Painting question: how do you tape off stucco?

[Benfea]

I'm helping my parents do a lot of painting around their house, and I've got a bit of a conundrum. We're taping things off (door frames, baseboards, ceilings, etc.) for the painting, but the living room has a stucco ceiling. How do I tape it off to avoid getting paint on the ceiling while still making nice, clean lines?

[ornotna]

1. Stucco tape

similar to duct tape but removes cleanly without residue.

http://jimshare.com/

[hunter]

2. Much easier to use a paint shield or guide of some sort.

Basically it's a long plastic or metal straight edge with a handle on it.

I paint a lot and I rarely tape anything. Maybe it takes longer, but with a good brush and a steady hand you can get a nicer edge than either tape or a shield.



http://paint-and-supplies.hardwarestore.com/47-248-paint-shields-and-guides.aspx

[Benfea]

3. I don't paint a lot and I'm sloppy as hell.

Thanks anyway, though.

[WCGreen]

4. Still, a paint shield will work wonders.....

No matter how close you tape the stucco, there will always be a loose spot....