Best House Painting Tips and Tools

Whether you are starting a do-it-yourself project or you are looking into starting a house painting business, you will want to look into the best quality tools and time-saving tips to save yourself a headache. Here are some tips, tricks, and tool advice from novice house painters and home improvement experts.

Preparation: What Tools to Buy

Brushes

• Natural bristles are made from animal hair and hold more paint, resulting in a smoother finish. These types of bristles are made for stains and varnishes. They also work well with oil-based paints; however, these paints are harder to clean as you need to use a solvent to get all the paint out of the bristles. 


• Synthetics are usually polyester or nylon and can be easily cleaned with soap and water. They are ideal because you can use them effectively with both oil- and water-based paints. 


• Do not buy craft brushes for this type of job; you will not get the finished product that you want.

Tape

• You want a green or blue, brightly hued painter’s tape. 


• Look for an opaque tape that is sturdy and will not leave too much residue from the adhesive. 


• Packing tape will not work as well and clear tape is harder to find and remove after you have painted over it. 


• Taping is not a bad idea; however, if you plan on painting almost daily as a profession you should practice painting neat edges without tape.

Paint

• One gallon of paint will cover up to 350 square feet, and you usually need two coats. 


• Measure the area of the surface you will be painting and buy your paint accordingly. 


• If you are painting over white or a shiny finish, or you want a deeper color, get a primer or it will take significantly more paint and time to cover.

Technique: Full Coverage

Loading Brushes and Rolling On

• It’s a good idea to use a couple of trays and a multitude of disposable tray liners. 


• Fill your paint tray halfway, dip your brush, and then slide it up the slope of the tray on each side. 


• Bristles should be saturated but not dripping. 


• Brushes are best for edging. 


• Rolling paint onto your roller is a similar process, start by dipping the roller, roll from the top of the slope down and repeat once more. Rollers should also be saturated without dripping.

Painting (Finally!)

• Start in the middle of the surface and work out in small one to three foot squares. 


• Start painting in a “W” pattern vertically, turn your roller and paint over that layer horizontally. 


• Finish with one more vertical-stroke layer, and then move outward towards the edges, slightly overlapping your squares. 


• When you get to the edges, hold the brush in a fixed position and stroke from the elbow, not the wrist.

Now you have the basic tips and tools to get started, all you need to do now is practice, practice, practice!