Paint brush, paint roller, paint tray, bucket, paint sprayer, drop sheet... all the tools you imagine when you think of a professional painter heading off to a job. But we're here to let you in on a few trade secrets; the painting and other tools professionals use when they're on the job.

Ah-ha! We mean handy tools like extension poles and paint scrapers, right? Not quite. We're thinking a bit outside the box on this one, beyond traditional canvas drop cloths and palette knives. We're looking at the wide variety of tools you might not necessarily think of when thinking about professional painters.

Want to know a secret? These are all best-sellers and PaintAccess tradie customers buy these all the time. Let's dive in...

Get off my damn lawn!

 

Lawn aeration shoes are for aerating lawn, right? Right? Those spiked shoes that go over your regular shoes? They are, and they do a great job. They are super popular with landscapers and gardeners. So why does paint and paint supplies business, PaintAccess, sell Lawn Aeration Spiked Shoes...? Because worn over work boots, lawn aeration shoes allow you to walk across any newly-painted surface without leaving marks. Paint, sealer, screed... any coating applied as a liquid can be traversed with a set of lawn aeration shoes. Expert painters have known about lawn aeration shoes for years and swear by them. We think it's a great trick, even though the original creators of lawn aeration shoes might never have guessed their dual purpose.

All for one, and one for all...

 

Ever wished you had a bottle opener and roller cleaner in one handy tool? What about a combined hammer and paint can opener? What about all four and 6 other tools, all in one? The Purdy Multifunction 10-in-1 Folding Painter's Tool is a great addition to any tool box or tool belt. The blade is made from rust resistant stainless steel and folds into an ergonomic plastic handle. This handy tool includes a caulk cleaner, cutter, bottle opener, hammer, scraper, spreader, roller cleaner, paint can opener, flat head screwdriver and pocket clip. We think they might be pulling our leg with the last one, but even 9 tools in 1 is pretty bloody good. You've never had so many handy tools so close at hand in one oddly shaped package.

Give 'em the finger?

 

Applying caulk (that rubbery, sticky, sealant) might not seem like a high-risk task, using your finger to smooth caulk can result in finger stiffness, soreness and splinters. It was a problem that was costing the industry several dollars in band-aids every year. Luckily, the folks at iQuip, Uni-Pro and Soudal (FWMM Products) have come together to create The Caulking Finger! The Caulking Finger was developed by a painter with 28 years of experience, who was tired of wearing out all his fingers caulking all day. Convinced that nothing would work as well as a finger, but keen to give his finger a rest, he created The Caulking Finger with the tagline, “Why wear out your finger? Just use mine!” Now you can have that same professional smooth finish and save your finger.

Just another brick in the wall?

 

Sometimes when you're sanding or painting you wish there was a wall between you and your client's most prized possessions. Who needs Doris' collection of vintage salt and pepper shakers getting covered in paint or dust? The ZipWall Complete Seal Pack allows you to erect a wall wherever you need it, for as long as you're working on that project. The plastic sheet wall creates a barrier that divides rooms, seals rooms from other rooms, and divides rooms into sections so that you can stage your painting work. Whether you're giving part of a room a new coat of paint or painting a feature wall, the ZipWall system is a great tool.

Tape it off, tape it off...

 

Those responsible for wrapping Christmas and birthday gifts will be familiar with sticky tape dispensers; those handy little devices that allow you to measure out a section of tape and cut it off without frustratingly losing the loose end. And most people would be familiar with the idea of a painter using masking tape to tape off sections of window sill and window while painting. But what you might be less familiar with are the tape dispensers designed specifically for painters; tools like thePaintAccess Easy Tape Masking Applicator. Masking tape dispensers are designed to allow painters to apply masking tape to large areas quickly and easily, without losing the end of their masking tape.

Drop and give me...

 

It's not just the application of paint where painting tradies use alternate tools. Some essential tools are designed to avoid painting. That's certainly true for things like PaintAccess Spot Drops which are designed to drop down-lights from their spot in a ceiling so that plasterboard can be painted quickly and easily without getting paint on the light fittings themselves. If a tradie's painting project includes ceilings with down-lights, there's a good chance they'll be reaching for a bag of Spot Drops (if they don't already have one in their tool box). These handy little devices are a great way to complete your ceiling paint job without ruining your light fixtures with wet paint.

Conclusion

So there you have it. The best painting tools that... aren't... but have become painting tools anyway. You can expect to see some of these tradie secrets the next time you hire a professional painter, in addition to all the usual basic tools they'll bring along.

If you're thinking of tackling an interior or exterior painting job yourself, you can pick up any of these neat tools for yourself from PaintAccess. We might be a favourite among painting tradies but we're always happy to help a DIY painter with the tools they need and the expert advice they need to get the job done.

Whether you need latex paint, oil-based paint, paint accessories, or power tools PaintAccess has you covered.