Painting & Decorating

Tools List

Painting And Decorating Tools

Paint Brushes

• Natural-bristle brushes are made with animal hairs which create split ends. This benefits the brushes ability to hold more paint and deliver a smooth release of the paint, which in turn creates a smooth finish. Best used for applying oil based paints, polyurethane, shellac and varnishes.
• Polyester brushes are the preferred choice for latex paints. They hold their shape and stiffness in any paint, and apply paint smoothly and evenly.
• Blended nylon/polyester brushes work well with all types of latex paints and have the added benefit of being very easy to clean. The durability of nylon combined with polyester’s ability to maintain its shape, result in a high-quality finish.

How To Choose The Right Paintbrush 

• Paint Brush Cover: Keeps your brushes fresh between coats without unnecessary washing – alternatively you can use a zip lock bag
• Paint Rollers: There are two main coverings for paint rollers –  wool or natural fibres, and synthetic man made fibres. For rough or textured surfaces, a long sleeved mohair roller would be a better choice, whilst a short napped or foam roller would be the choice for painting a smooth wall.
• Extension Pole (for painting ceilings & walls)
• Paint & Paste Stirrer
• Paint Tray & Tray Inserts (make clean up easier, just pour unused paint back in the tin and throw the insert in the trash)
• Pouring Spout (attach to paint tin and prevents paint filling the tin rim or pouring down the sides of the tin)
• Painters Tape (to provide a straight line for precision and allow for a protective border in case spillover occurs)
  • Blue painters tape (medium tack) is considered the best choice for walls or any sensitive surface. Even though this tape has a medium tackiness, it is better not to leave it on too long as it can remove the underlying surface.
  • Green painters tape (strong tack) is a good choice for rough or uneven surfaces. It is not recommended to use on sensitive surfaces as it can pull up the underlying surface.
  • Yellow painters tape (weak tack) is the better choice for use on wallpaper or painting stripes. It’s low tackiness will not pull up the underlying surface.
• Jumbo Paper Roll (for cleaning)
• Drop Cloth (for covering floors and furniture)
• Paint Brush Cleaner (White spirit / Turps)
• Step/Stool/Ladder
• Tape Measure (for calculating amount of paint needed)
• Sandpaper and sanding block.
• Craft knife (for removing tape)

Hanging Wallpaper: Tools Needed 

• WallpaperBuddy™ – the tool that makes wallpapering easy!

• Pasting Table or other flat surface – for applying paste to the wallpaper
• Pasting Brush or Roller (Many people find it quicker and easier to use a roller. A short nap paint roller (3/8-inch to 1/2-inch nap) will ensure a thin, even coat of adhesive is applied)
• Smoothing Brush or Plastic Smoother (for smoothing out wallpaper and pressing it on to the wall)
• Seam Roller (for smoothing the seams between lengths of wallpaper)
• Plumb Line or Spirit Level – (for getting a perfectly straight vertical line)
• Utility Knife /Snap off blade (important to change the blade often to ensure that you’re using only the sharpest blade, or you may tear the paper)
• Wallpaper Scissors (best option for cutting any type of wallpaper material with ease)
• 6 inch Putty Knife or Wallpaper Edge Trimmer (for cutting good straight edges on wallcoverings)
• Tape Measure
• Step Stool/Ladder
• Drop Cloths (for covering floors and furniture)
• Wallpaper Prep Tray (for wetting Pre-pasted wallpaper)
• Toothpicks or Matchsticks (to mark any drill-holes in your walls, that you will need to use again)

Removing Wallpaper: Tools Needed

• Wallpaper Scoring Tool (for perforating wallpaper allowing wallpaper stripper to penetrate)
• Wallpaper Scraper / Stripper (best used on loose wallpaper)
• Wallpaper Steamer (for hard to remove wallpaper)
• Drop Cloth (for covering floors and furniture)

Preparing Your Walls: Tools Needed

• PolyFilla (or Spackling which is used in the U.S.)
• Filling Knife/Putty Knife
• Sandpaper/Sanding Block
• Sugar Soap (used to wash walls prior to hanging wallpaper)
• Size (a chemical compound that acts as a buffer between the wallpaper backing and the plaster surface)
• Paint brush (for applying the sealer to the walls)
• Caulk (a sealant for filling cracks or gaps around windows, doors, plumbing and pipes)
• Caulking Gun (to hold the tube of caulk)
• Drop Cloths (for covering floors and furniture)

We hope you found this article helpful, and we would appreciate it very much if you shared it with someone else you feel might benefit from it.

Fancy learning some more?

A Beginners Guide To Painting A Room 

Wallpapering Tips For Beginners 

Tips For Choosing Wallpaper