Painting Tools Columbus OH

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You’ll save time and energy if you assemble the essential tools for your paint project before you crack open a paint can. Nothing’s worse than leaving a partially wet wall, for instance, to get a tool you forgot. That’s especially true if you’re using latex paint (formulated to dry quickly and often within an hour) because when you get back, you won’t be able to blend your next brush strokes with the dry paint, and those transitions will be obvious when you finish the job. To ensure that you don’t find yourself in that position, make a list of everything you need — tools, paint products, cleanup supplies, and so on — and gather it all before you begin. This article makes the task easy by listing and describing tools for safety and for prepping and repairing your project. We also tell you what to think about when selecting sealer, primer, and paint, including information on basic painting tools, such as brushes, rollers, and roller covers, and specialized tools for decorative paint finishes. In addition, you can find items to help make cleanup much more simple.

Assembling a Painter’s Toolbox
A carpenter wouldn’t start a job without having a saw, hammer, level, and other tools on hand. Likewise, you can eliminate frustration and delays while you’re working if you assemble the right stuff ahead of time. These sections list all the tools and supplies you’ll need, whether your paint project is simple or complex. And while you’re making that list in preparation for the shopping trip, think about what you already have at home or what you have access to — at your parents’ and friends’ houses, for example. Consider which items will likely serve you time and time again, such as putty knives, levels, stud finders, paintbrushes, and rollers, to name a few. It makes sense to look for quality when you’re buying those multi-use tools. Quality doesn’t necessarily mean paying top dollar either. Home improvement stores stock quality tools and sell them at a range of moderate prices. Your best bet is to buy the best one that you can afford.

Tools for safety
When you’re working on household projects, such as painting a room, the old maxim “Better safe than sorry” is a good rule to follow. Preventing an accident or avoiding a health hazard is easier than recovering from it. So resist the temptation not to purchase safety equipment just to save money. Some safety tools, such as a ladder and scaffolding, are a long-term investment. Buy the best equipment that you can afford because you’ll be using these items over and over again. For your overall health, and especially if you have allergies or are sensitive to strong chemicals, you won’t want to skimp on the low-cost items either. See the following list and Figure 1-1 for details about safety items:

5- or 6-foot stepladder: For working on or near the ceiling

Breathing mask: Blocks dust and fumes from getting into your lungs

Goggles: Keep paint, chemicals, dust, and dirt out of your eyes

Kneepads: Think 40 years down the line — your knees will thank you then

Latex gloves: Prevent contact allergies and speed up the cleanup process — they also protect your nails

Long-sleeved, loose fitting shirt and jeans or slacks: Keep chemicals and other irritants off your skin

Painter’s cap: Protects your hair

Scaffolding: Not essential for an indoor project, such as painting a room, but nice to have, especially when you’re painting vaulted ceilings or giving the walls a faux finish (see the nearby sidebar on scaffolding for more information)

Tools for prep and repairs
Improvising and doing your project with items you have around the house may be possible. But tools designed for the task make the job easier and more time efficient. You can find the items you need for prep and repair work at hardware stores, home improvement centers, and discount stores, mostly for a relatively low cost. You may want to consider borrowing or renting more expensive items, such as a wallboard saw and wallboard screw gun. The following tools come in handy when you’re ready to prep your room prior to painting:

Chemical stripper: This product removes old, damaged paint.

Denatured alcohol: Use this product to clean up oil-based paint.

Electronic level: Use this level to help you find plumb lines when you’re painting stripes on a wall or straightening pictures.

Etching acid: Use this acid to prep the surface of concrete floors for
painting.

Large bucket: Fill with water and detergent for scrubbing surfaces.

Laundry bleach: Bleach removes mold and mildew spores from your walls before you paint.

Primer: This is a good undercoat for paint.

Screwdriver: As always, you need one for fastening screws.

Sealer: Use this item when you want to keep damaged areas from bleeding through your paint finish.

Sponge: When you’re scrubbing surfaces, you’ll need a sponge. You also use them to create several faux finishes.

Sponge mop: Use this tool to clean floors before painting them.

TSP cleanser: This heavy-duty cleanser cleans surfaces without leaving residue.

Utility knife: This knife is also known as a razor knife. You can use it for cutting wallpaper, scoring walls, cleaning up ragged edges on drywall, and dozens of other tasks. As the blade dulls, simply replace it with another. Just keep the knife and blades where children won’t find them — they’re super sharp.

Vacuum cleaner and brush attachment: Try this tool for an easy way to remove dust and debris.

Wallpaper remover solution: This solution loosens glue from the wallpaper backing and from the wall. Sometimes you need to repair your walls before you can prep and paint. In those instances, you may need the following tools:

Broad knife: When you’re patching plaster, try a broad knife. Unless you plan to patch walls and ceilings throughout your home, borrow a broad knife from a family member or a friend. If that’s not possible, go ahead and buy one. They aren’t expensive, even if they sit on a shelf for the next 50 years.

Drywall mud and tape: Use these two items to seal seams between patches and the wall.

Electric mixer: Not just for baking; use just one beater for mixing plaster when you’re repairing small cracks and holes.

Masonry chisel: This tool helps you repair cracks in plaster or take grout from between tiles.

Patching compound: Use this compound to fill in holes and dents.

Putty knife: Use this knife to apply patching compounds. A small putty knife can be used for so many tasks — other than putty — that it should be a household staple.

Sandpaper/sanding block: Whenever you use patching compounds to fill in holes or have imperfections or blemishes on an area, you have to make the surface smooth again before painting. Various grits of sandpaper will do the trick. A sanding block isn’t necessary, but using one makes the job easier on your fingers and hands. One block will last forever.

Steel wool pads: Like sandpaper, this tool also works to smooth a surface. Because steel wool has a variety of uses, such as cleaning a grill, keep a supply on hand.

Tack cloth: This tool wipes up dust without scattering it and removes other residue when you’re done with a project.

Trim shellac or sealer: Use these materials to keep wood stains from bleeding through new paint.

Wood filler: This filler is handy for patching holes and imperfections.

Scaffolding
When you’re painting a ceiling or doing faux finishes, scaffolding is great. With a scaffold, you can move around much more easily because you don’t have to climb up and down a ladder to move it a foot or two. You don’t have to worry about falling off a step or constantly moving tools or paint supplies on and off the drop-down shelf. You can build scaffolding by placing a 12-inch wide plank on two sawhorses or stepladders (just be sure to allow enough overhang on each side as a precaution to keep the plank in place). Or you can buy a scaffold that has hinges and folds up on itself for easy storage. If you don’t think you’ll use the scaffold often enough to justify the expense, consider borrowing or renting one. Most hardware and home improvement stores have all kinds of rental equipment available for do-it-yourselfers working on home improvement projects.

Ladder safety
The best, sturdiest ladders will send you tumbling to the ground if you don’t follow these basic safety precautions when you’re using one:

Never, ever lean out to the side or try to brush some paint on a spot you missed that’s just out of reach.

Don’t climb up onto the top rung or step. The top rungs are meant for handholds, not feet.

If the ladder feels unstable, have a buddy hold it steady for you.

Never step on the drop-down shelf on stepladders; the shelf is designed for holding paint buckets and tools, not people.

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For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.

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