Choosing the right paint brush seems like a simple decision, but the type of brush you choose has a big impact on the finished look of your painting job. Everything from the type of paint you use to the type of job helps determine which types of paint brushes work best.
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Type of Bristles
The choice between natural and synthetic bristles is an important one. Natural bristles have a flagging or splitting at the tips, which helps produce a smooth finish and holds plenty of paint. Natural-bristle brushes are better suited for oil-based or solvent-based paints. The natural bristles are stronger, so they stand up to the chemicals and let you apply the paint without leaving marks.
Synthetic brushes come in different materials, such as nylon, polyester and a blend of nylon and polyester. These brushes are easy to use and clean up well. Synthetic brushes work best for water-based paint. Natural-bristle brushes draw moisture out of the water-based paint, making it difficult to apply properly.
Paint Brush Types Paint brushes are available in angled and flat styles. Angled brushes work well for cutting in along edges and getting straight lines. Choose a thin angled brush when you need a particularly crisp line. A thicker angled brush holds more paint and works well along ceilings and for painting trim. Flat brushes work well when painting a large, flat surface. Some flat brushes are designated for use on trim or for use on walls, with designs specific to those uses. |
Best Angled Paint Brushes
Bristle Ends
The bristle ends affect how well the paint brush picks up paint and releases it onto the painted surface. Flagged or exploded bristles on higher-end brushes let you pick up more paint with each dip. The split ends also help the paint go on smoothly without brush marks.
Brush Sizes
The size of the brush affects how well-suited it is for a particular job, including both the width of the bristle area and the thickness of the bristles. Thick brushes hold more paint to cover more ground before you need to reload, while thinner brushes are lighter and offer better control.
Choose a brush that is wide enough to cover efficiently, yet narrow enough for control over the paint application. If you're painting narrow trim, a wide brush doesn't work well. A 2- to 2-1/2-inch brush is a good general size that works for a variety of projects. If you're painting narrow trim or small spaces, opt for a 1-inch brush. Large, flat areas work best with a 4-inch brush so you can cover the surface faster.
Paint Brush Quality
No matter what type of paintbrush you choose, focus on the construction quality for the best results. Look for dense bristles throughout the ferrule. Test the brush by bending it back near the base. A solid paint brush springs back. A tapered design with a slim profile at the end and flagged tips allow for excellent control and even coverage.
Reach for a brush with quality construction and the type of bristles best-suited to your specific project. When you do, your clients get smooth, quality finishes that make them come back to you over and over.
Paintbrushes, like all tools, are designed for specific purposes. Using the correct brush makes painting easier and achieves the best results.
For most painting projects, several brushes are necessary. When choosing a paintbrush, keep in mind the job it must do, then make your selection based on size, shape and quality.
For painting flat surfaces, a brush that is as wide as possible will speed the work. But avoid choosing a brush that is wider than the surface to be painted; and for very wide surfaces, like outdoor siding, avoid a brush so wide that using it will be tiring.
Choose a 1- or 1 1/2-inch-wide brush for the narrowest flat surfaces, like window mullions. For most molding and trim, choose a 2- or 2 1/2-inch-wide brush. For general painting, and to cover corners where rollers will not reach, choose a 3- or 4-inch-wide brush. For painting outdoor siding, choose a 4- or 5-inch-wide brush.
A straight-edge brush is best for general use. The ends of the bristles are cut at right angles to their length, and the thickness of the brush at the tip equals or is slightly less than the thickness at the ferrule, the metal band where the bristles join the handle.
For precise work-for instance, painting to the edges of trim-choose a chisel-edged brush, whose bristles are square-cut but taper toward the tip. Thus, only a small number of bristles come into contact with the surface, enabling very fine lines and clean edges to be produced.
Chisel-edged brushes also leave nearly invisible brush strokes. Thus, they are recommended for applying thick furniture finishes like varnish, shellac, polyurethane and enamel.
When choosing a narrow brush for trim, select a sash brush, which has a long, usually straight handle and is meant to be gripped like a pencil. Conventional brush handles are shorter and also contoured along their length. The bristles of a sash brush are either square-cut or cut at an angle.
Square-cut sash brushes are used like ordinary paintbrushes, except that they are held with the handle nearly perpendicular to the surface being painted.
Angled sash brushes are designed to deposit paint only in a narrow stripe that is the width of the bristles` edge. They should be held so that the angled edge is parallel to the direction of the stroke, and drawn along the surface in one direction.
For radiators, pipes, staircase spindles and other intricate shapes, use an oval sash brush. These resemble an artist`s paintbrush but are larger.
Several features determine the quality of a paintbrush. You may not always need the finest available. In fact, for general household duty, you can overspend by choosing a professional-quality brush designed for constant heavy use or for applying finish to fine furniture.
Nevertheless, look for as many features of a well-made brush as possible and select the best for your budget. Begin by checking the overall thickness of the brush. With better ones, you should not be able to feel the divider, which is the bar or wedge inside the brush, near the ferrule, that divides the bristles into two groups. Nor should the number of bristles seem insufficient near the tip.
Next, press the bristles against your palm. They should feel springy, not stiff, and you should be able to fan them out evenly. Bend the tips of bristles downward while holding the brush by the handle. Bristles between the ferrule and the tip should pop up, indicating that the bristles are of different lengths; this allows the brush to hold more paint.
A few loose bristles are normal in a new brush, but you should not be able to pull free any bristles that are attached.
Best Angled Paint Brush
Inspect the tips of bristles carefully. Those on better brushes will appear minutely frayed, or 'flagged.' These kinds of bristles hold more paint and distribute it more smoothly than unflagged ones.
Hold the brush so that the bristles point up, and spread them apart to examine the divider. On well-made brushes, the divider`s thickness should be less than half the total thickness of the brush measured near the ferrule. The divider should never be so large that the groups of bristles it separates fail to meet at the tip.
A common question is whether to buy a brush that has natural or synthetic bristles, usually nylon or polyester.
For most uses, a high-quality synthetic-bristle brush rivals a natural-bristle brush and costs less, sometimes only half as much.
If you plan to use a latex-based paint, which contains water, a synthetic-bristle brush is required.
Natural-bristle brushes are usually priced high and made well. They are noted primarily for their longevity and springiness, which is due to their resistance to solvents in oil-base paints and furniture finishes.
When used with a paint or finish containing water, natural bristles absorb moisture and become soggy. In addition, water-soluble pigments enter the bristles and make them difficult to clean.
Synthetic bristles are not absorbent and can be used with all types of paints and finishes.