Tape Wars! Frog Tape vs IPG Bloc It vs Generic Masking Tape

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USSR vs. USA. Rocky vs. Apollo. KFC’s Doubledown vs. Your Lifespan. Clearly there have been big head-to-head competitions in the past but none of them compare to what we’re about to bring you: THE ULTIMATE TAPE PAINT SHOWDOWN (ALL CAPS means “Monster Truck Announcer Voice”). Try to control yourselves, people; we don’t want any lawsuits on our hands if you’ve had a heart attack or collapsed from excitement. We should warn you – in this post we’ll be pitting Frog Tape against IPG Bloc It Tape against a generic masking tape brand and we will …. wait for it … WATCH PAINT DRY. O to the M to the G! Think you can handle the results? Are you sure? Have you checked your pulse? Alright, read on.

We wrote a Frog Tape review in the past and we liked it overall, but how does it stand up to other brands? IPG’s Bloc It paint tape also claims to create seep-free lines. Will they be as or more tight than Frog Tape? Or will the generic brand be the dark horse the comes up from behind in this competition? To find out, I generously sacrificed my living room wall for the test (ok, so maybe I was going to paint it anyway). I pulled off a strip of each tape and tacked each to the wall. All of them peeled off the roll and onto the wall nicely with no curling or twirling. Full points for everyone so far!

Next, I painted over them with a white latex primer (these tapes are specifically made for latex – not oil – paints), allowed the coat to dry and then added a second coat. For best results, the instructions suggest that you remove the tape while the paint is still wet, so after a quick bathroom break (didn’t want to wee myself from all the excitement), the tape came off.

Each tape brand peeled off easily and evenly with nothing particularly special to note. Some people have complained that Frog Tape is a little too adhesive and can peel off finishes, but I didn’t find this to be the case here.

From a distance, all seem to have done their job. Several clean, straight lines stand before you. But up close? That’s where the story changes.

Our generic paint tape had a bunch of fuzzy little seeps up and down it:

And the same goes for IPG’s Bloc It. In fact, the generic tape performed a little better than it:

And the highly touted Frog Tape? Not a seepage in sight! In fact, the Frog Tape almost has a ridge to the edges:

The analysis: If you just want “mostly” straight, clean lines, the generic brand is fine, but if you’re being particularly anal about clean lines, Frog Tape appears to be the way to go. Oh, and one more painting tip? Never use a paint roller from the dollar store. You’ll end up with what looks like eraser shavings and maggots coated on your wall:

Oh, the things I put up with in the name of science.

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About Jen

Jen (but never “Jenn”) Byck, aka the Fix'n Vixen, is a Toronto-based freelance writer and communication consultant who is undoubtedly home fixated (she is also TV fixated, really bad TV fixated and donut fixated). Her approach to home improvement has been rather trial and error, the latter of which is evidenced by the amount of spackle she buys on an annual basis.

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6 thoughts on “Tape Wars! Frog Tape vs IPG Bloc It vs Generic Masking Tape”

  1. I am a professional painter and trust me iphone is the best tape I have ever used this far. Make sure you press the eve down after application and you will see it’s better than frog. I can use it right after a spray and it does not tear when you remove it and it does not damage drywall. And the bigger bonus is its the least expensive. Way to go pro mask blue impressive.

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  2. Here’s a tip for the cheapie roller covers – before you start, wrap the entire roller in the same tape you used to tape off with (or plain masking tape). Squeeze it on, then pull it off – it will pull off all the fuzz that would normally end up on your wall!

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  3. I love me some well timed reviews. I’m going to be painting a good sized room in the very near future and this review is likely to come in handy. maybe… in spots. It’s not really a finished space so I’m just going to be edging the edges of the ceilings and the tops of the walls. But still… good to know that Frog Tape works as advertised!

    Reply

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