painting job is the prep
time. Preparation is the bane of existence for lots of DIYers because they
don't expect it to be so time-consuming. You can easily devote an entire day to
masking, filming, tarping, and taping--all before even
cracking open a single can of paint.
Painting
by hand, you can, in theory, mask off areas at your own discretion.
While
it's not recommended, you can paint an entire room with brush and even roller
without spilling a single drop on the floor or furniture. But when you use a paint sprayer, you absolutely have to mask
off areas that will not be painted because overspray is inevitable.
To
mask a window or two, you can always use newspaper and masking tape. But for
anything more than that, you'll make your life easier if you use masking film.
Masking
film is not the same thing as tarp. Tarps are not meant to be form-fitting or
to create a paintable edge. For walking on or for covering items, consider using
a dropcloth.
Maskingfilm comes in
long rolls (i.e., 25m or 33m.) of widths from 550mm to 2400mm. You will find
two types of masking
film:
The first kind is called Pre-taped masking film or Masker. It is represented by KIKUSUI Masking Adhesive Tape & PE Pre-folded Masking film
roll and has a strip of adhesive painters
tape running along one
edge of the film.
The second kind is called Pre-folded
masking film, has no tape, relying
instead on the plastic's static-cling properties to hold it in place. Run
masking tape along any edge you will be painting next to.
How to Get the Right Size of
Pre-Taped Masking Film?
Pre-taped film combines two steps: taping and draping (it should be noted that you may need to tape the other three edges separately).
Pre-taped film combines two steps: taping and draping (it should be noted that you may need to tape the other three edges separately).
Remember,
too, that bigger is not always better. Using oversized masking film doesn't
just result in waste--you also need to cut or tape up all of that excess, which
can be a pain when dealing with this extremely thin film that always wants to
cling to your hands and arms.
Where to Use Masking Film?
Interior Walls: A classic way to use masking film: when painting a ceiling, run
the adhesive edge along the top of the wall, unfold the film downward, pressing
it flat against the wall. Then begin to paint.
Windows and Doors: Masking film works great on windows because it sticks
well to glass. Masking
film will rarely
match the exact size of windows and doors. But all you need to do is run the
adhesive strips down two sides of the area to be masked. If you have at least 150mm
of overlap, it's not necessary to tape between the two sections (though it can
never hurt).
Other Areas: Remember that masking film isn't just for painting right to
the edge. Often, you need to cover cabinets and flooring to protect them from
ambient spray. Masking film works great for this.
Sanding: Masking film is perfect for particle-collection. Unlike plastic
tarps, masking
film's
static-cling almost magnetically pulls paint and dust particles toward it.
Large Areas: If you have large areas to mask,
it's nearly impossible to use newspaper. Masking with masking film consumes far less time than masking with
newspapers because, with film, you're only dealing with a single sheet of film.
With newspapers, it can take 5 or 6 sheets to properly cover a window or door.
