Tape Measure
Only buy what you need, if you live in an average three bed semi buy a 15'/5m tape; you can buy a 75'/25m tape for a few more dollars/pounds but its money you don't have to spend.
Pencil
For marking, a must
2 Sets of Step Ladders
Ideally two sets to hold a plank, one with a tool tray at the top that falls into place when you open the steps, which holds your paint container as well as tools; the other set could be just a work mate for added stability, it has a clamp, its a work bench and its some where to put your cup of tea. However it all depends on the height of your ceiling you may well need two pair of large steps. You could just buy one and ask next door can you borrow there's.
A Plank
A plank will save a lot of time, I've seen telescopic planks on Amazon over 4 meters coming down to 2 meters for storage; there $164 around 100 pounds sterling, a great idea. Alternately you can pick up what was always used by decorators; a plank of wood around 8'/2.5m x 8"/30cm x 2"/5cm lest than quarter of the price, rigid, and you'll have it for years; buy with a family member and you'll both have it for years.
Internal Filler
A large box will do a number of projects, its always needed and easy to mix.
2 Scrapers, 2.5"/10cm & 1.5 "/4cm
A 2.5" scraper, should be fairly flexible for removing wallpaper, filling cracks in walls and mixing filler. The 1.5" scraper should be quite rigid for scraping off flaking paint and it will also double as a putty knife.
Decorators Caulk
Is another form of filler which you can use with a sealant gun. Mostly used for long cracks in corners or along skirting boards or anything that has a long run that needs filling; it comes with a plastic nozzle that you cut at 45 degrees and run along the crack squeezing at the same time. The mistake most people make is they run the gun along the area their filling pulling the gun towards them when you should run the gun along the crack way from you.
Small Hawk
Mostly used by brick layers its just a square piece of aluminum with a handle attached in the centre, holding it in your left hand you apply the filler with a scraper in your right hand. You can make a customized one, with a piece of plywood about 15cm square, a screw and cut 15cm off the handle of your mums sweeping brush; at your own peril.
A Float for filling
A float can do the same job as the hawk its smaller and less money. I've put them both in because together they'll be needed if you have to fill a larger area or do any small plastering work.
Sandpaper & Block
You will always need sandpaper for sanding down areas you can't reach with an electric sander; the block can be bought where ever you buy the sandpaper, usually made out of cork and quite inexpensive, you could use just a off cut of wood. Wrap the sand paper round the wood, making it a lot easier to sand down walls.
Plastic Containers
Mainly for painting, but also for mixing filler. If you try and paint strait from the tin your asking for trouble. First stir the paint in the tin then pour what you think you may use in one of the purpose built plastic paint containers, about half way, you can always pour in more later if you need it. The reason for doing this is to give you room when loading your brush; you dip your brush in the paint coming about a third of the way up the bristles, then tap your brush on ether side of the container, this forces the paint into the brush. Keep large food containers, their just the job.
Sugar Soap
Is a strong degreaser used for wiping down walls and paint work before you attempted to paint them, this should always be done on every job, looking at a room you may think it looks, nice and clean but try just giving it a wipe near the ceiling and you'll see what I mean, especially with open plan kitchens. If you don't wipe off the grease you'll have a layer of dirt and grease between the new paint and the ceiling; tree months down the road it could start flaking off.
2 Insulated Screw Drivers
1 Flat one and a Phillips screw driver; If not for anything else to open your paint tin. You'll find your self loosening light switches and sockets to push the edge of wallpaper behind.
A Bucket
Without a hole; for your paste and washing walls and paint work.
6" Paste Brush
For pasting and also comes in handy for applying water to walls when striping off old wallpaper and smoothing over filler about 10 minutes after its been applied.
Pasting Table
You can use the kitchen table, but ideally look at it as an investment there only $30/20pounds not every well made but last for years if your nice to them. You can get your money back by taking a trip down to your local car boot sale and setting it up with all your unwanted.
Large Shears
When your putting up wallpaper or lining paper.
Plumb Bob
Plumb bobs are not to much money and you will only need it for the first piece of wallpaper you put up, to make sure its strait. Really any kind of weight on the end of a piece of string will do. Make the string about 21'/7m long and it will also do for putting up your first piece of paper on the ceiling. You measure the width of the wallpaper out from the wall and put a mark on the ceiling at ether end of the wall with your pencil, so you have two marks ether end of the wall on the ceiling now get your string and pull it through your thumb and a piece of chalk, get your self another pair of hands and hold the string up to the two marks, pulling it quite tight with your right hand and just pull it away a little from the ceiling with your left hand and letting go; this will create a strait chalk line on the ceiling.
10" Papering Brush
To smooth down wallpaper and air bubbles, again not much money but a nice clean cloth will do the same job.
A 2.5" & 1.5" Paint brush
These two brushes are all you need for painting your wood work; any bigger you start losing control and the paint goes every where.
White Spirits
For diluting thick paint, making up primer paint (first coat on new wood). You can buy primer paint in your local DIY which will cost about $11.00 around 7.00 pounds sterling a liter; mix 4 to 1 white spirits with white undercoat and its the same thing for next to nothing.
Dust Brush
This Is your most important tool; any time your painting, undercoat or topcoat your biggest enemy is dust; wash it, fill it, sand it, dust it, the very last thing before your paint brush touches the surface your painting, DUST IT AGAIN!
Window Razor Scraper
Used for getting paint off windows, small, plastic, takes Stanley knife blades. Removing paint from windows is easy with this inexpensive scraper; the trick is to let it dry (the next day) and attack it at 90 degrees to the window frame, if you try and do it parallel with the frame there's a chance you'll run into the paint work.
Dust Sheets
Or bed sheets to cover up the furniture and carpet; you can use polythene on the furniture but don't put it on the floor, it moves on its own.
Paint Roller, Tray and Extension Pole
Paint Roller and Tray cost about $15/10 pounds for a good one. Extension Poles can cost $30/20 to $45/30 pounds sterling, depending on length and movement. What's left of your mum's brush handle will do, and cost nothing, but you'd better get your mum a new brush.
Palm Sander
Now you want to beg, steel or borrow one of these. If there's one tool that's change the world of decorating its Palm Sanders; no matter what job your doing in painting and decorating your always sanding down and 'Palm Sanders' make the job 10 times easier.
Stanley Knife
Always comes in handy for sharpening your pencil and a lot more besides.
Tool bag, electric screw drivers and one or two other general tools could be added to the list, but the list above will enable you to start a decorating business or decorate any room in your house.
How to become a Painter and Decorator
If you want to become a painter and decorator or your just redecorating a room the links below will take you to a site with a number of links that take you through decorating a room from start to finish, by a professional Painter and Decorator. You can leave comments and questions for the decorator to help you through your job.
Preparing, Painting your ceiling, walls and woodwork, Hanging wallpaper to cleaning your tools at the end of the job.
Copyright 2010 Tools You'll Need to Become a Painter and Decorator by Tony Casey, all rights reserved.
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