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Painting is a job
do-it-yourselfers tackle more than any other, and the one where, for a
modest investment, they can use the same high-quality tools
professionals use: a basic roller and a good-quality brush. If you have
a lot of wall area to cover, consider using a 5-gallon paint bucket with
roller screen instead of a pan. You won’t need to keep refilling the
pan, and bucket allows you to douse the roller (covering it with
paint quickly) and flick off the extra against the screen.
The basic papering tool kit consists of a brush or blade for smoothing
out paper, a utility knife for trimming seams, and a narrow trough for
soaking paper. Most papers used today have adhesive on the back, which
eliminates the messy and time-consuming step of brushing on paste. You
simply dunk and book the sheet, place it on the wall, and smooth and cut
it to fit.
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Mount a brush in the end
of a spinner, dip the bristles in water, and pump the spinner
handle: the brush whirls fast enough to spin clean. |
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This paint- mixing spinner has a long stem that fits into the chuck of a drill. Pull the
trigger, and the blender thoroughly mixes a can of paint. |
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Brushes
There are two basic choices to make when you buy a good brush. First,
get the right type of brush for the paint: nylon bristles for latex
paint that cleans up with water and natural bristles for oil-based paint
that cleans up with mineral spirits. Second, get the right size brush
for the job. Most people find it easiest to cover large areas with a
roller and use a brush for corners and trim. This means you don’t need a
huge brush that holds a pt of paint. The best compromise for all-around
use is a 3- inch wide, long-handled brush.
Some people prefer a brush with angled bristles. But once you get the
feel of a straight-ended brush, you’ll be able to flex it to suit the
job at hand, and you won’t need an angled model or several different
sizes. The best brushes are flagged and tipped. When bristles are
tipped, the ends are slightly tapered, which helps to release an even,
controllable amount of paint. When bristles are flagged, the tapered
ends are slightly split, which helps the brush hold more paint and
spread it more smoothly.
Rollers
Some high-end varieties, such as mohair, are used to apply clear sealers
without introducing air bubbles. But for painting, standard rollers are
fine. For many projects, both 9 and 3- or 4-inch models are handy. A
large roller covers unobstructed surfaces most efficiently. You can load
it up with paint, apply several horizontal swaths of paint, and spread
them evenly across the wall with vertical strokes.
To spread paint evenly close to trim and in confined areas, a smaller
roller offers more control. Roller sleeves with a short nap produce the
flattest finished surface, but they don’t hold much paint. Models with a
thick nap hold a lot of paint, but their woolly texture leaves a
pronounced stipple pattern on smooth drywall.
Sprayers
and Power Painters
Another option is to use a power painter, which feeds a constant supply
of paint to a roller, or a sprayer, which dispenses paint through an
adjustable nozzle under pressure from a compressor. Both types get a Jot
of paint to the wall in a hurry and save you the trouble of returning a
roller to the pan for more paint. But the increased capacity isn’t
really necessary on projects that involve only one or two walls most
do-it-yourselfers can use a few breaks to refill pans or buckets. |
Use nylon bristles for latex paint.
