The Best Painting Tools

Painting is one of those house things everyone dreads. And it can be a pain. There is no denying that. But it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools on hand the painting process will be a lot smoother. These are the best painting tools that have helped me paint all of our house.

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Paint Edger

This paint edger is my secret weapon when it comes to painting. I’ve used it on every wall I’ve painted in our house. The directions and a few things online say to dab the edger into the paint. Do. Not. Do. That. You’ll have paint squishing out everywhere.

Use a brush to paint paint onto the edger pad. It took me a little practice to get this perfect. There’s a balance between adding too little paint, which gives you streaks, and too much paint, that oozes over. Once you get it down, edging at the top of the wall and along the baseboard is way less nerve wracking.

Sash Brush

My grandpa told me to buy a decent sash brush when we bought our house, because it would be versatile for everything. I’ve painted enough surfaces in our house that this brush feels like an extension of my hand. It’s painted all of our baseboards, the kitchen cabinets, cut in all our ceilings, our interior doors & trim, painted paint on the edger, and cut in around all our windows. Wash it well and it’ll last through a ton of projects.

Paint Tray & Roller

I mean we are painting here, you had to expect these.

You don’t need anything fancy for a paint tray. I’ve used the see through green plastic trays that were dirt cheap from Home Depot for every wall and ceiling in our house. Plastic lasts forever, just wash it out.

A pack of paint rollers is all you need. Nothing fancy, but not the cheapest ones either. I keep one for darker paint, like our navy and slate accent walls, and another for light colors. After painting all day, the roller ends might get a little crusty and hard to wash out, but it hasn’t effected their performance. Washing out the roller is my absolute least favorite part of painting.

OTHER PAINTING POSTS: Painting Without Painter’s Tape | Painting Kitchen Cabinets | Painting Brass Hardware

Paper Towels

Real high tech painting tool here. But having one handy can save your butt. Especially if you’re like me and don’t lay plastic down. Even when you’re careful, there will be a paint drip somewhere. A wet paper towel will take care of that. Just catch the paint while it’s wet.

Paint Can Pour Spout

These pour lids keep paint from getting into the rim of the can. That prevents getting paint spatter everywhere when you hammer the lid back on and the rim of the can from rusting. Plus they make paint easier to pour. The silicone like material washes up well between projects too.

We updated this awful carpet after I painted.

Step Stool

Even if you use an extension pole for the roller, you’ll need to cut in with a brush up high sometimes. Have a step stool handy. You want one high enough that you can reach the ceiling with a paint brush. A ladder will work but it’s harder to move. If you have a step stool you can move with one hand, you’ll be able to work a lot faster.

Bonus Tip: My favorite cabinet & furniture paint is Sherwin Williams’ trim enamel. It’s super durable wipes down easily!

But what about painter’s tape?

Nope. Not on this list. Tape is not a painting tool you need. No one has time to meticulously tape. Then hope it didn’t bleed. Then peel it carefully, at just the right time.

See this post: How to Paint Without Painter’s Tape. The gist is to paint trim and ceilings first, then use the edger to help cut in on walls.

What painting projects are you up to?