Painting Tools of the Trade

When I worked in the home improvements section of a local Sears store, I used to get a lot of questions about prep work for a painting project. Painting to an amateur home improvement enthusiast can seem overwhelming, especially if you are not sure what to do first, or even what type of tools you may need.

For the purpose of this article, we'll discuss the types of tools you will need to paint and prep an interior living room wall surface. Exterior surfaces, like siding and decks, along with other projects like refinishing a kitchen table, may require similar tools, however, each project is different and may require specialized tools.

The first thing you will want to do is to look at the walls you would like to paint. Is there a lot of imperfections from nail holes? Are there larger holes? Does the wall seem to look uneven? Do you see any discoloration from water damage? Is the old paint peeling, cracking, or chipping in areas, if so, where? How big is the room?

Once you have answered these questions for yourself, it will be easier to take the trip to the local hardware or paint store because you will be able to get everything you need in one trip. For the purposes of this article, we will assume that you have holes in your wall, both small and large (the size of a quarter), water damage with peeling paint, discoloration, and in some areas, the wall is uneven.

Since you have holes in your wall, it is best to use wall patch for it. A common brand out on the market is put out by Mauro and it's conveniently named, Spackle. Mauro carries about four different kinds of Spackle and it may seem confusing as to which one to buy. Most of the time, you can get away with using the regular Spackle because it works for both interior and exterior surfaces and is great for small patch work like a nail hole.

However, sometimes you may need to go with a light weight patching material. This product will expand and contract with the wall and is great for bigger holes that are the size of a quarter or larger. Mauro calls this wall patch Spackle Lite and when you hold it in your hands, you will feel exactly how light it is because there is a considerable difference in weight between the two. Your holes are the size of a quarter and smaller, so you will not need to purchase any type of wall plate, however, you may want some fiberglass tape or drywall tape to give your walls more of an even look when you patch the large holes up.

You will also need a small putty knife for application. I know a lot of people tend to purchase the flimsy plastic knives over the more expensive metal ones and that can be a good option. But if you can properly wash the knife after each use, you may want to invest in a better putty knife because they can last forever, mine is going on 10 years. A metal one can also double as a paint remover for chipping paint. The plastic one is not good for this type of work because it tends to bend too much and even break.

The next thing you will need to look for is caulk. Caulking around your windows with a good caulk will save you a lot of time and energy. If you skip this step, you may have to paint all over again next year due to water damage and that's just no fun. I've seen some people skimp on this product too, but you really are better off buying the better one because it usually contains a mildew resistance to it that the low grade one does not.

I've also come across some people who tried to use silicone caulking around their windows to get a better moisture barrier. This was back when silicone was not a paintable caulk. Some caulking products today, like DAP, have a paintable acrylic latex caulk with silicone. It is best to read the labels and see if it is a paintable caulk or not. A plain latex caulk is also another good option.

You may also want to purchase a caulking gun if you don't have one. There is usually at least two guns to purchase at the store, a better and a best. The only difference between the two that we carried was that the better one was not made out a flimsy metal and the trigger was a bit easier to handle. Try each one out before you purchase to see which one is best for you.

Since we will be using caulk and wall patch on the walls, it is best to get some sand paper to give the walls an even finish. A finishing, or fine grade (100-180 grit) sandpaper will work best. Steel wool is another option. It is a little easier to hold because of its thickness and I had one customer swear by it for every painting project. But I'm not a fan because the fine metal fibers tend to go everywhere and I've had a few of them get stuck under my skin. That was not a fun experience. I like using a sanding block for paper sandpaper. I personally think it works the best, is not as messy, and saves your skin. Now, your fingernails are a different story.

The next thing that you will need is primer. Primer is almost always a good idea for a painting project because it helps with paint adhesion. Some primers are good for just wood and others will work for almost any surface. In old speak, oil primer was used mostly for wood and to put a barrier between a stain and the paint. This prevented bleed through. Latex was primarily used for general drywall purposes.

Today, most states have phased out oil because it is bad for the environment. Connecticut, believe it or not, was one of the last few states to carry the old oil based paints in the early to mid 90's. It has since been replaced with a washable oil. Kilz, a well known stain blocker primer was one of the first primers that I saw to come in a latex, washable form. This is a good option to prevent stain bleed through. It not only works for water stains, but permanent marker too. Don't ask me how I know that, unless you have kids, you wouldn't understand.

Okay, now that we've gotten the hard part out of the way, it's time to look at paint! Some people go crazy over the colors and then become very overwhelmed when they have to choose a sheen. But choosing a sheen can be fairly easy. A flat has no sheen and will not show any wall imperfection because it is not reflective, but it not washable. I don't recommend this type of paint at all because of that fact. Satin has only a slight sheen to it and is washable. This type is great for almost any room except for rooms that take a beating with stains. A kitchen and a bathroom wall would need a semi-gloss for durability and scrubability. Pasta sauce is a pain to get off of walls with any type of sheen less than a semi. Don't ask me how I know this either, unless you've had a very insistent boyfriend, you wouldn't understand.

For the sake of this article, we will go with a satin. Now the question is how many gallons of primer do we need and how many gallons of paint? A gallon of paint will cover 400 square feet of a smooth surface. A primer is generally 500. Most rooms will typically need 1-2 gallons depending on the size. An associate can help you with the math conversions, but it if you take the height and width of one wall (assuming your room is relatively square), multiply that number by 4 and then divide by 400, you will get a general idea of how many gallons you will need. If you need more than one, make sure you are buying all of the same batch code. Paint colors can vary batch to batch, and if you start out with all the same batch, you will avoid a lot of problems before they start. If this is impossible, make sure to finish at a natural break in the wall before continuing. You can also mix all the gallons together to achieve a consistent color.

The last few things you will need to buy are paint applicators, drop cloths, and painter's tape to protect the trim. For painting around trim, I like a natural bristle brush the best. You can try and save money here and go for a nylon brush, or a painters pad, but these can drip more easily. This may cause your project to look unprofessional. This perfectionist purchased a natural bristle 2 inch angled brush around the same time I purchased the putty knife. The brush still works like new and it was only about 3 dollars more than the nylon brush at that time. Needless to say, I think I'm getting my money's worth with both tools.

A roller pin and a roller are also other good tools to purchase. They make your painting job go quicker and are much easier to handle than a painting pad. Paint pads absorb excess paint and can be hard to work with.

As a side note, I did have a customer once who decided to use a sprayer inside. Needless to say, the project did not go too well for him. I'm not a fan of sprayers in general because of messy over spray. Don't get me wrong, sprayers are great for certain exterior jobs, but sometimes you may need to dilute your paint in order for the sprayer to work properly. If this is the case, read the warranty on your paint before diluting it. Some paints consider dilution a void of the warranty and that means you will not be able to get any compensation if the paint happens to be faulty.

The last things you may want to consider are drop cloths and painter's tape to protect your trim work. There are cloth and plastic drop cloths out on the market. The plastic are best for covering furniture and carpet because there is no bleed through and they are less expensive. However, I find that using a garbage bag works just as well and it makes a great trash bag for your painter's tape once you are done with your project.

Painter's tape is a good investment because it comes off easily and will not take any paint along with it. You can go with regular masking tape if you prefer, just have a hair dryer handy while removing the tape. This will prevent the paint from coming off onto the tape.

Now that you are finished with your purchases, it's time to go have fun and paint. Enjoy!