Many times I have been to Home Depot and other such place to pick up parts for my sprayer or just to get basic stuff like caulking or masking tape, extra. While there I over hear a sales person (usually a teeny bopper) talking to a home owner, who’s trying to figure out what they need to get.

Then I see them in line with a shopping cart full of stuff that one is not needed or two is crap. So to help you do-it-yourselfer’s here is a basic shopping list you should take with you to Home Depot or any other hardware stores.

• 2″ or 3″ angled cutting brush, the brand I use is Prudy they will run you around $25 but are well worth it.

• At least a 9″ roller frame, pad, and pan or you can get a screen that fits into the 5 gallon bucket.

• 5 in 1 this is a painters wet dream tool it can scrape, open paint pales, and many other things.

• 2″ masking tape

• News paper, don’t worry about masking paper, most contractors use masking paper just to look more professional, to save you money just use your already read news papers, also if you are worried about the environment you are reusing them instead of tossing them out.

• Tarps to cover the floor or if it is exterior to put on the ground to catch debris. These can be regular cheap tarps. Again Painters use plastic or paper only because it looks more professional.

With this list you have the basic tools to do the job at hand. If you think you need a sprayer for your project just rent one, for most projects you will only have it for a day or 2. Buying one is not cost effective for the do-it-yourselfer since you will only use it about every 5 to 10 years at most, and when you do use it you will have to most likely replace parts which can be expensive.