5 Painting Tools Worth Springing for (Advice from a Sherwin-Williams Employee)

Every single day people ask me “What tools do I need?” or “Can’t I just grab a cheap brush from the dollar store?” I know I’ve had the same thoughts… I mean really twenty bucks for a paint brush? Are you kidding me?

With so many different products how do you know which ones are worth it and which ones are totally useless?

You don’t unless you’ve tried them all… which I have ;).

Call it a perk of the job!

So here’s the scoop… if this was my first day painting and I had to build my painting stash from 0? Here’s what I would pick!

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The Handy Paint Pail

If I could only buy one thing this would be it… I know, I know. It’s just a little cup! We used one of these when we painted our house last year and they…. are.. awesome! They have an easy to hold strap for climbing up and down ladders and a little tiny magnet. That might not sound like much… but a magnet means you can put down your brush without laying it on the floor or the edge of your paint can. If your clumsy like me it’s best to have a secure place to put a brush loaded with paint… if I had a dollar for every brush I’ve dropped or stepped on? I’d be a rich lady!

The coolest part comes when you’re finished… these babies come with liners if you’re a paint and toss kind of gal. Me? I like to peel! These little handy paint pals are basically plastic which means dried paint will peel right out of the bucket! Maybe I’m weird but that’s so much fun… come on now. I know that sounds like fun to you too!

Can Clip

Now these little guys are the bomb! For something so little they pack a mean punch (ok I just really wanted to say that!). If you’re not doing trim work you’ll be working out of a bigger bucket or a pan… so the handy little paint pal won’t be helpful. That’s alright if you have a can this little can clip will give you the perfect place to put your brush when it’s not in use (yes I really make that much of a mess when my brush doesn’t have a designated place. What can I say? I’m messy like that!).

This little guy will clip onto the edge of any can/bucket/pan/pail or paint container and hold your brush safely over your paint…. not your carpet. Plus the other end of the clip is a handy little paint can opener… so you don’t have to search frantically for a screwdriver the next time you need to open a gallon!

Purdy XL Paint Brush

There are lots of paint brushes in the world… and they’re not all created equal. This little gal isn’t even the most expensive brush out there… but she’s my favorite! I have a few of this particular model: one with a short handle for tight spots and one with a longer handle for trim. I’ve used the same brush for trim, stencil work and painting furniture. She does everything… and she doesn’t leave brush strokes. That would be tacky!

Oops Paint Remover

Okay so don’t take the name too literally… this stuff won’t take an entire wall of paint off! It will help you to remove paint from hard surfaces like plastic or fabric… I even used a bit to clean old paint off a paint can today to read the label underneath. Of course it will also take goop or stickers off super quick… which is pretty awesome.

Here’s the best part… you can use it to test whether paint is latex or oil! Just take a bit of oops paint remover and wet a cotton ball. Then rub the cotton ball on an out of the way area of your wall… if paint starts to transfer to the cotton ball it’s latex! If your cotton ball simply cleans your wall? It’s oil!

Purdy White Dove Roller Nap

This ones kind of a no-brainer… if you’re painting a wall you need a roller nap. We used two of these white dove naps to paint our entire house… if you wash them out really well in between uses they’ll last forever! One of our painters even gave me a great tip… use a garden hose to wash out your naps (put the hose inside the nap and it’ll wash from the inside out!). Then spin your brush dry! Woot woot!

That’s it! The five tools I would splurge on if I were building up my painting arsenal from scratch! Did I surprise you with anything? What would you add to the list? I’d love to know!