13 Essential House Painting Tools and Equipment

What is the cheapest way to give your house a makeover? That is painting the walls. Don’t underestimate the power of fresh paints on the interior. If the color suits well and applied perfectly, it can make the most alluring effect that spending on expensive designer decor items and not. 

Using essential tools can help you paint your own house like a professional. Here, we have made a list of 13 essential items to use during painting including substitutes, options, and pros and cons. You have the full choice to take all or a few of those and still nail the painting game. 

Essential House Painting Tools

Painting a house does not take much other than paint and brush. But what about perfection? If you need professional quality perfection with your non-professional hands, then you must invest in the right tools. 

Taping Equipment

1. Blue Tape

You can’t start painting the interior without this tape. The identical blue tape from ScotchBlue has been upgraded from decades ago. Now it is available with an edge-lock system that claims to protect the paint line. However, you can use any blue painter’s tape from your local stores to minimize drippings on the edge and other imperfections. 

2. Tape Dispenser

A tape dispenser is used just to make taping a lot easier. I don’t consider it as an essential tool for painting if you are planning to paint a small room. To work with a large area or the entire house, this dispenser will be like a balm on the wound. 

3. Taping Knife

This knife comes in handy when you have to paint on drywall. You can skip taping on the base of the wall and use this knife instead. Pass the blade underneath the wall and paint as usual. No hassle of removing the tape afterward. Just wipe off the blade and use it for the next session. 

4. Drop Cloth

You MUST invest a lot in drop cloth. There is no way you can paint without dripping and splattering it around. The drop cloth spread on the carpet, floor, stairs, and furniture will catch the splattered paint and save all those hidden underneath. 

There are two types of drop cloth used during painting houses. Canvas and plastic cloth. The canvas drop cloth is expensive, but it soaks in the paint. These are reusable as well. On the other hand, the plastic drop cloth captures the paint, but can’t soak it. So, it is a potential medium to transfer dripped paint to your shoes and everything you step on. These are cheap, washable, and easy to store. 

Staining Equipment

5. Paint Roller, Brush, and Cover

There is no substitute for using paint rollers. It covers up a large space quicker compared to brushes. On the other hand, paintbrushes are the best choice to work on the edges, on a small area to a more detailed or concentrated approach. A painting project needs both of these brushes to accomplish the project. 

Brush cover might be something you have never heard of. It is a plastic or silicon-made air-tight cover to seal a paint-loaded wet brush. It is used to save the brush from drying with paint. If you are a beginner or DIY painter, then this one is going to be your best friend. You can take a break now and then to attend an important phone call or in between painting coats by leaving the brush on the cover. No need to wash off pants from the brush. The cover keeps the paint wet and intact for weeks. 

6. Paint Sticks

Paint sticks are used with brush and rollers that come with holes to use the stick. It is used to reach corners and ceilings without stepping on a stool or ladder. Paint sticks are essential to use during overhead painting. If you wish to use it, make sure you use the brush and rollers that can accept this. 

7. Paint Tray

Paint trays are various kinds but do the same job. It holds the paint to soak the rollers in it. You can get this tray from the local hardware stores, but make sure to get the one that can be attached to a ladder. You don’t want to hold the tray while standing on the ladder, struggling to balance, right? Make sure to use plastic grocery store bags as a lining on the tray. It just saves you from scraping off old paint from the tray or washing it daily. 

8. Mixing Attachment

Paint mixers are compulsory for mixing different colors to create one. You can do it manually, with a mixing wand or use the attachment that is compatible with a drill. If you have a drill, just load on the mixing attachment and give the paint a whip. You will have rich, creamy, and thick creamy paint ready to spread. 

9. Spray Paint and Spare Trigger/Handle

Maybe you didn’t think of painting hardware till now. But when you give the house a bath of paint, the hardware also needs to be painted to match perfection. Spray paint cans are the best choice to coat metal and plastic hardware to redecorate. 

You can use a versatile spray can trigger to save your hand from coating with paint and the pain of pressing the button for a long time. The good thing is, this trigger or handle sits on any spray paint can as long as it does not have a built-in one. 

Long Reach Equipment

10. Edging Gadget

A nice and crisp edge on the walls is the sign of a perfectly painted house. Besides, an edger is your last resort to cover the edges of the crown molding, ceiling corner, inner corner of the walls, and around the fixings like switchboard and lighting, etc. 

