Painting Tools
Good Tools Make a Big Difference

With the right set of tools it is possible to reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to finish your house painting project. Good tools help guarantee great results.

Using inferior and cheap painting tools will provide endless hours of frustration. Plus they will need replacing soon after they are used. If cared for properly, quality tools will last a lifetime.

Tools needed for house painting can be separated into four categories; (1) preparation, (2) application, (3) safety and (4) sundries. Paint sundries are items that are used for one job only, rarely used again. This includes masking tape, masking paper, plastic and spackle. You may already have some of the painting tools needed and some will need to be purchased.

A basic painters tool kit consist of hand tools, screw drivers and pliers, a 5-way or 11-in-1 multipurpose tool, putty knifes, both stiff and flexible, a couple of spackle knifes, drop cloths, brushes and a roller set-up. The amount of tools you need depends on your project. The more the better, I’m a big fan of tools. It’s better to work smarter than work harder.

Painting Tools Used for Surface Preparation

• Pressure washer, a very useful painting tool to own or rent. Often used for washing the dust and spider webs off a house prior to the preparation and finish painting. Can also remove some loose and peeling paint, lessening the need for scraping and sanding. A great piece of equipment for preparing a wood deck.

  Check out these pages for instructions on using a pressure washer, Pressure Washing a Homes Exterior and Deck Power Washing.




• Choosing a good paint scraping tool will easily pay for itself. A paint scraping blade needs to perform many tasks quickly and comfortably. Removing loose paint, as well as other old materials, is a basic painting task. Plus scraping paint is an important first step in the preparation process.



• After scraping off loose paint the use of power sanders is highly recommended.
  Often sanding previously painted surfaces can identify and remove additional loose and peeling paint. Plus the finished look will be much better when compared to scraping alone. Power sanders can be used on new and old wood surfaces as well as sanding stained wood decks prior to refinishing.



• Drop cloths, there will be messes, cover your floors properly. This item is often overlooked by homeowners and professional painters. Old sheets and light weight plastic won’t work. Good drop cloths will easily pay for themselves by protecting expensive floors and contributing to a safer working environment.



• Masking machines are not necessary but these relatively inexpensive painting tools will save lots of time getting things properly covered and ready to apply the finish. Much more convenient than using newspaper plus masking paper won’t fall apart when wet with paint or primer. Also available is specialized plastic films of various lengths. Although optional, it’s still a must have tool. Check out Masking Techniques for more information on the use of a masking machine.



• Caulking gun, the best is a professional drip less model. This is a very inexpensive painting tool but an important one. After using a cheap caulking gun for a full day you will appreciate the comfort and convenience that a few more dollars will buy.



• Ladders are absolutely necessary. It seems imposable to accomplish anything without one. Ladders are inherently dangerous, choosing a heavy duty model will provide better stability and more safety.

  Another way to improve safety is with ladder levelers and stabilizers. These optional ladder accessories will add to the overall cost of a ladder but will drastically improve the stability and usability of extension ladders. Whether your needs are 2 feet or 20 feet choose the right ladder for your needs.

Painting Tools Used for Paint Application

Manual Painting Tools

• Brushes are the most basic of all painting tools. You will want at least 3 different sizes and possibly 2 different styles. Quality varies and there are many different manufactures. Cheap painting tools won’t last the job; good brushes will perform for a very long time and be comfortable to use.



• A better way to paint large areas is with a paint roller. One primary part of this system is the roller cover. Cheep covers are difficult to use and usually not worth considering. Quality roller covers will easily last beyond a single use and spread more paint faster with the least amount of effort. Choose the correct size, type and pile thickness for the most pleasing results.



• The roller frame is another part of a paint roller system. This item is available in different sizes, ranging from 3 inches to 16 inches. A professional roller frame will save you many hours of hard work and produce better results.



• The final piece of a paint rolling system is a roller pole. A good roller pole is positive locking and comfortable to use. Much better than using a threaded broom stick. Many styles are available in different lengths; definitely buy the best you can afford.



• Now that you have a complete roller set-up you need something to put the paint into. A paint roller pan works fine for small projects where only a small amount of paint is needed but for rolling an entire room or other large areas use a 5 gallon paint bucket with roller grid.

