How To Build a Painter’s Kit

Keep a Paint Kit

For every weekend-warrior, time is of the essence in your home do-it-yourself projects, because you’re tackling home improvement projects during your off-hours from work. To get the project done quickly and save some time for the other things you love, it can be helpful to keep a ready stash of the tools you know you’ll need to use, whatever project idea comes along.

When it comes to painting, the tools will stay the same from project to project. Assemble a paint kit and you’ll always be ready for whatever weekend do-it-yourself idea pops up. While you’re at the store picking up the paint, there are a few other things you should make sure you’ve got handy to complete your paint prep kit.  

• Paint tray with a liner, or a bucket with a painting grid
• Paint rollers - 1/2” to 3/4” nap, or 5/8” nap if you’ll be working with textured walls
• Extension pole
• 2.5” angled paint brush
• 1” square brush
• Painters’ Tape (not masking tape)
• Fine grit sandpaper or sanding sponge
• Tape measure
• An edger
• A putty knife
• Spackle
• Caulking
• 5-in-1 tool
• An x-acto knife
• Canvas drop-cloth, tarp, or paper-backed plastic coverings

Ladders or step ladders are also needed for reaching the ceiling edges, so make sure you have access to safe risers before you begin.

A spotlight, or movable light of some form is useful for monitoring the walls as you paint. The light shines differently off of wet paint than it does dry paint, and your goal is to work only on wet paint as you cover the walls to prevent unsightly lines or overlapping textures.

Which to Choose

There are many products out there that can “do the job” but with painting, keep in mind, you don’t want to take shortcuts. You can’t make paint go on the wall any faster than your skill level and tools will allow, so it’s best to give yourself the best advantages you can. This means it’s best to look for the highest quality - most effective and productive - tools and materials you can afford.

That sometimes means making exchanges, quality over quantity, or quality over cost. It’s up to you and your skill level and resources. So here are a few things to consider when faced with choices between products.

Rollers vs. Brushes

For most paint projects, you’ll predictably need both paint rollers and brushes. They serve different functions for the same project. It is possible to paint the entire wall with just a brush, but it would take a lot longer and the end result would be textured and inconsistent. Not to mention it would be very labor-intensive, so using only a brush is a great choice if you’re looking to get your exercise in for the week.

Likewise, a roller can be used for the entirety of a project, but you’ll run the risk of making a mess around the edges and trim. It can waste more time and paint trying to forego a brush for detail work, and you might find yourself having to clean up after more messes when you don’t use the proper tool for the job.

If you must skimp on the rollers and brushes, buy just one high-quality brush and just one size high-quality roller. If you get a durable, quality product, you can wash them between colors and coats. Brushes can be reused for years if handled with care and the bristles aren’t excessively damaged. Rollers will wear out, so it’s important to take care when cleaning them.

Masking Tape vs. Painter’s Tape

Tape is tape. It’s adhesive and protective. But not all tapes are created equal. Masking tape is not reliable on all surfaces, particularly painted surfaces. It also can be messy because the edges will not hold a solid seal without potentially embedding in the paint.

Painter’s tape (“blue tape”) has a safer adhesive that is less likely to damage surfaces. It can also be pressed down, using a scraper or putty knife to remove bubbles or gaps, and creates a seal to the surface. It is intended to be durable and usable with the fussy medium of paint.

Paint Tray vs. Paint Bucket

A paint tray is shaped and sized to be used with a roller: the paint is pooled at the bottom of the pan and a ribbed incline works to help distribute the paint evenly across and around the roller as it is rolled up the tray. They are designed to be used with most ladders, with hooks on the edge of the pan opposite the reservoir that are meant to latch onto the step of the ladder. To make cleanup easier, you can purchase plastic liners that fit inside the tray so you can just throw away the liner when the project is done. The problem with paint trays is that they are lightweight and bulky, so they have to be set on a flat surface to be used, such as a ladder. That means they can either be placed on the floor, or on a stool or table. In the conditions of a painting project, it’s easy to knock over a paint tray and create a wasteful spill or other hazard.

The alternative is the old-fashioned paint bucket. Paint buckets aren’t just for paint brushes anymore. With a painter’s roller grid inside the bucket, the paint can be evenly distributed across the roller and excess paint will be drained off and returned to the bucket, resulting in less waste. The grids come in different sizes to accommodate different size rollers and buckets,  from 1 gallon to 5 gallons. This means they can be held easily in one hand, or they can be left on the floor, and their smaller footprint and heavier weight makes them less prone to accidents.

Canvas Drop Cloth vs. Plastic Coverings

The clearest advantage offered by paper-backed plastic coverings is their disposability. When the project is done, you can simply throw it away. It’s lightweight, it’s usually cheap to purchase, and it’s available in the sizes most useful in painting projects. However, it has areas where it falls short, too. The curse of being disposable means that it doesn’t always effectively do the job through the whole project. Plastic covers start to wear thin after a little traffic, and they have no weight to them, so they bunch up and leave floors exposed as people walk on them.

In comparison, a canvas drop cloth is a durable material that can be reused multiple times in the same project or it can be stored and kept as a permanent part of a ready-painter’s kit. They have more weight to them and will lay flat over carpet or concrete, regardless of the surface. They tolerate scuffing of shoes or the placement and movement of ladders without tearing or stretching. They stay where they are put and consistently protect the floor. They are slightly more expensive, but they are worth the cost.

Which products you choose to keep on hand will depend on the needs of your projects and your budget. The goal, though, is to choose high quality tools to help you do the job correctly and smoothly the first time. A paint kit can be built and maintained over time so you can have the best tools you need on hand. That way, going forward, once all materials have been gathered, you’re ready to go, whenever the weekend-warrior urge strikes.