What Tools Do I Need As a Beginner Painter?

Jordan Paul , null

May 17th, 2022

What Tools Do I Need As a Beginner Painter?

Whether you just bought your first starter home, or just want to learn something new, learning to paint is a useful skill. Painting is a home improvement project that is great for someone who has never touched a tool. Painting is not a particularly difficult skill to learn, but work performed by someone highly skilled is obvious.

Today, we will suggest a newbie painter’s basic toolbox. We won’t include professional tools, or special tools you will rarely use. These tool suggestions will get you started on the most important element of painting, which is practice.

What Basic Painting Tools Do I Need?

You’ve probably already guessed that a paint brush should be your first purchase. Technically, you can complete a painting project with nothing but a brush and the paint. However, the quality of the project may suffer because your brush is too large, you didn’t sir the paint, or you made a mess. So, better tools usually equals better quality, if paired with diligence and patience.

Brushes, Rollers, and Pans

Your first paint brush set should include three or four different sizes of brushes. Most beginner kits have four, including a wide one, one medium sized, and two narrow brushes. Usually one of the narrow brushes is also tapered, because tapered brushes are better for painting edges.

You will also want a paint cup for use with trim work. Many manufacturers offer consumer versions of professional tools, like small paint cups that are designed to be easy to clean. These paint cups will often have a handle suitable for hanging from a ladder, freeing up one hand.

Paint cups are important not just for convenience, but they also protect your paint. Unless you completely clean whatever surface you are painting, your paint brush will transfer any dirt from the surface into your paint bucket, contaminating the entire bucket. The pros never paint directly from any paint bucket, but transfer the paint to a paint cup, preventing contamination of the paint.

Some kits will also include a roller handle, roller pan, and one or two roller covers. These three tools work together to create one tool, a paint roller. Paint rollers are available in a wide range of widths, materials, and naps to allow paint to be applied quickly and evenly.

Painting Accessories

You will also benefit from a few consumable tools, like painter’s tape, plastic drop cloths, and stir sticks. Your local dealer can also suggest a few inexpensive tools to speed up the process, like liners for paint cans and roller pans. These liners are designed to fit into standard paint containers and are simply thrown away at the end of the project.

If you plan to add to your painting toolbox, consider tools that lessen the labor required. For example, purchase a 24” mixing paddle that attaches to a cordless drill you may already own. Especially when mixing five gallons at a time, stirring the paint can be exhausting. These mixing paddles work just like a kitchen mixer and let the drill do most of the work.

Ladders, Step Stools, and Extension Poles

At some point in your painting career you may want to paint a surface higher than you can reach. In these instances, your options are a step stool, ladder, or an extension pole. Painters often work on ladders and stools, but do-it-yourselfers may not have the experience to use them safely.

Extension poles are usually telescoping, so they can be used in both their short and long forms to reach high surfaces. These are much safer to use since the painter can remain flat footed on the floor, but control will suffer. Some companies offer tools called edgers that attach to extension poles, greatly increasing the control.

Go Forth and Practice

Learning to paint requires just a little practice and patience. As mentioned earlier, painting is a great beginner DIY project because it is generally safe to practice without skill. Many pros began by painting the same surface dozens of times to learn the hand eye coordination needed. Just get a few tools, a bucket of paint, and see what you can teach yourself in an afternoon.

CREATE YOUR PROJECT BY YOURSELF

create-project-video

REQUEST AN IN-PERSON ESTIMATE

Copyright © 2022 Moorhouse Coating. All Rights Reserved.