The great thing about faux painting is that it’s a decorating technique that won’t break the bank – especially in these recessionary times. If you’ve ever painted your home, you probably already have many of the necessary materials and tools. You don’t need fancy accessories (except maybe stencils for some finishes). Your main expenditure will be the good quality paints that produce the best results.
Use this checklist to make sure you have everything you need before you start. Running out is frustrating and some paint finishes need to be completed in one session.
Before You Start
Suitable Clothing: Dig out the old clothes – paint can get everywhere. A cap or hat will protect your hair. Make sure your footwear is suitable. Slipping off the ladder could be a disaster.
Drop Cloths: You could cover floors with old sheets and curtains, but close-weave canvas sheeting is best. Paint seeps through thinner coverings. Proper drop cloths absorb spills, are reusable and pay for themselves over time. Newspaper is a cheap alternative but has an infuriating tendency to stick to your shoes, and it easily shifts around, leaving gaps. Plastic sheeting doesn’t absorb spills and is slippery.
Spackling Compound/ Putty / Filler: To plug holes and smooth out cracks or other imperfections, Go for a quick-drying kind. Apply with a putty or palette knife and smooth off with different grades of sandpaper.
Masking Tape: This sticky paper tape is handy for protecting areas from paint and for making sure you get a good clean, straight line (vital if you’re painting stripes).
Tools and Equipment
Ladder: For ceilings and walls an aluminum ladder with a shelf to put your paint pot on is recommended. If your ladder doesn’t have a shelf, there is a gadget (a ‘painter’s assistant’) that will help you attach your tin to your ladder. Beware of heavy, full tins that can pull the ladder over.
Stir Sticks: If not supplied with the paint, avoid garden sticks unless you want bits of twig and bark in your paint finish.
Bucket for Storage: Even if you’re not mixing paints, a bucket is handy for storing all your painting odds and ends as you go along, rather than cluttering up your workspace.
Paints: Probably your most important purchase if you are embarking on a faux painting project. Buy the right paint for the job and go for the best you can afford for maximum results.
Applicators/Brushes: Paintbrushes are the other half of the equation. Bristles come out of cheap brushes, so don’t skimp. The most versatile is a brush with a 2″ (6mm) angle. For covering large surfaces, rollers are an essential item. You’ll need to match the roller nap to the kind of paint you’re using. They often come with a suitable tray, and you might consider roller skins (linings that mean you don’t have to waste time scrubbing the tray). For color washing, soft sponges for washing cars are ideal.
Miscellaneous Items
A general purpose knife and a blade will be useful for various tasks, from cutting masking tape to removing unwanted paint from windows. You may need to remove wall fittings so have a screwdriver to hand (also useful for opening paint tins).
Cleaning Accessories
Rags: Scraps of colorfast fabric are useful for mopping up accidental spills and splashes and are necessary for cleaning your brushes. You can buy special brush-cleaning products but dishwashing liquid will be adequate for most tasks, and will even clean brushes used for some oil-based paints, such as cream stencils.
You may have one or two additional requirements, such as stencils, depending on the particulars of your project, but you do not need fancy equipment to achieve your aims. Resist the gadgets and gimmicks and keep it simple.
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