Keep the Roll Against the Wall to Run Masking Tape Dead Straight

The Problem

Most people mask woodwork by tearing off short strips of tape and patching them along the trim — and every strip lands at a slightly different angle. The result is a wandering, overlapping tape line, and the paint line inherits every wobble.

The Technique

Let the roll do the steering:

1. Press the end of the tape into place at the edge you're masking.
2. Keep the roll itself pushed flat against the wall or trim as you unroll — don't tear anything off. The roll riding along the surface holds the tape at a constant line.
3. Press the tape down in small sections as you go: unroll a little, press, unroll a little more, always with the roll still against the surface.
4. At a corner, push the still-attached roll into the corner, lay a scraper or multi-tool blade across the tape as a straightedge, and tear against it — the tape parts in a perfect line exactly at the corner.
5. Paint your two coats, and peel the tape while the second coat is still tacky.