# Tape Safe for Floors



## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

Greetings fellow painters :smile:
I am painting this week in a home that has brand new hardwood floors, so I am going to putting down some contractors paper, the stuff that is kind of like thin cardboard, to protect the floors. I am looking for recommendations for a tape to use that will not damage the floor. Normally I would never have given this a second thought, and just used whatever blue tape I have available. I generally use All Pro tape. However, a local fellow painter, showed me a picture of a floor he put some 3M tape on. He said it was on the floor for about three weeks and that it was in the sun. The result is that the floor has several long discolorations on them where the tape was applied. If you look on the inside of the role of tape, on the cardboard is printed, is small print, to not use on floors.Even the guys at the store where he bought it, which happens to be the same paint store I go to, did not know that it was not supposed to be used on hardwood floors. Any suggestions on what I can use?


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

2080 tape , safe release or Easy Release, blue. To be safe, I would ask the floor guys for their recommendation and okay the timing in which you are starting. The floor has to fully cure still. 

My builder did check with the floor guys, had them sign off on which tape to use, and make sure we waited 3 weeks to a month after they were done.
The floor was a swedish finish, they said use 2080E.R. tape, worst thing that happened though was ugly tape residue got left behind everywhere upstairs and downstairs and it took me over 8 hours to clean it all off at the end of the job. Used krud kutter which did in fact tarnish the finish if I wiped too much.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Did a job last fall where floors had just been refinished. I only put tape directly on the floor at the perimeter of the room right next to the baseboards. Elsewhere I just overlapped the paper and taped paper to paper. Had it down about a month and it held up fine with no discoloration issues. Used the same tape you do.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Pete ask the floor guys what they would recommend. When we put tape down weather new or old hardwood flooring we wet a rag and wipe the tape to soften up the glue.

The floor guys may not even know. One floor guy told us they use the blue all pro tape all the time. We had an issue with it peeling the fresh floor coating up. This floor was finished 2 months before we got in.

What I try to do now is if we can I slip the paper under the baseboards without taping, can't always but when you can avoid tape on fresh hardwood I find no tape the best way. Obviously taping paper to paper is fine.


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

I tried to ask the floor guys but there was a language issue...they had no idea what I was talking about. The floor was pre finished, so a wait time is not needed.

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Pete the Painter said:


> I tried to ask the floor guys but there was a language issue...they had no idea what I was talking about. The floor was pre finished, so a wait time is not needed.
> 
> Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk


We have run into that language issue ourselves. I show them a roll of tape and point to the floor. Usually they understand and either shake their head yes or no or just look at me like I'm some sort of whack job.


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

Pete the Painter said:


> I tried to ask the floor guys but there was a language issue...they had no idea what I was talking about. The floor was pre finished, so a wait time is not needed.
> 
> Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk


Prefinished floors. Just tape it and move on. Quit overthinking this.


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## loaded brush (Dec 27, 2007)

Myself, I always use yellow frog tape without incident. Just make sure you use the brown craft paper to cover floors. The red rosin paper will bleed if it gets wet.


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## Pete Martin the Painter (Nov 8, 2012)

Paradigmzz said:


> Prefinished floors. Just tape it and move on. Quit overthinking this.


I never overthunk it until I saw the pics of the damage to the floor from the 3M tape.

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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Paradigmzz said:


> Prefinished floors. Just tape it and move on. Quit overthinking this.


I agree. If it's the prefinished stuff I don't think you need to concern yourself with potential tape issues.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

In Pete's OP, he mentioned a situation where the tape had been left down for 3 weeks and was exposed to sunlight. I have to believe the amount of time the tape was down and the exposure to UV rays was a factor in the discoloration issue.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Just use smaller pieces of tape in the field instead of any long pieces.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

ridesarize said:


> Just use smaller pieces of tape in the field instead of any long pieces.


Or skip the tape altogether and just use Gorilla Glue.


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

i use scotch


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Vylum said:


> i use scotch


internally?:vs_laugh:


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Pete the Painter said:


> I tried to ask the floor guys but there was a language issue...they had no idea what I was talking about. The floor was pre finished, so a wait time is not needed.
> 
> Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk


Pre finished floors tape away. When removing the tape to be safe have a wet rag and wipe the tape to soften the glue.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

We use ipg blue on the perimeter and pg 5 in the field on paper and on ram board. 

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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

One easy way of avoiding residue is to cover high traffic areas with a mat where you taped underneath. Constant walking on the tape is the fastest way to have residue issues. Usually happens at entrances, thresholds, etc. I'd agree with comments above though. You won't pull any finish of factory-finished pre-finished floor. Only issue is tape residue.


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## ctw1287 (Oct 9, 2016)

Yeah Loaded Brush. I agree frog tape is the way to go if you plan on having the tape down for a long period of time. I only use sherwin williams white tape if I know it will only be down for like two - three days because it adheres very strong so yellow does not have a strong bond because its a delicate product but should bond good on the hardwood floors.


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## canopainting (Feb 12, 2013)

2080 blue tape on new laminate comes off easy after being on up to 2 weeks. after 4 weeks it is more difficult to remove. I have put the same tape on a home in which the oak floor was sanded and refinished , probably a flip blow n go, and after 1 week pulled up the clear coat after one week. ((He said it was on the floor for about three weeks and that it was in the sun. The result is that the floor has several long discolorations on them where the tape was applied)) This is good to know,


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## thinkpainting/nick (Dec 25, 2012)

Please understand most and all the floor guys i.e. Company's I've come across from other country's know nothing about technical or product specs. They just apply the product and move on. 90 percent here work cheap cheap and there work is passable but not A1. I've had issues with tape and never got straight awnser from the floor guys even when I had a translator.


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