4 Painting Hacks Tested For You

I TESTED PAINT TRICKS FOR MAKING A STRAIGHT LINE SO THAT YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE BEST!

Every time you search for tips on how to paint or how not to paint a wall, you get flooded with all these tips and tricks and hacks. I tried as many painting hack I could get my hands on to paint a straight line and this is what happened.

This was my set up! All 4 painting hacks were set up both on a flat surface and in the corner to make sure I was getting the best results for multiple painting situations.

Painting Hack #1: FrogTape

I’ve heard FrogTape shouted from the rooftops but I need to try it for myself! Supposedly it’s just superior to the other tapes, no fancy tricks or strategies needed.

So I hopped on amazon and ordered me some FrogTape!

Painting Hack #2: Caulking Strategy

I was hesitant about this strategy when I first heard about it. Supposedly, you run a bead of caulk along the edge of the tape you plan to paint and then you wipe it clean. I’m here to try everything so I decided to toss it into the experiment and see how it goes!

Painting Hack #3: Layered Paint Strategy

It took me a minute to figure out how to set this one up. I didn’t have the paint for the current wall color so I had to create my own new base with this patch of white you can see below.

So, on the side of the tape that you want to paint, you apply a small layer of the base white/color to the edge of the tape. This is so that if any paint leaks beyond the tape, its already the same color as below.

Once that dries, the tape is essentially sealed! You just have to add your new color!

Painting hack #4: Standard Painters Tape

This is likely the blue painters tape you see everywhere. You just apply it at the edge you need and paint! To be extra careful, I ran over the tape with a paint scraper to try to get it really sealed up on the wall. Our walls are pretty smooth so it wasn’t too difficult but this could prove harder on textured walls.

I grew up using blue painters tape. The trick was to peel it off while the paint was still slightly wet and to peel at an angle. This was base for this experiment because this is what I’ve always done.

The Results?

All right! The moment, I’m sure, we’ve all been anxiously awaiting!

Fourth Place: Standard Painters Tape

As you can see, there is definitely a small amount of leakage. I’ve definitely seen worse in my day but this wasn’t ideal and would still need touch-ups.

Third Place: Caulking Strategy

If you followed along in my stories on Instagram or Facebook, you could have seen the results up close but it just couldn’t be captured well in an image. These images show the tape with the smoothed out caulk, before applying paint.

This method technically worked! Pulling the tape revealed a very crisp line. Unfortunately, that line came with a thickness. The caulking was slightly visible beneath the paint and had some depth to it.

When I observed the results in the corner, the edges were peeling up a bit. It’s possible that I didn’t wipe enough caulking away before painting. But if its that easy to potentially mess it up, I don’t want it. Because of this, it gave the caulking method third place.

Second Place

I am happy I learned about this trick because it is really quite clever! I came across this tip through Mysha at Remington Avenue through her Instagram stories. She typically uses this painting strategy with FrogTape but I wanted to see if it worked with regular painters tape.

It does! If all you have is blue painters tape and you REALLY don’t want to have to do touch-ups, definitely use this method!

First Place: FrogTape

I have to be honest with you guys, I was really hoping this would be the winner of this painting hack experiment. Why? Well, my previous system of painters tape was really letting me down (as continue to put off touch-ups in the master bedroom). The other strategies seemed new and cool, but it was just another step to add to the list.

FrogTape left such a beautifully crisp line. I was excited and amazed. I honestly might consider using it every single time I paint.

Ideas?

I aim to create the most streamlined DIY experience for YOU! I want to make it easy for you to build and learn, which is why I tested out all these painting hacks for you and why I created this post on Beginner DIY Tools. If you see and tips or tricks or DIYs you want me to attempt first… let me know! I will be your guinea pig!

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