Extensive painting jobs are often best left to professional painters. But if you like getting your hands dirty or you’re just feeling ambitious, a DIY home painting project can be extremely rewarding. Of course, these projects can also come with a fair amount of stress. There’s a lot to consider, such as how to prep a room properly, how much paint is required, and which materials you’ll need from start to finish.

If you’re planning on taking on a home painting project yourself, you’re probably already aware of the basic things you’ll need: brushes, rollers, tape, drop cloths, paint (obviously), etc. But there are plenty of other tools out there that can make the job a lot easier. If you ask the pro painters, they’ll probably tell you how helpful these tools are. Here are some of our favorite tools for stress-free home painting.

Roller Keepers

To save time and money, home painters want to get the most out of their materials. Rollers can easily get ruined and wasted if not cleaned or stored properly – and storage is key. If you’ve ever tackled a painting job yourself, you know that it can take longer than you first expected. In fact, even painting a single room or two might take several days. You have to include time for drying between coats, after all. You’ll want to reuse your paint rollers from day to day, but cleaning them is a waste of time if you’re just going to paint again the next day. Roller keepers are an elegant solution to this problem. They’re airtight tubes that keep your rollers moist so they’re ready to use again when you need them.

FrogTape

You might know how important painter’s tape is for covering areas that you don’t want painted. But not all tape is created equal. In fact, poor quality tape can actually leave adhesive residue or even tear away wall paint when removed. It could also let some paint leak through. FrogTape prevents these issues and it’s also the best tape for interior painting projects. It’s patented PaintBlock technology creates a seal that stops paint from bleeding through. Using this tape means you won’t have to make those annoying minor touchups after the fact. Talk about a time saver!

Hand-Masker

For more involved home painting jobs, sometimes larger areas should be masked off to avoid getting painted. Taping and covering these areas manually takes a lot of time and energy. To speed things up, use a hand-masker. This tool lets you quickly tape and mask large areas inside and outside your home with a simple motion. Just be sure to read the instructions so that you assemble and load it properly before using it.

A Good Multi-Tool

From scraping off paint to opening paint cans, there are plenty of little tasks you’ll have to take care of during a residential painting project. Instead of digging through your utility belt for one of several tools for each task, invest in a multi-tool that features a scraper, can opener, hammer, and more in one package. You’ll most commonly find 5-in-1 multi-tools for painting.

Edge-Painter for Cutting In

Cutting in edges and corners is one of the most important but tedious painting tasks. But since it needs to get done, why not make your life easier with a tool specifically designed for cutting in? These tools feature a straight-edge attachment that rides along the edge as you paint, giving you straight lines and no missed spaces. If you want to save yourself a headache, this is a good tool to have in your arsenal.

Fans

If you’ve seen painting services at work, you’ve probably noticed the use of fans. These powerful fans serve two important roles. First, they keep the workers cool as they paint. Second, they actually speed up the drying process. It’s a win-win scenario. So, if you’re painting indoors, consider bringing a fan or two with you.

We’ve Just Scratched the Surface

The six tools above will make your painting project go a lot smoother. Still, there are plenty more tools you can employ, some cheaper and some quite expensive. The professionals at All American Painting Plus have some of the best tools for any interior or exterior painting project. If you decide you do need some help after all, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!