No gear and no idea?
When you are planning to decorate a wall, room, or even a full house, you may have plenty of inspiration from the themes you have seen online which you are dying to recreate. However, without the essential tools to create that perfect home, this may prove a little difficult.
That’s why we have collated 10 essential tools you need for decorating, so you can create your home decor toolbox perfect for this project and the next…
From minor touch-ups, applying adhesives to full room renovations you will always need a quality paintbrush and roller as part of your decorating toolkit.
A paintbrush is a paintbrush, right? Not quite. It is important to choose the right paintbrush for your project.
Paintbrushes are available with either synthetic bristles or natural bristles and it is important to match the bristle type to your finish.
If you’re using paint or varnish that can be cleaned with water, then you should choose a synthetic brush. However, if you’re applying oil / solvent-based varnish or paint a natural bristle would be a better choice.
Also, knowing how to choose the right paint roller can save you time and money.
Paint rollers come in various sizes and different coverings; each designed for a different purpose or project. Before purchasing a roller, you need to consider the size and kind of surface you will be painting plus how the paint you want to use will interact with the roller.
Having both a quality paintbrush and roller will come in handy for every decorating project. Paintbrushes are perfect for intricate corners and finer details, whilst rollers are great for big blank canvases
Paint trays are what enable you to load up your paint roller with your chosen colour, they are designed with a well to hold your paint and a drainer return any surplus paint back into the well after you’ve “loaded” the roller.
Often only used once and then unlovingly discarded, paint trays supply a surface for your paint rollers to be coated in paint avoiding spoiling anything else in your house. Just give it a wash out after use and it’ll last you for years and years!
It does what it says in the title, tape designed specifically for painting applications and protecting frames, floorboards, sockets and more. Available in various widths to protect the surfaces you don’t want to paint, it features a weak adhesive so that it allows it to come off walls without leaving any residue.
We understand that there are so many choices to make when it comes to decorating, from which wallpaper pattern to choose to what to stick it to the walls with.
When choosing a wallpaper paste it is important to think about the characteristics of the environment you’re going to be hanging the wallpaper in (or any specifics that the manufacturer recommends for your chosen pattern)
We stock a full range of powdered cellulose and ready to use PVA enriched wallpaper pastes, vinyl to vinyl border and overlap adhesive, wallpaper size along with specialist adhesives such as silicones and grab adhesives.
Taking accurate measurements is essential when it comes to DIY and home decorating.
To do that you will need to have a tape measure handy, so make sure you have one to measure any walls, doors, shelves, pictures or frames, floors for carpets and to work out what space you’ll have if you’re thinking of adding some new furniture.
There are plenty of projects you will need a tape measure for.
Bit of an obvious one, but to renovate the walls in your home you will need to choose either a wallpaper you like, or a shade of paint to use.
Deciding on a wallpaper can be a hard decision (especially if you need to please the whole family), then deciding how many rolls you need to purchase can be a challenge.
We have put together a handy wallpaper coverage calculator tool, so you’ll have a guide to how many rolls you need for your project, we’re happy to help you with your specific pattern choice in store to give you a more accurate calculation.
When it comes to choosing paint, we can advise on finishes, coordinates and if we’ve not got what you want on the shelf we also offer a paint mixing service in store. So you can get the exact shade you have envisioned for your home.
When it comes to removing existing wallpaper, a wallpaper scraper is a tool you’ll definitely need. This useful tool will allow you to prepare a wall for your new wallpaper or even a coat of paint.
Don’t forget to follow up by removing any other unwanted materials or residues such as glues or adhesives before you start redecorating.
These handy tools can also be used to help apply any filler you may need to use, ensuring that the surface is as smooth as possible before you start wallpaper hanging.
Some people opt for using knives and blades over tools like a wallpaper scissors. However, knives can require a certain amount of experience and a lot of care when using them for the first time.
Wallpaper scissors offer a safe and simple method to cutting lengths of wallpaper and trimming any excess when wallpaper hanging. Wallpaper scissors are longer than standard scissors and allow you to cut larger areas in fewer strokes, keep them sharp by only using them to cut wallpapers.
Sandpaper is very useful when it comes to preparing walls for applying wallpaper and prior to painting. Brand new properties often have prepared and mist coated walls, older houses will always require the plasterwork to be sanded to remove any loose plaster, bumps or to smooth over any holes you’ve filled.
By sanding your walls you can avoid common wallpaper problems such as uneven application or bumps in your wallpapers final look.
Dust sheets have a wide range of uses when it comes to DIY and when decorating they really are an essential.
Use a dust sheet to cover flooring ,furniture and any other items you cannot remove from the space you are planning on refurbishing in order to protect them from dust, paint and any stray adhesive!
When covering floors and hard surfaces be sure to secure the dust sheets in place with something like masking tape.
When covering furniture, always secure the dust sheet and use more than one sheet for larger pieces of furniture. Ensure that you overlap the dust sheets so there are no gaps are left exposed.
When you have finished using the dust sheet, gently untape and fold it into the centre. Pick up the corners and carry it outside before unfolding to ensure no dirt, paint splashes, dust or debris is left behind in your home
You can purchase all of the above essential DIY tools and more from our decorating stores located in Salford and Farnworth.
In combination, our stores encompass over twenty-five thousand square feet of sales and display space.
We are the Northwest’s largest stockist of wallcoverings with all your favourite brands in-store.
We’re also a Johnstone’s paint stockist so we can offer a full home decor transformation, we keep good stock levels and aim to offer expert advice to all our customers.
We have made it our mission to become the one-stop destination to help you create a truly beautiful home and provide you with all the essentials you need seven days a week
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