We all know that painting requires a brush and paint. However, painting is not just about that. There are plenty of tools and supplies to consider if you're going to paint on your own. In our previous article 'How to Prepare for Painting Rooms,' we discussed what precedes the entire painting process and how to go about it. Today, we'll focus on the individual tools, their purposes, and roughly outline the financial costs of each requirement. If you don't plan on becoming a professional painter, you may find that it's not worth investing in so much new equipment that you'll only use once every 5 years during a regular repaint.
Thorough coverage first and foremost
Painting doesn't start with a brush and paint, but much earlier, when we prepare ourselves and our rooms for painting. At this point, various covering materials come into play, which make cleaning up after painting a room easier and also protect our furniture and floors from getting dirty and damaged by paint. There are several options for covering sheets and foils, which essentially differ only in thickness. You can also use covering cloth. This is the thickest protection, suitable even for areas that may be more prone to damage – such as door thresholds or certain spots on the floor that are frequently walked on. However, unlike ordinary sheets, which cost tens of dollars, this material can climb up to hundreds of dollars.
Furthermore, you will need classic painter's masking tape. Not only will it unite all the covering materials into one impermeable surface, but it will also help protect sockets or even radiator pipes.
For handling covering materials (whether you ultimately opt for traditional sheets or cloth), ordinary scissors will be more than enough. However, you can also invest in a drywall knife, which is of higher quality and could be particularly useful, especially when handling covering cloth.
And a final piece of advice – when covering windows, don't forget about window boards. These can be covered with either the aforementioned covering sheets or with cardboard or cardboard. You can be sure that this way, after painting, you won't find even the tiniest speck that could spoil the view from your window.
Get rid of the old coat
Once you've carefully covered everything that could get dirty during the entire painting process, it's finally time for some honest-to-goodness masonry work. We're getting to the walls themselves. But it's not quite painting yet – we need to make sure that the paint adheres properly to the surface first. This involves scraping the walls, fixing any potential scrapes and unevenness, and priming the masonry.
For scraping the walls, you'll need a large painter's roller, preferably with a long handle (whether telescopic or regular), which will also come in handy for later painting. Whether the wall needs to be scraped or not can be determined by a simple test. Run a wet roller over the wall – if the paint starts to peel off immediately, you'll need to scrape the wall. Additionally, you'll use the roller to dampen the surface before scraping. For this, you'll need a paint scraper, which won't cost you much – about $2-3. For subsequent smoothing of the plaster (i.e., removing any remaining plaster), you'll manage fine with a classic short, round brush, which you'll also use later for painting, so you don't necessarily need to invest in a mason's float, which is typically used by masons.
But what about those uneven surfaces?
After thorough scraping, it will be necessary to fill in any unevenness that has appeared over the years. The number one tool you absolutely can't do without is a putty knife. You'll use this to apply the filling compound, whichever you choose. Plus, it's not a significant investment because the price for one putty knife is in the lower tens of dollars.
So, how do you fill in those holes? The answer to this question depends on the size and extent of the holes or scrapes on your walls. If the wear is extensive, consider using plaster. But beware! Although plaster is budget-friendly, if you've never worked with it before, its application might be challenging for you. An alternative could be using ready-mixed interior filler. This is suitable for immediate use and can repair even minor scrapes and grooves. But for those, you can also use powder filler, which is a bit cheaper. However, be careful with its application too. Another alternative is acrylic filler, the application of which is not complicated, and its price is more favorable because it can be purchased in smaller quantities, which is not always the case with plaster or powder filler.
The final step before painting – priming!
After such preparations, you'll have a mixture of materials on the wall that needs to be unified. This is where a primer comes in, which can handle a variety of tasks. It not only enhances the adhesion of subsequent coats but also ensures that the paint will cover perfectly. Moreover, priming is an excellent prevention against mold, especially in rooms that are more humid and therefore more prone to this problem.
In addition to priming, you'll need a paint roller and brush. However, you likely already have these from previous steps. When applying the primer, other types of brushes will come in handy, which you'll also utilize during the actual painting. Consider purchasing a smaller brush for finer details and a sash brush for harder-to-reach areas.
And finally, painting!
We've extensively discussed when to use a brush and when to use a roller in our article on the most common painting mistakes. However, the most important lesson is that you'll really need both. We recommend getting a set of paint brushes and rollers. Be sure such a package includes a paint tray and a paint grid, which are truly essential if you want the paint to be evenly spread on the walls. Also, consider paint extension poles if you don't get a roller with a long handle.