Interior Painting Supply Checklist

TSP, Tri-Sodium Phosphate, cleans, degreases, and de-glosses walls prior to painting. TSP improves the adhesion of new layers of paint. TSP starts as a powder and leaves a powdery residue behind that must be rinsed prior to painting.

TSP No-rinse Substitute is a dilute, liquid cleaner. This product saves a lot of time as it does not leave behind a powdery residue, thus no rinsing is required.

A simple 1" putty knife for applying spackle is sufficient.

Lightweight spackle has a meringue fluffy consistency—this is acceptable for small nail holes but nothing larger. Vinyl Spackle has a much heavier consistency and is strong enough to handle bigger divots or molly holes.

Masking tape is used to protect surfaces you don't want to paint and can be used create straight lines. Masking tape can remove existing paint, and new paint can seep under tape applied to rough/textured surfaces, so using the correct tape for your project is important. The color of tape generally provides information on how it can be used.

Tan tape comes in many varieties—this would be considered conventional painters tape. It is the most cost effective, but must be removed the same day you apply it and provides little protection against seeping on most surfaces.

Blue Tape also comes in may varieties. Typically blue tape is long masking meaning you can leave it on the surface for up to 14 days. Delicate blue tape is a special blue tape that can be applied to freshly painted substrates/surfaces. The delicate blue tape made by 3M also leaves some of the sharpest lines of any tape available as it provides good protection from seepage.

Green tape also comes in may forms. Typically it is used for hard to stick surfaces.

A new green tape to the market is Frog tape which claims to give the sharpest lines of any tape. Their claims in many cases are absolutely true. This new tape has been impregnated with a substance that locks out any liquid from getting behind the tape. Although the product does work very well, make sure you do not use it over freshly painted surfaces—use delicate blue tape instead.

Used for smoothing patched areas. Conventional sanding paper comes in single sheets and, when using a sanding block, needs to be cut to size. Sanding sponges have the sanding grit applied directly to a rectangular sponge allowing it to contour itself to even curved surfaces.

Essentially orange-peel wall texture in an aerosol can. If you have textured walls, this is a must.

Most have a dial mechanism for adjusting the spray and do a wonderful job of matching existing texture. To obtain great results make sure you practice before applying! Go to the garage wall or try on a piece of cardboard. It is also helpful to place the can under some warm running water prior to shaking.

Having more than one drop cloth eliminates the need to constantly re-arrange your work area.

If cost is a major concern, plastic drops work reasonably well, but opt for a thickness of 2 mil or greater or you will be in a battle similar to working with Saran wrap!

Paper—not big fans! Paper offers limited protection and rarely stays in place.

Rubber butyl drop clothes claim to be leak-proof and can handle spills. Be sure to remember when covering hardwood floors that rubber butyl is very slippery. In general, we do not recommend these drop cloths.

In our opinion, canvas is still by far the best option. Hallway runners which are 4ft x 15ft are almost all that is necessary for most small or even one room projects.

Painter's caulk can be used to fill joints such as the top of baseboards.

Siliconized caulking is fine as long as it is paint-able. Stay away from true silicone unless you are never planning to paint the area where it is applied. Our favorite brands of caulk are Benjamin Moore Urethane Acrylic and Big Stretch brand acrylic caulk.

Please don't waste your money on the old fashioned metal $5 caulking guns. Invest in a good "drip-less" caulk gun that does not use teeth to push out the caulk. Drip-less guns are terrific—the mechanism will stop the flow of the caulk when the trigger is not squeezed.

The optimal gun on the market is the Drip-less Ergo/Tech. Not only does this gun work great, the plastic frame is lighter and doesn't bend like the metal.

A 1 to 2 inch angled brush can be used to edge along the ceiling and trim. Experienced painters often use much larger, square brushes, but angle or sash brushes are helpful for trim and cutting in against woodwork.

A true, high quality paint brush makes for a more professional finish. Corona is by far the brush of choice. These brushes are the best tool on the market and exceed everyone else including Purdy who was recently purchased by paint giant Sherwin-Williams.

A wooden handle roller often provides a superior grip, but don't skimp here. Everyone says they have a couple of rollers in the garage, and most are in horrible condition. Spend the $8-10 dollars on a Wooster, you'll be glad you did.

Roller covers come in various shapes and sizes and should be chosen with care. The nap or "thickness" of the roller to use should be based on the type of paint and the surface to be painted and ranges from 1/4" to 1". In most instances the 3/8" is best for smooth walls while the 1/2" or 3/4 is best for walls with orange-peel or texture. For ceilings with texture use a 3/4 or 1".

Purdy still makes a wonderful white dove lint free cover and Wooster makes the Super/Fab and Doo-Z product lines which are good tools as well.

The biggest time saver we can recommend for interior painting is a "cigar" roller. These small roller frames work in hard to reach areas, such as behind toilets. They allow you to get quite close to ceilings, baseboards, and trim.

An extension pole allows you to forgo constantly moving your ladder. This can greatly reduce the time on a project.

Conventional metal pans with liners work quite well, but if you're buying a new new roller pan opt for the larger size, the roller frame will have much more room.

If you have larger projects, you may want to consider a few other options. If you purchase a 5 gallon bucket of paint, a roller grid can save you from the mess of pouring paint into a roller tray. Most professionals use this method.

The other option is a large paint trough with a built in vertical pan. I love these! Wooster makes a great trough and I can't tell you how many people purchased their own after borrowing mine.