DIY - Toolbox Essentials

Powered decorating tools

Wallpaper stripper:
A wallpaper stripper is a container of water that heats up – and the steam is passed to a handheld paddle that you hold over the wall. The steam penetrates the paper and you scrape it off with no hassle at all – a great time saving device.

Hot air paint gun:
If you are stripping paint, this tool will melt the paint allowing you to scrape it off – you can often remove multiple layers in one go. Different nozzles are available to direct the heat allowing you to strip window frames, work round pipes or remove vinyl floor tiles by melting the glue.

Sander:
These are available in several shapes and sizes but all are fantastic saving you all the hard work of sanding by hand. A good all-rounder for a homeowner would be a third or quarter sheet sander which will handle most jobs and for more intricate jobs such as sanding window frames, stair banisters or small renovation projects, a hand-held palm sander will get into all the nooks and crannies with ease.

Paint sprayer:
Sprayers are particularly useful for painting deeply textured or hard-to-reach areas such as masonry or eaves. You need to carefully mask the area and put down plenty of dust sheets but it will make the job easier. Never use a sprayer on a windy or even breezy day!

Powered caulk gun: It can be hard to get a neat line of sealant or caulk round a bath, basin, or round door architraves as it’s not easy to keep an even pressure to ensure a neat bead. This powered gun will do the squeezing for you so you can concentrate on a steady hand for a great finish every time.

Electric tile cutter
An electric tile cutter will give neat cuts to both wall and floor tiles of varying thicknesses. You can also do mitre cuts for a professional finish and it will cope with cutting thin slivers better than if you were to cut by hand