Through the decades it’s fair to say that those in the painting and decorating industry have encountered more than their fair share of time-consuming challenges on the job (hello Artex!).

In the modern trade environment where ‘time is money’ seems to be more applicable than ever, there are some nifty products available out there which really help ramp up productivity.

It’s all about cutting time without cutting corners and freeing up your schedule for those all-important pictures and video clips required to showcase on your business social media accounts.

Below is our pick of five products from ProDec’s mammoth assortment of products which are designed to speed up even the slowest of jobs.

Handi-Pail

Ditch that unwieldy tray or paint-encrusted kettle and get onboard with the Handi-Pail. Alongside the moulded ergonomic design – which alone makes it a much more attractive bit of kit than either of those other two alternatives – this device includes an adjustable palm strap that enables you to hold it without having to grip the damn thing. Amazing.

The Handi-Pail holds up to 1 litre of paint and is ideal for brushes and 4″ mini rollers. What’s more, the positioning of an integral front side magnet and rear side rest for brushes and roller frames ensures that all paint drips into the pail and not elsewhere, leaving you free from worrying about stray splats and accidentally treading on any pesky blobs of paint.

Precision Edge

Masking tape has long been a point of contention between painter and decorators. Some cry foul when they see it being used by those in the trade, while others swear blind by it. Heathy sales volumes would contradict the view by some that tape isn’t widely used across the profession, but the fact remains that whatever your thoughts, it can be a useful and time-saving tool.

Our Precision Edge masking tape is certainly attuned to those masking needs, and makes achieving razor paint sharp lines incredibly simple, offering up excellent barrier properties and eliminating paint bleed for edges that are straighter than an honest cop in 1920’s Chicago.

Yellow Precision Edge is the standard adhesion grade, while the green version is low tack, ideal for newly painted and delicate surfaces where gentle adhesion is required. A UV resistant version is also available.

Maybe even those with a deep aversion to tape would change their minds after sampling Precision Edge, even if it wouldn’t leave a mark on them, in this case.

Super Cling

Using this stuff you’d swear it was concocted by an elderly brush wizard in his bustling laboratory. Arguably the most time-saving of all these products, Super Cling is a polythene dust sheet roll that has been statically charged to enable it to cling to virtually any surface without the need for taping. It will also stay in place once applied.

Yes, you read that right. Magic is involved here. Application is quick and simple – press to the surface and let the static charge do the rest. And the great thing about this stuff is it can be repositioned effortlessly again and again as required. No messing around forever pulling off and reapplying slivers of tape in that futile attempt of trying to re-attach elsewhere.

The static charge also attracts paint overspray and sanding dust to reduce both mess and airborne particles while working. Merlin deserves a serious pay rise for his stunning efforts in making Super Cling super.

Micro Rollers

These mini marvels were recently introduced to our Ice Fusion range of paint rollers. Available in a compact eight pack, the 2” micro rollers are ideal for painting those awkward, time intensive surfaces like railings, spindles and cabinets.

As you can imagine, it gets the paint on there much faster than a brush, and with less wastage and spatter than standard mini paint rollers. And thanks to Ice Fusion’s Fused Fibre Technology, you get a finish quality that’s comparable to spraying, time after time.

Titan Scrapers

Just as formidable as they sound, our Titan Scrapers have been designed to get rid of even the toughest of unyielding, sometimes decades-old material. Double thickness blades set into a die cast head and mounted onto a rugged chrome shaft delivers some serious power to your scraping arm. That means removing wall and floor tile grout, adhesives and glues, lifting vinyl flooring and stripping all assortments of – everyone’s favorite – ancient, stubborn wallpapers.

Blades can be changed in seconds via the quick release butterfly mechanism, meaning you can plough through these challenging surfaces largely uninterrupted. And they also look great to hold. Wielding one of those things and you’ll instantly be the envy of any tradesperson in the vicinity.

Related articles

We lay down everything you need to know about carpet protector