Having the right tool makes all the difference. After spending literally hundreds of hours painting, I have narrowed down the essential painting tools every homeowner should have! These are tools that make your painting job so much easier and save so much time! One of them even converted my painting-phobic husband into a well, not so painting-phobic person. He still doesn’t like it, but well, he will finally cut in! And that my friends is worth every bit of the nine dollars it cost!
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- Wood Filler
- (optional) use only if you need to repair holes in the trim from nails
- Primer
- you want to use a good primer, after making the mistake and using another one I ALWAYS use Zinsser Smart Prime–it is no to low VOC and covers the best
- Trim Paint
- Â I always use Benjamin Moore Semi-Gloss Natura in Simply White
- Paint Brush- use a 3″ angled trim brush
- I use this one (Purdy 3″ angle)
- Paint Trim Guard
- I use Red Devil 18″ Dual Edge Painter’s Edge Guard (You are going to want this if you have wall-to-wall carpeting or hardwood floors that you want to protect. I use it along with Painter’s Tape to ensure that I don’t have drips on my floor.
- Paint Edger
- Every household should have one of these. It cuts edging (or cutting in) by 80%! Seriously, this would be a fantastic housewarming gift to DIYers and it is not expensive! I have the Shur-Line 1000C Paint Edger Pro.
- Safecoat Acrylacq (zero VOC Polyurethane alternative)
- We stopped using Polyurethane about four years ago when I was pregnant with our daughter. Since then we have exclusively used Safecoat Acrylacq which is fantastic! It is zero VOC and does a great job of sealing wood!
- Paint
- I always love Benjamin Moore’s Natura line because it is zero VOC. It is amazing quality and rolls much better than other brands I have tried.
- Cabinet Paint
- I use Benjamin Moore’s Advance line which is low VOC. It is harder than the semi-gloss in Natura and holds up well to abuse.
- Paint Cup
- I received one of these for free in my bag at Haven and I fell in love. It is perfect! But, in case you want to save some money, feel free to use an old yogurt jar (my favorite cheapo alternative!) Again, this would make a fabulous housewarming gift along with the edger and some paint chips for new homeowners!
- Drop Cloth
- We use old sheets but I am seriously tempted to buy a drop cloth that is a bit heavier. Skip the plastic and save yourself headache (and the earth!)
- Painter’s Tape
- I use painter’s tape on the hardwood floors, over the plastic window inserts, and around the shower. Otherwise, I just cut in by hand. But painter’s tape is a necessity in every home and I never do a project without it.
- Paint Tray
- Having a real metal paint tray will make your life so much easier! Ditch the flimsy plastic ones which are always spilling. I don’t even use plastic liners in mine, I just rinse it out after each coat and call it a day! Plus, you save plastic from going in the landfill!