5 Harbor Freight Tools That'll Save The Day When Painting

Painting the inside or outside of your home can be a bit of a hazardous job in more ways than one. There's the obvious physical hazard that comes with trying to reach up to a high spot on a rickety ladder. There are also subtler concerns, like dripping paint all over everything you own or ending up with ugly, uneven strokes on something you're trying to make look pretty. While painting may seem like an innocuous chore, it's not something you can tackle without the right equipment in hand, and we don't just mean a paintbrush.

If you're looking to run a painting job all on your own, whether in a room of your home or looking to refurbish the outdoor shed, you should first pay a visit to your local Harbor Freight. You'll want to pick up a few tools, all with the goal of keeping your paint neat and yourself safe.

No matter how steady you think your hands are, if you start slinging paint all over the wall, it will go absolutely everywhere. In the house, your nice carpet and various knick-knacks will get splattered, and out of the house, you could end up with unsightly stains on your driveway concrete or lawn. This is why a sturdy drop cloth is the first and foremost thing you need to have on hand before you can even conceptualize a painting job.

HFT's Poly Coated Drop Cloth, available at Harbor Freight, is a simple and affordable option for small to midsize painting jobs, measuring in at a healthy 4 x 12. The cloth is made of heavy-duty 7 oz canvas, while the polycarbonate coating ensures any paint it catches won't pass through to whatever's beneath. All the cloth's sides and corners are fully hemmed, ensuring durability enough to last as many jobs as you can throw at it.

Reviewers of this cloth have praised its cleanup assistance, saving time in containing errant paint spills. One reviewer particularly appreciated its higher weight and rigidity, which ensures it won't get jostled away from the paint site.

Contrary to what you might have seen in cartoons, painting a wall isn't as simple as just popping open a can and swinging a brush everywhere. Depending on the actual surface you're painting, a single paint can might not have anywhere near enough paint in it to cover the whole thing (or it could have entirely too much, which is wasteful). Before you buy paint, you should have a ballpark of how much paint you'll need; to get that, you need to take some measurements.

If you're looking for fast and accurate measurements of your walls, try the QuickFind Tape Measure from Pittsburgh, available at Harbor Freight. This tape measure packs 25 feet of measurement into a convenient, portable package. The spring steel blade at the end is extra thick to ensure a nice, sturdy grip on a wall, while the number markings on the tape are extra large to ensure it can be easily read. The case is made of high-strength ABS rubber, so you can safely use it even in high places without worrying about dropping it.

Users of this tape measure have enjoyed the stiff and sturdy measure and blade, ensuring no wobbling will disrupt their accurate measurements. Amusingly, more than one reviewer has said this measure is so good their coworkers and family members keep swiping them.

Whether you're painting the outside of your home or just have a really big living room, you're going to need some elevation. While you probably have an old step ladder lying around, that's not the best choice, as reaching up high while trying to paint puts you at risk of falling. You need a ladder that can be adjusted to your precise needs, not to mention easily transported if you're painting more than one wall.

Visit Harbor Freight to get a Portable Telescoping Ladder by Franklin. This crafty ladder can extend up to 14 feet and support up to 250 pounds thanks to its aircraft-grade aluminum alloy body. The cool part is that the entire ladder can retract to as little as 31 inches, allowing you to set the height exactly as high as you need it to be. Don't worry about getting pinched as it retracts, as the slow-close technology ensures there won't be any sudden snaps. As a bonus, the steps feature an anodized finish, so any random splatters wipe right off.

Reviewers appreciate the ladder's relatively light weight and portability, making it great for packing up in the car and taking it where it needs to go. Several users have said that the ladder is also a great addition for campers without included ladders.

To nobody's particular surprise, painting is a dirty business. There's the obvious concern of paint splats getting all over the place, but even before that, you need to clean up any walls or surfaces you intend to paint, as random bits of dust or dirt can mess up the application process. This isn't something you can do with a rag and some elbow grease; you need a reliable device that can capture both wet and dry messes both before and after painting.

Bauer's Wet/Dry Vacuum, available at Harbor Freight, can tackle both liquid splats and dry pile-ups with aplomb thanks to its 4-peak horsepower suction motor. The 6-gallon tank can store any large messes, while the 7-foot, kink-resistant hose can reach up to capture any out-of-reach contaminants. The top of the tank features a comfy ergonomic handle, while the bottom has a set of wheels, so you can either roll or carry it wherever it needs to go.

Reviewers of this vacuum enjoy its hefty size and powerful suction action, with several also highlighting its quick-swap blower function. One user was able to suck up a mess inside their home, then switch the hose outside to blow away leaves.

The purpose of paint is to dry in place, but that doesn't only occur on a wall. If you leave a can of paint on the shelf for a long time, it can start to go stale, with little dry flecks accumulating inside. To keep this from happening, it's good to have a paint shaker on hand that can mix things up quickly and efficiently. Normally, that's something you'd go to a hardware store for (like Bart Simpson with Homer's Duff can), but you can do it at home with the right equipment.

The Air Paint Shaker from Central Pneumatic, available at Harbor Freight, can shake up any can of paint from one quart to one gallon in size, holding it securely in its non-marring jaws. Unlike some standalone mixers, this one is powered by an air compressor. Just plug your compressor in, and it'll shake the heck out of your paint in just a few minutes. Since there are no electronic components, it's safe to use in a workshop without concern for errant sparks.

Users of this shaker have praised its relative ease of setup and use, not to mention its lower noise level compared to an electric shaker. One reviewer noted that it's very convenient if you get paint delivered to your home, as it eliminates the need to go to the hardware store for shaking.