A painting job can vary depending on the project. It can be a house, an apartment complex, a towering office building, or a manufacturing plant. The best commercia painting in East Bay companies also consider other factors such as the material, the weather, and the environment.
But there are specific tools essential to every residential or commercial painter, no matter the details.
Aside from paints, primers, and other quality coatings, the following tools are ones that every professional or DIY painter should have for their project.
Brushes and rollers
Despite the presence of newer and more sophisticated tools and methods of paint application, brushes and rollers will always be essential in every painter’s arsenal. There is a multitude of paintbrushes and paint rollers sold in every paint and hardware store. You may be surprised that there are so many types of paintbrushes. Some brushes are ideal for painting flat, broad surfaces, brushes suitable for cutting corners, brushes for detail work, etc. You have to know for which purpose you would be using a certain paintbrush. As for the rollers, they make the job faster – it pays to know the right roller type and size for your project so that you will get the best results. For instance, a thick 3/4″ roller nap is the most suitable for painting textured surfaces such as stucco, brick, or masonry.
Drop cloths
Before any paint job can begin, the painters know the site being painted must be protected. There are two types of drop cloths: canvas and sheet plastic. Painters recommend canvas over sheet plastic as the former does a better job of protecting the surface against wet drips or bleeds, is reusable, and is less prone to slipping.
Caulk and compound
There’s a possibility of finding surface problems such as cracks, holes, or crevices that need to be repaired before painting in any painting project. It’s always better to have caulk and a compound handy as part of your surface preparation. Most substrates are filled with caulk, compound, or putty made for that material, whether regular drywall, plastic, metal, etc.
Sandpaper and scrapers
The preparation of the surface will never be complete without sanding or scraping. You need to sand a surface lightly to remove some of the substrates and instances when you need heavy sanding to even out the surface to help the topcoat adhere to it more quickly.
Sprayers
Painters engaged in large-scale projects will use sprayers routinely for faster and more uniform paint applications, with brushes and rollers being used for more detailed work. Sprayers come in several types – airless, HVLP (high volume, low pressure), LVLP (low volume, low pressure), gravity feed, and compressed. The project’s size and type will help you decide which paint sprayer will be the most suitable for your needs.
Ladders, scaffolding, or lifts
Depending on the project, painting can take up a lot of space. It could be the exterior of a house, an office building, or a factory. There are instances when painters need to get to higher places – sometimes a couple or more floors up. A step ladder can be enough to get you by when you need to reach the upper parts of the walls or ceiling. You can also carry it when you need to paint other areas. Scaffolding is a safe way to get you to a couple of floors or higher exteriors. It can be steady or wheeled around. Lifts are the most flexible among the three, as they can take you to higher places, but they can be easily moved in another direction.
A quality paint job is a cost-effective way to change the look and feel of a space completely. The best commercial painting in East Bay companies knows that only the best quality paints and tools can achieve a desirable and long-lasting paint finish.