• A number of specialty painting tools exist that can help add creative touches to a paint job or help make a painting project easier. These painting tools range from specialized brushes to machine-driven paint application tools and can be used for indoor and outdoor paint jobs. In addition to the actual painting tools, there are tools available for other aspects of painting, including preparation and cleaning tools. Using a combination of specialty tools can make any paint job easier and can help you achieve a good-looking, long-lasting paint job.
  
  

Preparation Tools

• Preparation tools that can be helpful before the actual painting include steam strippers if there is wallpaper to be removed, a heat gun to help remove old paint from a wall and caulk for repairing cracks in walls. Sponges and a mildew cleaner can be useful for walls that have been exposed to moisture.
  
  

Air Sprayers

• Air-operated and airless paint sprayers are ideal for big jobs. These machines distribute paint on large areas and can be used indoors or out. A paint sprayer can greatly reduce the time it takes to paint large areas. These machines are available in a variety of sizes and price ranges.
  
  

Paintbrushes and Rollers

• Paintbrushes are available in a wide variety of sizes. Wide brushes with coarse, long bristles are best for applying paint to walls. There are also narrow brushes and foam wedge-tipped brushes for edging. Paint rollers are often better for large spaces than a brush because they cover more surface area, but rather than the cloth or wool type, a sheepskin or synthetic sheepskin roller holds and applies paint more smoothly and with less mess.
  
  

Texture Paint Tools

• Sponge brushes are available that make adding texture to your paint jobs as easy as pressing the sponge to the paint surface. There are also specific types of tools available that add different textures to a paint surface. Some of these tools can be purchased together and interchanged, depending on the type of effect you're after. A rocker is a tool that gives your paint job a wood-grain effect. Another tool, called the comb, allows you to control lines in your paint job, while stippling brush attachments let you create artistic effects on any surface, and hand-held sponges are effective for creating clouds.