DIY Wall Repair Tools and Materials Guide

This page contains a pictorial guide to house painting and wall repair tools and materials. We include this page to inform readers not familiar with the materials mentioned in the repair guides on this website./p>

Bucket Hook: Used to hang paint buckets and other tools from ladders or scaffolding when repairing and painting high stairwells and ceilings or when painting exterior trim molding and siding.

Caulk: Used to fill gaps between two surfaces such as walls and trim molding or bath tubes and tile. For painting project use latex or silicone enhanced caulk. Pure silicone caulk is waterproof and will repel paint. It should only be used for tub and tile or similar non-painted areas. Cut the tip of the tube and pierce the seal inside before loading it into a caulk gun.

Caulk Gun: Used to dispense caulk from a caulk tube. A trigger and ratchet system force pressure on the plunger inside the caulk tube pushing it out of the tip.

Chisel Blade Joint Knife: A wide blade chisel can be used to remove moldings without damage or remove hard coatings like plaster and mortar.

Compression Sprayer: Used to spray deck sealer, wallpaper stripper, bleach wash for mildew and lots of other jobs around the house.

Delicate Masking Tape: Used for masking off wall stripes and other decorative painting projects. This tape is made with smooth paper instead of the crape paper used in other masking tapes, prevents paint bleeding to create sharper lines between paint colors.

Drywall Corner Bead: Used to finish outside drywall corners. Metal and paper beads are available. For a durable wall corner use metal corner bead. See this link for more about drywall finishing materials and techniques.

Drywall Knife: Use this knife to score and cut drywall as well a many other task associated with home improvement. Blades are retractable and replaceable.

Drywall Patch: A self–sticking, fiberglass patch for repair of holes in drywall and plaster. These patches come in a variety of sizes and may be reinforced with a perforated aluminum plate for ceiling repairs.

Drywall Saw: Use this tool to cut holes in drywall for new electrical outlets, light fixtures, plumbing access, etc.

Drywall Tape: Paper and fiberglass mesh tapes are available. Mesh tape is self–sticking and can be used to finish drywall seams and repair cracks in plaster and drywall. Paper tape is good for finishing drywall corner seams.

Glass Scraper Use to remove paint from glass windows and other hard surfaces. Retractable blade.

Joint Knife: Spread drywall joint compound for wall repair and drywall finishing. Several sizes are available starting at about 3 inches going up to about 16 inches and more. Use a size that's easy to control while providing a broad coverage area. A flexible blade is the best choice for wall repairs and drywall finishing.

Jumbo Roller Handle: Paint large rooms fast with this 18" roller. Accepts special rollers from 12" to 18". Requires a jumbo paint tray; threads onto a standard extension pole.

Lightweight Spackle: Very soft spackle makes sanding easy but won't stand up to heavy traffic. This is not a good choice for wall repairs unless they are very minor.

Liquid Hide Glue: Titebond® brand usually available from wood working suppliers is the only liquid hide glue we can find on the market. This wood glue is made from cow hide and is used to cause paint to crack for a faux finish on furniture as well as for gluing wood joints. See Crackled Paint Finish for more.

Mud Pan: Available in plastic and stainless steel. The steel pan will last longer and be easier to clean. Use a mud pan to handle joint compound as it is applied to walls joints, etc. Also handy for mixing powdered wall repair compounds.

Paint Brush Use a sash brush for most paint jobs but choose the brush bristles for the paint you are using. As a general rule use a natural china bristle brush for alkyd and oil paints and a polyester brush for latex paints. The polyester washes better in water and the natural bristles are compatible with the oils in the paint. There are also blended bristle brushes intended for use with oil and alkyd paints but they may not be as good.

Paint Mitt Painting iron work and rail balusters is fast and easy with a painting mitt. Improves coverage and cuts work in half.

Painter's Putty Use to fill small nail holes in wood trim. Also good for glazing around glass in windows and french doors.

Paint Scraper Pull this tool to scrape peeling paint on trim molding and wood siding. Removes old paint quickly and easily. Sharpen the blades with a file as needed to keep the tool working effectively.

Paper Tiger This tool will perforate the surface of wallpaper to allow liquid stripper to soak in, making it possible to loosen the paper and dissolve the paste.

Plaster Hawk: Used to hold and transfer wet plaster to walls and ceilings. You can make one by attaching a piece of ½inch plywood to a 2by2 block handle.

Ready–Mixed Joint Compound: As the name implies, this is a wet, premixed drywall joint compound. It is softer when set than setting–type joint compound. This material is ideal for finishing drywall seams but not a good choice for most major wall repairs.

Roller Extension Pole: Makes rolling paint faster and easier. Eliminates hand and arm fatigue and improves control of paint rollers. Extensions from two feet for painting average-height ceilings, up to about 16 feet for painting stairwells and high ceilings.

Roller Cover: Choose a quality roller cover when possible. These will last thru dozens of jobs and maintain a quality finish if cleaned properly.

Roller Paint Tray: Roller trays come in all sizes, from 6 to 20 inches. A standard one gallon, 11 inch roller tray, like the one shown here, can be used for most rollers. For a jumbo roller, the larger jumbo tray will be the only one that will work.

Roller Spinner: Wash paint rollers and use this spinner to remove all paint and solvent. Save money using rollers over and over.

Sanding Block: Helps when sand a flat surface. Eliminates ripples and uneven surfaces. Make your own sanding blocks for home and shop.

Sash Brush: Because this brush is cut at an angle it can be a big advantage for painting detailed work. Great for "cutting-in" window sashes, ceilings and trim. A sash brush is the professionals choice for most jobs.

Sausage Roller: A small 6" roller with about a 1" diameter. This roller will make small spaces easier to roll. Use one to paint kitchen cabinets, wall stripes, furniture and other small areas.

Setting–Type Joint Compound: A powdered compound that sets to a very hard finish when mixed with water. Work quickly to apply this material before it sets. This particular product, Durabond®, is made by USG (United States Gypsum). Different setting rates are available from about 5 minutes for Durabond20 to about 30 minutes for Durabond45, an hour for Durabond90 to nearly 3 hours for Durabond120. This material is ideal for wall repairs. It will not shrink as it dries like most wall repair materials will. It sands easily and the finish can be blended into the surrounding wall surface. In addition, it can be painted immediately after the repair is completed.

Structo–Lite: This is a plaster product made by USG. It's used to replace damaged plaster brown coat. To restore 3–coat plaster use this product over the plaster lath. Follow with a white coat of setting–type joint compound.

Vinyl Spackle: This spackle tends to shrink, takes a long time to dry and can be hard to sand. Use this product for filling large holes and smoothing out nicks in trim molding. For small holes a better choice is a painter's putty.

Wallpaper Stripper: We recommend "Fast Wallpaper Stripper" from Savogran® because it is fast and effective at removing paper and paste.