# Masking carpet for spray painting



## rodlloyd (Nov 27, 2013)

I have been remodeling apartments and rental houses for many decades and mostly used rolling to paint walls and ceilings. I am moving to using a paint sprayer but so far only when the floors are going to be replaced. 

I understand how to tape off windows and other vertical surfaces but protecting the floor I can find no information.

When rolling I use good quality drop clothes but I am afraid the drop will blow out of place when spraying. 

The window film is not strong enough to walk on. Please advise the options.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

Tape plastic or paper to the baseboards. cut to carpet by hand when finished.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

or get this expensive stuff


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

aaron61 said:


> Tape plastic or paper to the baseboards. cut to carpet by hand when finished.



Depending on the pile of the carpet you can push it down a bit and tape to the bottom of the baseboard. Typically you're gonna have to brush that little spot in, picking up a bunch of crap along the way but sometimes you pull the tape, the carpet springs up and it looks good from my house. :whistling2:


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## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

I have used old carpet strips cut to various sizes for hallways, typical room sizes. Just lay it on top of the drop.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

A staple gun is a handy tool for spray jobs.


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## BehrSpar (Nov 22, 2013)

Use the carpet shield stuff. Cheap with labor savings and very effective.


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## Monstertruck (Oct 26, 2013)

If base is to be painted, we vacuum the baseboard then run duck tape pushed down in. Then vac again. 

If not, a couple pieces of clapboard work as a very nice long shield/paperweight for your drops.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

'nuff said. now put that brush down.


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## Lazerline (Mar 26, 2012)

I use 9 inch paper on the masker with 1 inch tape for low nap carpet 1.5 inch for the thicker nap. When I run the masker around the perimeter I overlap the base about a quarter inch then tuck it under the base. Every seperate piece of paper gets overlapped by 6 inches try to keep it to one piece from corner to corner if you can. Once its all tacked down I use spray adhesive to glue 3mil plastic to the brown paper. A drop will go down over any spot that will have the sprayer on it.

I would rather put lemon juice in my eyes then cut base with a brush to carpet


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

AAAHhhhhhh...Apartment painting!!! Well that's a whole different animal right there


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

driftweed said:


> View attachment 20641
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That tootsie roll bead is hideous.


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

Paradigmzz said:


> That tootsie roll bead is hideous.


And there is spray dust all over the rug.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

Op was talking about apartments. The dried dust is taken care of by the carpet cleaners.

Tootsie roll...blame the caulker, lol. No painter is gonna scrape/recaulk trim in that world. Now, if I caulked it in the residential world it would look better.

Once I switched to all shield, the savings have been huge. If I do ceilings then its a pvc tarp & masking. 

In the apartment world you don't have to be the best, just better/faster than the last guy.


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## Hines Painting (Jun 22, 2013)

Not a lot of apartments around me. But when I get rental houses I typically push them 1 of 2 directions.

If it is a decent house, I push for contrast. Tan walls and white trim/ceilings. Selling them benefits of having a nice look interior and the hope of finding a good tenant that will be there a few years.

Or, I push for what I call a "full reset". Get a good paint job all 1 off-white, eggshell sheen on everything with the benefit being once its time for repaint we should be able to get in and repaint certain doors/walls/etc. as needed and only have to spend 1-2 days of labor on it at most.

Most people like 1 of those options, but some people still want a blow and go, and hire someone else.


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## rodlloyd (Nov 27, 2013)

With a PVC tarp, I would be concerned that over-spray would not be absorbed but sit, get on my shoes and trampled throughout the house and beyond.

What is "all shield"? 

Rod


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## WisePainter (Dec 27, 2008)

In apartments we never masked or dropped anything.
Rag over the hand and grab the doorknobs.


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## Lazerline (Mar 26, 2012)

Man you guys sound like your painting apartments in the ghetto! Every apartment I've done still had to be done like a pro paint job. Obviously you incorporate some time saver tactics but I cant say many of those would fly in my world of painting. Goes to show how different every customer can be I guess.


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## Different Strokes (Dec 8, 2010)

driftweed said:


> Op was talking about apartments. The dried dust is taken care of by the carpet cleaners.
> 
> Tootsie roll...blame the caulker, lol. No painter is gonna scrape/recaulk trim in that world. Now, if I caulked it in the residential world it would look better.
> 
> ...


Replace the underlined words with "cheaper" and ya got a winner.


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## WisePainter (Dec 27, 2008)

Lazerline said:


> Man you guys sound like your painting apartments in the ghetto! Every apartment I've done still had to be done like a pro paint job. Obviously you incorporate some time saver tactics but I cant say many of those would fly in my world of painting. Goes to show how different every customer can be I guess.


We had 27 properties to manage between 8 guys.
Each had a 395, and a van with company Nextel...yeah, ages ago.

The apartments ranged from HUD, to expensive townhome style residences.
Suicide units were my favorite.

sarcasm.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

I currently have 1 contract in the ghetto, & 2 in better areas. 

The ghetto has lots of gang activity. Those pics i posted, 2 units down a man was shot multiple times the night before I painted.

A blow n go for me only happens when they are replacing carpet/vinyl.

As always, when initially walking a unit w/ the maintenance supervisor we discuss quality standards. At that time I point out minor dings, bad tape joints, unsanded patches from the previous guys, etc... I always look at a minimum of 3 units. This usually takes about an hour.

Once we finish the walkthrough, I present 3 quality prices. The first is ZERO prep, number 2 is minimal prep (remove outlet covers, fill nail holes only), & finally the 3rd price is the "perfect" price. In the third price I will remedy everything.

Now, alot of people would only sell price 3 but in the end I leave it up to my customers. In the residential world, yes that would not fly. But when it comes to rentals we have to "know our role".

1) Maintenance strips the unit down (some will also do all prep)

2) The painters paint

3) the floor guy is next (if needed)

4) no floor guy = carpet cleaners next

5) maintenance reassembles unit

6) final cleaners clean everyones mess

We as apartment painters dont have to be perfect. There will usually be 2 cleaning companies after us. So a little mess is ok. Also, you have to give your customer what THEY want, not what YOU want. That's business 101 folks.


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## Toolnut (Nov 23, 2012)

I use the carpet shield, then 9" paper then I have some 6' slats from a vertical blind that I slip under the baseboard. This is the same set-up I use when spraying the base board.


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