For pain-free painting
Think you’re good to go with a gallon of paint and a roller brush? Think again, my painting friend. Here are a few extra tools to help smooth that paint on and save you money in the long run:
1. Painter’s tape. Run this along the tops and bottoms of your walls in order to keep your wall trim clear of pesky paint splatters.
2. Paint trays. For the roller paintbrush user, a paint tray is a must have. Line these with aluminum foil to protect your tray and make cleanup a breeze: pour leftover paint back into container, carefully crumple and throw away.
3. Broad knife/trim guide. Sporting a sharp, metal edge and a flat surface, this tool is great for trimming, edging, cutting and scoring. You can also use its knife-like quality to make paint spread like butter over larger areas.
4. Brush comb. Using one of these metal-toothed combs thoroughly gets your brushes clean by removing excess paint that gets stuck between bristles. If you keep ‘em clean they’ll last longer.
5. Roller covers/roller refills. It’s always a good idea to keep some extra roller covers around. Look into the powerful roller cleaner if you want your rollers to keep rolling.—Caroline Edgeton