Our guide to rollers, brushes and extra kit to make your paint go further

Buying the right equipment for a paint project will help make the job efficient and potentially reduce waste.

• Brushes
Choosing the right brushes will make a job quicker and easier, and achieve better results.
- Synthetic or acrylic brushes: Versatile and long-lasting, they work best for interior finishes using water-based paints and on wooden furniture.
- Natural bristle brushes: These work well with solvent-based paints on woodwork or when painting furniture.
- Masonry brush: Generally long-bristled, these are used for water-based paints on rough surfaces like brickwork.
- Cutting-in and fitch brushes: Designed to reach the places a roller can’t, a cutting-in brush is good for corners and skirting boards. A fitch is used for applying the finishing touches around areas like plug sockets and light fittings.

Have a read of our guide to perfecting your painting techniques

• Roller and tray
For large surface areas, a roller is a must-have as it creates wide, long strokes and evens out layers of paint.

Top tip: Before you buy any paint, it’s always best to be sure you’re completely happy with the colour. Our Dulux Visualizer app quickly helps your colour ideas come to life.

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Pre-paint preparation
• Dust sheets
Protect floor and furniture by covering exposed surfaces with good quality coverings that you can use for every paint project.

• Fillers, sealants and putty knife
If you have a damaged wall or gaps between your wall and skirting, choose the right type of sealant for the surface and apply it to create an even finish for you to paint over. If you’re painting window frames, it’s a good idea to apply sealant to the edges of the window.

• Sandpaper
Buying different grits of sandpaper will help remove rough surfaces quickly and give you a better finish to work with when painting.

• Absorbent cloths and a dusting brush
These are useful for wiping down surfaces before painting, especially if you’ve done some sanding.

• Masking tape
This is a worthwhile buy for protecting skirting boards, ceilings and edges you’d like to leave unpainted or plan to paint in a different colour.
- Green tape: With a stronger adhesive formula, this is more resilient to solvents and can be used on surfaces that resist stickiness, like concrete.
- Blue tape: Less sticky, this is easier to remove, suitable for interior projects and works with water-based paints.

• Mixing stick/stirrer
Make sure you stir your paint well before applying it.

• Ladder
A must-have that’s easy to overlook until you need to reach the upper edge of your wall or the ceiling!

• Primer
If you’re working with a wall that hasn’t been painted before, you’ll need a primer. An undercoat increases paint adhesion, improves durability and protects the surface you’re painting.

• Paint
Getting the quantity of paint right is key to reducing waste and will also save you time. Have a read of our guide to measuring your room to calculate how much paint you’ll need.

• Empty container
Soak your brushes in a container of water (if you’ve used water-based paints) or white spirit (if you’ve used solvent-based paints).

Once you’ve got the right tools for your job, have a read of our tips to help you do more with less paint