Faux Finishes For Walls: Essential Supplies

Faux painting is a way to achieve extraordinary decorating effects, yet it isn’t expensive and you don’t need to splash out on piles of gadgets and specialist equipment. Save your money for quality paints. You might want a few extras, such as stencils for some finishes, but you may already have most or all of the equipment you need.

If you’re a beginner – or to make sure you’re properly prepared – this checklist will help you take stock before you embark on your faux painting project.

Before You Start

What to Wear: Paint can be messy, so wear old clothes that permit stretching. Some kind of hat will keep your hair paint-free and make sure your shoes are non-slip – you don’t want to fall off your ladder.

Flooring Protectors: If your room is carpeted, make sure the floors are covered well against splashes and spills. Newspaper and plastic are a less desirable option. Plastic is slippery and sheets of paper shift about and stick infuriatingly to the soles of your shoes. Fabric coverings absorb paint and though old sheets might do, your best bet is a closely woven canvas drop cloth designed for the purpose. They are reusable and well worth the investment.

Filler/ Putty/ Spackling Compound: Before you apply any paint you’ll need to fill holes and cracks in your surface, using a palette or putty knife. Quick-drying fillers are your best option. Wait till properly dry before sanding to a smooth finish.

Masking Tape: You’ll probably need sticky paper tape to mask areas that you want to keep clean, such as door and window frames. Tape also helps you achieve straight lines with clean edges and is essential if your design consists of stripes.

Tools and Equipment

Ladder: Unless you’re painting floors and furniture, you’ll probably need a ladder. Aluminium ladders are light and manoeuvrable. It helps if your ladder has a shelf for your paint container, or use a ‘painter’s assistant’ to secure your tin to the ladder. Especially with a light ladder, make sure your paint tin is not too heavy or it might topple the ladder.

Paint Stirrers: These might be supplied with your paint. If not, make sure whatever you use for stirring is clean. Twigs may shed bits of bark in your paint and spoil your finish.

Bucket: If you have to mix paints, a bucket can be useful. Alternatively, it’s a useful container for bits and pieces, instead of having your workspace strewn with items you might trip over.

Paints: The right type and quality of paint is fundamental to the success of your faux painting finish. This is one area where you can’t afford to cut corners.

Brushes and Applicators: A good general purpose paintbrush is one with the bristles angled at 6mm (2"). Cheap brushes aren’t worth the saving, since the bristles come out and ruin your handiwork. Rollers are essential for large surfaces. The texture they create will depend on the nap, so make sure you choose carefully. Rollers are often sold with a paint tray. To avoid having to scrub it out, roller linings (or ‘skins’) can be used and then discarded. Different techniques require different applicators. The sponges sold for washing cars are a great choice for color washing.

Miscellaneous Accessories:

You may need to unscrew light switch and plug plates so have a screwdriver handy. It will also help you lever open paint tins. Knives are necessary for applying filler and a utility knife or razor blade can be used to scrape paint splashes of window glass when your work is done.

Cleaning Up

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.