The Tools Needed for Painting a Room

Preparation

• Gathering your essential items and tools together before you paint ensures that you can complete the project without having to run out to pick something up in the middle of the job. While paint is an obvious essential, you'll also need primer if the walls are bare wood or drywall, unless the paint you're using specifies that primer is not necessary. Wash the walls with trisodium phosphate (TSP) before painting to remove dirt from the surface.

Power Sander

• A power sander is useful after scraping old paint off surfaces to dislodge any paint that you couldn't remove with the scraper. Your arm will thank you too, because manually sanding walls takes much longer and the results won't be as effective.

Tape and Drop Cloths

• Protect carpet, floors and other surfaces with painter's tape and drop cloths. Cover the floors with canvas drop cloths. Remove outlet and light covers and cover wall switches and outlets with painter's tape. Don't forget to tape woodwork and around windows.

Scraper and Patching Compound

• Scrape the old paint off the walls, especially where it's chipping and flaking, with a basic paint scraper. Use a patching compound to fill in both large and small holes from punctures or nails. The compound should be dry before painting over it.

Ladders

• Unless you're painting something at eye level or lower, you'll need a ladder to paint wall and ceiling areas that are out of your reach. The ladder should adequately support your weight and be appropriate for your job. A basic step ladder may be sufficient for painting low- or mid-range heights, but it isn't practical if you need to paint the ceiling or walls that extend above a few feet.

Rollers and Brushes

• Use rollers to apply paint to large areas and brushes to get into small corners or edges in the room. Purchase a variety of brush sizes before you begin your project to ensure you have enough to complete the room. If you want to paint in two different colors during the same day, purchase a new set of brushes for each color. Add an extender to your roller to increase its range.

Power Painting

• For large jobs, manual painting takes entirely too long and you'll benefit from an airless paint sprayer with the ability to spray paint much faster than any manual method. If you need a bit more precision in your paint job, an HVLP sprayer is ideal for painting small items such as cabinets or drawers, but it isn't practical to use for large jobs.