The edger must have a design that can accept the paint stick. Otherwise painting on the ceiling corner will be a pain on the bottom. 

11. Extension Pole

As mentioned earlier, an extension pole is a must for painting a house. You can do your interior painting without the pole if you have a stool or the ceiling is low. But to do painting on the outer walls of the house needs an extension pole to reach a higher degree. Extension poles can be used with particular rollers, brushes, and edgers. 

12. Ladder

Ladders are necessary to paint the stair walls. There are ladders available in the market that are designed to be customized. You can customize the ladder to an extent where you can set one leg at the stair top and another one at the middle and still paint like a pro. If your house is two-story or more, then the ladder height should be chosen accordingly. 

13. Stool

A small two or three-step stool is not just a painting necessity. Every home needs one of these to reach the back of the cupboard, fix the light, hang the curtains, and whatnot. Yes, it makes painting walls a lot easier if you don’t want to hurt your neck. 

Painting overhead for a long period can cause serious strain to your neck, shoulder, and hands. It also causes drippings and splattering paints a lot. Just have mercy and use a stool to paint overhead walls. Make sure to use a stool that has a long handle and attachments to hold the paint tray. 

Auxiliary Painting Tools

So, now you know which are the basic, compulsory painting essentials for a DIYer or beginner or non-professional to paint their own house. Now we will talk about not-so-essential painting equipment that will help, but not mandatory. 

Paint Scraper

It is used to prep-up the wall. If you are going to paint a wall that has a thick layer of paint, then a painting scraper is useful to scrape off the unnecessary paint layers. It is also useful to fix up painting mistakes. 

Putty Knife

Want to cover up the nail holes on the wall? Apply putty on all the holes and cracks on the wall and level up using the putty knife. Once you apply a coat of paint, no one can tell that there were holes or cracks on the wall. 

Screwdriver

A paint key is used to open up paint container caps. No need to spend money on those keys as we all have a flat head screwdriver at home. Use this to open up the container head and slam the handle of the screwdriver on the paint lid to close it off. 

Five in One Paint Tool

There is a knife-like accessory sold in the paint shops that is widely popular now, called five in one paint tool. It has a scraper at one end, has a sharp edge to use as a putty knife. Has a round edge on the other side to clean off paint rollers before washing and paint opener and closer. One tool is enough to replace five other tools. If you found one, buy it right away. 

Sandpaper

After scraping paint or applying putty, a little rubbing on the walls will even out the texture. So, sandpaper should be in your collection to get the best result from wall painting. 

Rags

You will need countless wet and dry rags. Wet rags are needed to clean off drips, clean paint knives, edgers, paint sticks, and so on.  

Inserts for Paint Tray

Removable disposable and reusable inserts are used to paint different colors in the same room. These are helpful tools to make painting fun and hassle-free. You can skip this if you are using one color in a room. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Brush Is Suitable for Latex and Oil-based Paints?

Natural bristle brushes and natural wool-based rollers are best to use with oil-based paints. On the other hand, synthetic bristle paint brushes and rollers work great with latex. Knowing your tools before using them is necessary. 

Do You Need to Prime Walls Before Painting?

If you are painting a bare wall or a scraped wall, then it is best to use a primer before painting. The primer will cover the wall and create a base for the next coating. A primed wall makes spreading paint easier. You can skip this step if you are painting the walls just to freshen up the look with the same previous paint shade. 

How Do You Prep a Room for Painting?

• First, remove all the hardware and decorations on the wall and ceiling. Remove the furniture from the wall and locate it at the center of the room. Cover the floor, carpet, and furniture with drop cloths. Now apply tape to all the edges of your room-ceiling, veneer, crown molding, around the switchboards, and lights. 
• Then scrape old paint using a knife and sandpaper. Cover up the holes with putty and sand it down to the smoothest level. 
• Dust off the walls, ceiling, and floor using a broom and then, use a cotton cloth to remove all the built-up dust. 
• Now apply primer to the wall. When it dries up, apply paint with proper tools. 

Last Remarks

Does painting feel like a chore for you? Trust me, use the right tools, and painting your own house will become a refreshment for you. For some, painting the walls is an intoxicating process and gives them a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. 

Making the least mistakes during painting is the key to a sense of accomplishment. And using the right tool the proper way is the main parameter to make minimal mistakes and get the professional effect. 

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