If you plan on repainting your home’s interior or doing touch-ups to your existing paint anytime in the future, it helps to have some essential painting tools on standby (or to at least know what you need to grab from the store). Here are a few key painting tools that every homeowner needs to have.
Brushes and Rollers
Unless you’re planning to apply your paint with your bare hands (please don’t) or a paint sprayer, brushes and rollers are an absolute must-have. Pick up a basic set of paintbrushes along with a two-to-three-inch brush for trim work and a roller from your local paint or hardware store.
Plan on painting more than one room or have tall ceilings? Add a roller pole to your shopping list. This extends the length of your roller, which reduces strain on your arms, back, and legs and makes reaching up high easy.
A Roller Tray
Instead of dipping your brush right into the paint can, pour your paint into a roller tray and then go from there. These trays allow you to use a roller and can even extend the life of your paint.
You can pick up a roller tray at the same place you get your brushes, roller, and paint. They’re cheap (usually less than a dollar), so there’s no reason not to get one. Plastic trays are generally better than metal trays because they’re easier to clean.
Painter’s Tape
Can you paint a room without painter’s tape? Technically, yes—it’s not a necessity. But even though painter’s tape isn’t a requirement, it’s still a painting tool that every homeowner needs for a successful paint job.
Painter’s tape protects the places you don’t want to paint from getting paint on them. If you don’t use painter’s tape, you could end up with unwanted and unsightly splatters of paint on your ceiling or trim.
Sponges and Cloths
You can use these items to clean your wall before you start painting. These items are also required if you want to try some of the most popular decorative painting techniques. Want a beautiful color-washed wall? Grab your trusty sponge or cloth and get to painting!
Knives and Scrapers
Don’t forget the paint scraper, putty knife, and taping knife. These three tools will make applying spackle, patching up cracks, and scraping off paint fast and painless tasks.
