Paint Texture Tools

Sander

• For paint to stick, walls must be clean and free from debris. If your walls have loose paint or flaking, you should lightly sand them down. A small capacity random-orbit sander can help with this process. These sanders use sandpaper and a pad that move in a circle at the same time. Random-orbit sanders are one of the lightest sanders that you can use. The sander will remove old paint or stain without actually damaging the material. Usually, this sander only has one setting. If it does have multiple settings, always use the lowest.

Paint Roller

• Paint rollers come in different sizes and textures. For adding paint to a textured wall, you usually want to go with a 3/4- to 1-inch roller. When selecting a painter roller, consider what you are using it for. For example, if you are only working on a small area, small rollers work best. For larger areas, purchase the metal rollers that can fit about 1-foot size rolls. Always purchase a paint roller pan, which is a pan with one large section to hold your paint and a center, graded area to remove excess paint. These pans help you get enough paint without making splotches on your wall or having excess paint drip from the roller. Buy paint roller pans with plastic inserts. You can throw away the inserts when you change paint colors or when you simply don't need them anymore while still keeping the metal pan in which the insert sits.

Putty Knife

• A putty knife is either metal or plastic and ranges in diameter from about 1/2 inch to nearly 3 or 4 inches wide. These tools help you fill in holes or scratches. You can also use a putty knife to spread spackle or texturing material on your walls. Putty knives help you create a smooth, even finish when adding texturing material.

Brush

• A stipple brush is a type of square paint brush with coarse hairs similar to the hairs of a broom base. These brushes add a light and dark, sandy effect to your walls, which makes your walls look like they have minor imperfections, giving them an old world or aged appearance.