Masking products for painters and plasterers

As a painter or plasterer, you of course want the right material to deliver the job neatly. You also don’t want to lose valuable time and fiddling around with inferior products leads to irritation. Fortunately, we’re here to help, with the best masking products for painters and plasterers!

Washi tape applications

Washi tape is ideal for masking a broad range of surfaces.

• Allround washi tapes are available in the colours yellow, orange, gold, and blue. Allround washi tape is the most universal masking tape. There’s a reason it’s part every professional’s standard equipment.
• Sensitive washi tape is the best choice for vulnerable surfaces. This masking tape will not damage wallpaper. Even a freshly-painted surface is no challenge for sensitive washi tape. Sensitive washi tape ensures faster and better results! The tape is available in the colours purple and lilac.
• The third variant of Washi tape that we’ll discuss is Strong washi tape. The strongest of the three tapes is available in the colours red and orange. These tapes are suitable for rough surfaces and ideal for outdoor use. The red and orange tapes have excellent properties for use in sunny and rainy weather conditions. Even the morning dew is no match for these strong Washi tapes. Because of the fibre-reinforced washi paper, the tape remains intact when it is removed, even with multiple layers of paint on it.

Various masking films and papers

Dropfilm
Dropfilm is used by painters and plasterers to cover larger surfaces. It’s a transparent masking film with tape, ideal for masking walls and floors, for instance. The washi tape ensures that the masking film is easy to remove after use. The films of these dropfilms are all the same aside from their dimensions. The film is made static through a process called corona treatment. The advantage of this treatment is that the film adheres to the surface like a second skin. It’s ideal for use on tricky surfaces like natural stone. Another major advantage of masking film is that dust sticks to the film instead of the paint thanks to the corona treatment.

Different tapes can be used for masking film depending on the application.

• Allround washi tape – For general applications.
• Strong washi tape – For outdoor use / rough surfaces.
• UV duct tape – Ideal for masking coarse surfaces. The tape is UV-resistant, and therefore suitable for outdoor use.
• Crêpe tape – This is a budget-friendly option for short-term use on non-demanding surfaces.

Film & paper

• PE film
  This film is available in different sizes. The film is made static through a process called corona treatment. This makes the film stick to surfaces, but for instance also to free floating dust. This film is handy for quickly covering large and bumpy surfaces. For example a sofa, for which paper would be less suitable because of its inflexibility.
• Kraft paper
  This paper is ideal for quickly masking flat surfaces. The paper doesn’t let through any paint and it’s easy to tear by hand. Kraft paper can also be used with a dispenser.

Self-adhesive kraft paper
Self-adhesive kraft paper is a relatively new product in the painting industry. It’s been available since mid-2020. The paper has the same properties are regular kraft paper, but has a layer of adhesive on one side. This makes it very similar to a post-it note.

Duct tapes

Duct tape is a tape with a carrier of PE coated cloth. More simply put, this is cloth that is coated with a plastic, PE in this case. This makes duct tape waterproof and easy to tear. It can be used for many different purposes. For example, bundling tubes at a workshop or sealing a hole. The tape is also used to cover a surface for (sand) blasting. The adhesive strength of Duct Tape is usually higher than that of other tapes. The tape can also be used on rough surfaces like stone walls. For example, masking lines on an outdoor wall which is being plastered.

Crêpe tape

Crêpe tape is popularly known as “masking tape”. In recent years, this tape is being used less and less by professional painters. One of the most important reasons for this is the major advantage of washi tape. It’s easier to use than crêpe tape and ensures a cleaner end result.

Do you have any questions about masking products for painters and plasterers after reading this article? Please contact our professionals.