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Tools and Paints
Home » Home Improvement » Painting Techniques » Tools and PaintsThere are basic tools you need for most any kind of painting job:
• Step stool or ladder
• Drop cloths
• Paintbrushes, 1” and 2”
o Artist brush for small spaces
o Angled sash brushes, 1 ½” and 2”
• Buckets
• Sandpaper
• Paint edger
• Rollers
• Roller pan with screen
• Roller handle
• Roller extension
• Paint guide
• Spackle or wood filler
• 2” masking tape
• Paint thinner – if using oil based paints
• Rags
• Tack cloth
There are specialty tools you may want to use for special paint effects:
• Tape measurer
• Plumb line for marking vertical drops
• Natural or synthetic sponges for the sponging technique
• Chamois for ragging
• Different shapes of rubber combs for wood grain effects
• Craft knives
There are a variety of paints suitable for use on different surfaces and for achieving different effects. It is important that you choose the right paint for the surface on which you are painting, and to get the look you desire.
Porous surfaces and bare woods require the use of a primer to seal the wall and provide a base for the paint finishes. An undercoat on top of the primer not only protects the surface but also provides a smooth base for the topcoat.
Traditional paints are water or oil based and typically come in four finishes:
• Matt – Flat finish water based paint used on basic walls. Fast drying and tends to mark easily.
• Satin – Mid sheen oil based paint that is washable and more durable than the matt finish.
• Gloss – Oil based paint with a high sheen finish that is washable and durable.
• Eggshell – Faint sheen oil based paint that tends to show marks.
Acrylic paints are water based and can be added to other water based paints for decorative motifs and embellishments. Enamel paints are oil based and are used on metal surfaces and other surfaces requiring a tough finish. Both acrylic and enamel paints come in a wide variety of colors.
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