Brush size & technique

[Rob55]

Hi all what’s everyone’s choice of brush size for particular jobs such as cutting in walls, skirting, panel doors etc and with all the new water based glosses out there, what’s the best way to apply them for the best finish.

 

[opps]

I use a 3" Purdy Monarch brush for the bulk of the cutting in. In the corners, I use a 50mm Purdy Sprig brush. I cut the emulsion in to the woodwork, and not the other way around.

For the woodwork, I stick to the Purdy Sprig brushes.

I am not a fan of waterbased eggshell/gloss for woodwork. I just don't like the way they level out.

I used to specialise in hand painting MDF kitchens/wardrobes/etc.. I never once managed to achieve the same quality of finish with waterbased paints. And to be frank, I have never seen another painter apply waterbased paints by hand that was superior to my hand painted oil based on MDF.

I have however seen many sprayed units that vastly exceed my spraying abilities.

If you find it difficult to maintain a wet edge when using waterbased paints, you can add a touch of Floetrol

Floetrol | Paint Conditioner | Owatrol Direct

Floetrol is a paint conditioner for water-based paints. It improves the flow of the paint & avoids brush and roller marks. Great for Acrylic Paint Pouring.

www.owatroldirect.co.uk

Not cheap but it goes quite far. A cheaper alternative is propylene glycol.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Brush size should correlate with the job. Big jobs need big brushes. Small jobs need small brushes. Cutting in and skirting are small jobs. For a DIYer who doesn't get to develop muscle memory, smaller brush produces smaller errors. Best finish is applied with time. Time flattens paint.

 

[justigator]

I recently refreshed some interior woodwork painted 3-4 years ago with Leyland Trade Eggshell, using the same paint again. This time I tried it with 10% propylene glycol, only to be disappointed that it needed fully three coats for a good finish (and this was white over identical white). I'll give proper Floetrol a try now that I've found a local supplier.

 

[Wayners]

Re brush
We are all different with the pressure we apply and angle with use, so it's trial and error to find the best brush for yourself. I've given people a brilliant paint brush that they thought was terrible.
I'd say try a few. See what you like

 

[opps]

Brush size should correlate with the job. Big jobs need big brushes. Small jobs need small brushes. Cutting in and skirting are small jobs. For a DIYer who doesn't get to develop muscle memory, smaller brush produces smaller errors. Best finish is applied with time. Time flattens paint.

I kinda get what you are saying, but I disagree.

So long as you can run your arm in a straight line, with a large brush, you should be able to maintain a straight line. A large brush will hold much more paint. Ideally, you will be able to cover 40-50cm without dipping the brush into the tin. With a small brush, you may need to do that every 10cm. That makes it much more difficult to maintain a straight line.

For door/skirtings, I stick to a 50mm brush, a 25mm brush often ends up creating much deeper tramlines. A smaller brush can lead to much larger errors. I do this for a living.

 

[opps]

I recently refreshed some interior woodwork painted 3-4 years ago with Leyland Trade Eggshell, using the same paint again. This time I tried it with 10% propylene glycol, only to be disappointed that it needed fully three coats for a good finish (and this was white over identical white). I'll give proper Floetrol a try now that I've found a local supplier.

I have never personally used PG. A mate asked for advice but didn't want to pay for Floetrol. I gave him a bottle of PG that I had purchased years earlier. He said that it helped the waterbased paint to flow. From memory, he was using a dark green Leyland Trade waterbased paint.