Frequently Asked Questions

Dry time is typically 15-20 minutes but will vary depending on humidity and air flow. You can dramatically speed up dry time by placing a fan in the room once you are done applying. 

Tape-Seal is water-based so it can simply be cleaned up using water. For product that has dried a bit try warm soapy water or rubbing alcohol. It is waterproof when completely dry but can be removed with rubbing alcohol in most cases. Isopropyl alcohol will remove most dry acrylic paint coatings so be careful not to damage painted surfaces you don't want removed..

Oddly enough we get this question a lot. Tape-Seal is not a glue or caulking product. Glues and caulking tend to attract dust and dirt, they also may yellow over time. Many caulking products take a very long time to fully dry and can contain silicone which can inhibit proper adhesion of paint. Tape-Seal is also not a paint. It is formulated to be thick enough to easily fill voids yet brush out very smoothly. Best to describe it as a thick clear sealer.

Yes, our product is safe to use on outdoor applications. If you are applying paint other than acrylic be sure to do appropriate testing beforehand.  

Unfortunately no. Tape-Seal is an acrylic product so will not adhere properly to automotive finishes. 

Yes! Tape-Seal works well with acrylic and most water-based paints and can be incorporated in many areas of your craft. Not only does it work well for sealing edges we have had many customers tell us they love it as a general sealer and top coat. When dry, Tape-Seal will have a clear satin appearance.  It can also be used in collage and decoupage applications. 

The goal is to fill any voids under the tape edge so when sealing tape on a flat surface slightly brush toward the tapes edge driving product into the voids and gaps under the tape edge.

Most common drywall textures can be sealed with Tape-Seal but heavy textures may require a second coat, test on a small area to find out. Extremely heavy textures, like stucco, are likely too deep to seal properly. If your surface is extremely textured I would suggest doing a test area before hand to see if this will work for you. 

One jar of Tape-Seal will seal approximately 5 rolls of painters tape depending on surface texture. The average bedroom will use between 1 to 1 1/2 rolls of tape to give you rough estimate of how far it will go. 

There are five major causes for this.

1. The most common is dirty walls prior to applying tape. Be sure to remove any dust, cobwebs and loose paint before you apply the tape. In some cases (usually older homes) the walls may have been painted with oil based paint, which you can test by wiping a rubbing alcohol soaked cotton swap across the surface. If paint comes off on the swab it is water-based, if it is oil-based you will need to prime the walls prior to painting.  

2. Bad priming from the start. Sometimes walls are just not primed correctly or a repair was made that was not primed correctly which causes the paint to not adhere fully. If your paint is pulling off down to the drywall surface this is usually the case. 

3. Paint was applied too thick. I know it is human nature to want to rush through everything and try and get it done with just one coat of paint. Most of the time this not going to work and you will just get a really thick build-up of paint film at the tapes edge. This will cause tape to not shear correctly which will either pull off the paint or tear the tape. You are also more likely to get runs and sagging in your paint finish.  It is better to do two thinner consistent coats. 

4. Not allowing enough drying time. If you are pulling your tape before your paint has fully dried you may have wet layers under a dry top layer which causes the top layer to peel away from the rest. Check to make sure each layer is dry before adding an additional layer. Using a fan between coats will dramatically speed up drying time.

5. Pulling tape incorrectly. To correctly remove tape you will want to pull it back on itself, like peeling a banana, while at the same time angling it slightly away from the painted surface. Using this technique will allow the tape to shear at the edge and not pull up the paint film. Start out slow to see how well the paint is shearing. If everything was done correctly you should have no problem removing your tape.  

If you are experiencing these problems currently and still need to remove your tape, you may need to score the edge of the tape with a razor knife where you are experiencing issues and carefully peel back as you go. Hopefully the above information will help you in the future.  

Sometimes tape just doesn't want to come off in one piece and it can be annoying. Your best hedge against this is by using the best quality tape. I personally use the Frog Tape brand. There are many painters tapes on the market and a lot are just thin and cheap so they are just prone to tearing easier. Even the best tapes will have this issue in some places, usually where paint was applied too thick or taping on wide glossy surfaces like door frames where the tape bonds really firmly. 

It's good to have an razor knife on hand to help with those problem areas. You can also try using dental picks to grab at those small tear points. Proper removal technique is also very important. To correctly remove tape you will want to pull it back on itself and away from the painted edge.