Step-By-Step: How to Properly Apply Cloth Tape for Sanding Car Paint

Sanding is a vital step in preparing a car’s bodywork before many different automotive painting jobs. And using the correct products to ensure this is done right is equally as important for repair shops and body repair professionals alike.

So, which tape type should you be using to mask off the adjacent panels, and how should it be applied to achieve the best finish? If you find that your tape lets you down and adds extra steps to the sanding process, we’re here to help. Using our expertise in tape manufacturing for the automotive industry, we’ll offer our best advice for the best practices when applying protection tape and how to choose the right one for you.

Best tapes for Masking for Sanding

Your tape choice for masking off before beginning the sanding process is an important one. The last thing you want is for the tape to lift and reveal the surface underneath while operating a sanding machine or sanding by hand. This problem often occurs when the tape isn’t strong and durable enough for the task at hand.

At JTAPE, we’ve manufactured the perfect solution – our range of premium cloth protection tapes. Below, we’ll take you through why cloth tapes are the most suitable solution for this type of job, alongside all the benefits offered by our products.

Black Premium Cloth Protection Tape

Our durable cloth protection tape removes the need for multiple layers of tape when masking off for the sanding process.

Instead, it offers adhesion twice as strong as other protection adhesives, alongside being waterproof, easy to tear and simple to remove. As a result, the surface below the tape won’t sustain any damage during the sanding process, allowing you to easily mask off and prepare various panels for sanding using the tools of your choice.

Our cloth protection tape is also available in a range of other colours, including our silver and white premium cloth tapes. These options are perfect when working on vehicles of different colours to ensure the tape stands out against the paint colour.

Why is Sanding Car Paint so Important

Sanding car paint is important to ensure the painting process begins with a smooth, even base. One of the main causes of peeling paint is that the surface underneath isn’t properly prepared, which often means the previous paint layers weren’t removed properly.

Sanding can also be necessary between the painting stages to help various paint types sit nicely on the bodywork of the vehicle. For example, when carrying out spot repairs, you might need to sand down the paint at various stages of the process to ensure the bodywork has a seamless, high-quality finish.

Whether you’re wet sanding or sanding down body filler with your choice of sanding disc, the aim stays the same. Sanding will often be a key part of any painting process, regardless of the desired end result.

How to Apply Cloth Tape for Sanding

Using our cloth tape for sanding is a pretty self-explanatory process. You’ll simply want to apply the tape to any areas you want to avoid sanding. For example, when painting a door panel, you might want to apply your tape to the edge of the adjacent panels to ensure you’re preventing any unwanted damage in these areas.

Thanks to our high-quality tape, you can apply just one tape layer over the edge of the panel where it meets the surface you’re working on, and it’s guaranteed to provide a great level of protection. JTAPE’s Protection Tapes feature 78 weaves per inch, which is twice as many as standard cloth gaffer tape. This means you benefit from additional strength, alongside the shot blast resistance meaning it can hold up well on impact with any sanding tool.

Our tape is also conformable, meaning you can apply it to any curved or straight edges to fully protect them. Whether you’re working on the bonnet, side panels, bumper or any other areas on the car’s exterior, the tape can easily be easily torn to size and applied wherever needed. We recommend applying pressure over the tape to check that the adhesion is as strong as possible and that the edges won’t lift up and reveal the surface underneath during sanding.

We hope this post highlights the need to use suitable tape when masking off for sanding car paint. Our cloth protection tape has been designed with body shop and repair professionals at the forefront, which is why it’s guaranteed to offer the best protection for the adjacent panels throughout any required sanding.

Visit our online store to discover the full range of JTAPE products available, or contact us to find your local distributor.