Applicator for the smoothest paint finish........

[shd1970]

Hi there,

I just wanted to gauge the thoughts on what to use to achieve the smoothest paint finish for painting on a recently skimmed (2 months ago) wall. I have some supportmatt emulsion for starters

Pads / rollers / brushes / other ???

I have read the input provided by Richard C on one of my previous postings re: dilution levels (many thanks Richard !) but wanted to understand if there is a preferred applicator of choice and and brand too !

I know there is no substitute for experience but wanted to give myself the best chance possible of doing as good-er job as possible.

Looking forward to reading the input from the experts.

Thanks in advance.
Sean

 

[misterhelpful]

My personal preference is a roller for painting walls which is quicker. If you are not used to using them you can get a stippled effect but they are quite easy to master.
If you are good at painting then a brush can give an excellent finish but you will need a very good quality wallbrush and a bit more time.
For a flawless finish you can spray, but the time taken to mask everything can be counter productive and any future touching up by brush will stick out like a sore thumb.
Paint pads are mainly targeted at the DIY market these days and, in my opinion, are not up to the job.

All a matter of personal preference really but rollers are the most common method of application.

 

[joe-90]

Smooth roller (short hair) and thin paint by 5%.

(That's assuming you've done 2 or 3 mist coats with 25% water.)

If you don't get flawless results you aint got no talent.

 

[opps]

As mrhelpfull suggested the flattest finish would be with a quality airless spray.

You will however be able to use a 9" roller to achieve a decent finish. You can sand the walls after the penultimate coat to remove any orange peel and then dilute the final coat slightly more than one would ordinarily to maintain the smooth finish.

A quality roller sleeve and short extension pole will help (look for decent brands such as purdy- if you have purchased a roller from a crappy diy store then you will probably have to purchase the sleeve there too as they use a smaller diameter than grown up rollers).

As a bench mark- a decent 9" roller (birdcage) frame will be about £6, a decent sleeve about £5 and a tray just over £1, cheap extension pole £6.

Compared to £1500 for a decent airless sprayer...