# How did they do this? (A question about painting; walls, not canvas) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405 "2006-07-14T00:31:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/1 "2006-07-14T00:31:49Z")
The company I used to work for moved into a brand new building about 18 months ago. About a month ago I was sitting in the lounge and noticed the corner, where one painted wall and the adjacent, differently-colored wall met, was perfectly aligned. You know how when you mask over an area, then paint, trying to be careful, and then take the tape off, there’s still some minor jagged edges, especially on textured walls? This intersection didn’t have that. On closer inspection, I saw why. There was some sort of tape or something running the entire length of the corner, that hid the spot where the two colors came together. The problem is, I have no idea what that stuff is. Some sort of tape? Caulk? Something else? A search online didn’t turn up anything readily recognizable as the product in question, and an email to Sherwin-Williams came back with, “We don’t sell anything like that,” (without even telling me what it was; so I assume they didn’t know). So I’m turning to you guys to see if you know what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/2 "2006-07-14T03:31:49Z")
Tape the same color as one of the walls? Ask the building manager/maintainence people. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/3 "2006-07-14T04:07:55Z")
I asked my husband, since he slings paint for a living (well, it’s a little deeper than that, but he knows his paint and paint products inside and out), anyway, he says he’d have to see a picture of it to have any idea what it might be, since he doesn’t understand by your description what it might be. It doesn’t sound like anything he’s heard of before. Any chance you could get a decent, focused, closeup picture? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/4 "2006-07-14T05:29:28Z")
No, I can’t get a photo since I don’t work there any more. I haven’t a clue who the maintenance people would be (there are 2300 people just on the corporate campus; the company has another 50,000 store employees around the country; it wasn’t a small place to work.) It was only 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch wide, and it was like a strip of plastic-like tape or caulk. I wish I could think of a better description. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/5 "2006-07-14T15:40:06Z")
Ah, well, it was worth a shot. Thanks for asking your hubby for me, **Anastasaeon**. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/6 "2006-07-14T15:42:40Z")
Was it just silicone sealant/caulking? I ask because I have the same problem coming up when I redecorate - there will be two walls with contrasting colours meeting, and I was wondering how to get a straight edge. I was thinking of just putting a very thin strip of caulking down the corner. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/7 "2006-07-14T16:21:14Z")
What color is it? The same color as one of the walls? Some other color? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/8 "2006-07-14T16:50:44Z")
Man, I sure could’ve used some of that just last week. I spent the week repainting some of the walls in my new house- a darker, accent color- and the walls are textured… so, yeah, I got the jaggies. I’ve managed to touch it up a bit with a playing card and a small brush, but it’s not perfect. Pisses me off, it does. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/9 "2006-07-14T16:53:59Z")
Just a WAG, but it’s probably just painter’s caulk (definitely not silicone - that stuff’s impossible to paint) that was applied by a pro. A friend is a scenic painter (TV sets, and the like) and he says the secret to those razor-sharp edges is caulk. And a steady hand. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/10 "2006-07-14T17:11:55Z")
I saw this once in a new building like a hospital or such in the last year. I looked close and it’s something like a plastic tape as was discribed. I think it must be available for comercial contractors, when they use a paint company’s standard colors. It might only match eight paint colors and be offered by one company. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-they-do-this-a-question-about-painting-walls-not-canvas/364405/11 "2006-07-14T18:40:12Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Was it just silicone sealant/caulking? I ask because I have the same problem coming up when I redecorate - there will be two walls with contrasting colours meeting, and I was wondering how to get a straight edge. I was thinking of just putting a very thin strip of caulking down the corner. That’s definitely possible, and I considered whether to give it a try and see how that worked. I may run to Home Depot tomorrow and look for painter’s caulk. I can test it in the room’s closet. It was the same–or near enough to be unnoticeable–white as one of the walls.