Powered Painting Tools

• Airless paint sprayers are a time saver. An airless sprayer can apply more paint faster than any other method. The quality of sprayers on the market varies considerably. All low end airless sprayers aren’t worth the cheap price, professional quality painting tools are more expensive but worth every penny. Along with purchasing or renting a quality sprayer you will need to choose the correct spray tip for the coating being applied.



• HVLP paint sprayers provide a super fine finish and better control than an airless. Although the control is better than an airless the output is much lower, limiting its use. Best used on doors or cabinets and other items requiring control instead of maximum coverage. HVLP paint sprayers are not suited for spraying large areas. Whether spraying cabinets or putting the final touches on a piece of furniture an hvlp sprayer will provide the results you desire.



• Power Rollers are sold as stand alone units ready to be used as is or an accessory that can be purchased and attached to an airless sprayer. The stand alone power rollers sold through home improvement outlets are weak machines that are often more frustrating to use than helpful. The power roller accessories designed for professional use can be cumbersome but will apply a lot of paint faster and produce better results.

Safety Equipment

Include These Items in the List of Painting Tools You Need

Eye protection cannot be overlooked (no pun intended). The greatest risks are paint chips from scraping or sanding dust and debris plus paint drips when working overhead and mist from spraying. All of these can cause damage to the eyes. Wear safety glasses or goggles or risk painful injuries.

Dust masks and chemical respirators are absolute must have painting tools in many situations. The primary dangers are from sanding, spraying and using aromatic solvents.

Regular dust masks filter out particles from sanding as well as the mist created from spraying. Good masks can cost twice as much compared to low quality dust masks. Your long term health is at stake; spend the extra for better protection.

Chemical respirators are a little different from simple dust masks. They can and will stop small particles, with the use of a pre-filter, plus filter out toxic gases and fumes. Common fumes are from the primers and finishes, especially oil base products, paint strippers, solvents and cleaning chemicals.

Paint Sundries Used for House Painting

• Masking Tape – It seem so simple, buy a roll of tape but the moment you look at the shelves at the store you realize it’s not that simple. Instead of the regular (white) tape now there is blue masking tape, two varieties, and green tape. Each has a specific purpose with disadvantages.



• Masking Paper – Using masking paper with a masking machine is the best way to protect many surfaces. The paper used is available in two different types, brown and green, and in several different sizes, from 4 inches to 12 inches.



• Plastic – Protection from drips or spray mist is a must. For large areas light weight plastic is a great choice. Another option is using rolls of plastic designed to fit onto a hand masker. These rolls are folded for easy unfolding and available in many convenient lengths.



• Spackle and Patching Compounds – Fixing a hole or crack might seem simple but what product do you use. For interior drywall or plaster you can use traditional spackle, light weight spackle or drywall patching compounds. An exterior repair require entirely different products and depends on the surface being patched. Wood surfaces, both interior and exterior, can be repaired with Bondo or wood dough.



• Caulking – Choose the best you can afford, especially for exterior painting. Often the only thing between lasting protection from the weather and possible damage to your house is the caulking.



• Sandpaper and Sanding Sponges – You will always need a variety of sanding materials. Quality sand paper outlasts the cheap stuff 3-4 times and cuts down of the effort needed. Sanding sponges are a must have item. They do a great job when finishing stained wood and are equally suited for sanding a drywall patch.



• Solvents and Surface Conditioners – In order to finish the preparation of some surfaces solvents or surface conditioners will be needed. Typical solvents can be denatured alcohol or acetone. These are used to remove any remaining contaminates after cleaning or sanding. Surface conditioners, also called liquid sander, perform this function and additionally chemically etch the surface.



• Paint and Varnish Conditioners – Paint and primer, water based and oil based, plus Varnish can be altered to speed-up their drying time or slow it down. Having this ability will allow you to apply these products when the conditions aren’t perfect.

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Crowder Painting - Your Colorado Springs House Painter

Crowder Painting 2516 E Willamette Ave. Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909. For an appointment call (719) 227-7170 or contact Crowder Painting by filling out a simple form.

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