Brushes may seem insignificant in the painting process, but in fact, they are one of the most important painting tools. A good brush will produce a beautiful finished product, whereas a poor brush will result in a poor finish.
Before choosing a brush, you have to first consider what paint you are using and the surface you are painting. Here are the different types of brushes and what they should be used for:
- Natural Bristle Brush: Paint brushes with natural bristles are meant for oil-based paints. Natural bristles will soak up water and go limp in water-based paints.
- Synthetic Brush: Newer synthetic brushes are made of nylon, polyester or a combination of both, and are meant for water-based or latex paints. Although you may use a synthetic brush with oil-based paint, it will result in a lower quality finish than if you use a natural brush.
Brush tips are either angled or flat; both are used for different purposes:
- Angled: use angled brushes for trims, mouldings, small areas, cutting-in, and corners. Brush angles range from 2 inch to 3 ½ inches. We recommend a 2 ½ inch angled brush since it is easy to handle and can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Angled brushes are used far more often than flat brushes.
- Flat: flat brushes are generally used for large, flat surfaces and heavily textured surfaces, such as decks, wood planks or brick-painting.
- Sash: sash brushes can be either angled or flat. They are trimmed so that they have a pointed end, allowing more precise control of paint. Sash brushes are recommended for painting trim or for tight, small areas.
There are few other elements that make up a good brush. Here are some brush qualities to look for:
- Flagged ends (split ends). Flagged bristles are important for holding and spreading paint. When a brush is flagged, it will hold more paint and leave fewer brush marks.
- Varied filaments. Similarly to flagging, filaments that vary in length will provide smooth flow and application of paint.
- Fullness. Good quality brushes will be thick at the ferrule (base) and will sometimes have a small divider to spread the bristle and allow for more paint-holding capacity.
- Bend recovery. Good bristles will have bend recovery which means that if you bend back the bristles, they will snap back straight up when you let them go.
- Quality ferrule. The ferrule should be tightly wrapped and securely attached. Also, be sure the ferrule is stainless steel; other metals will rust over time.
- Wood handle. Typically the wood-handled brushes are the better quality brushes. However, this isn’t always the case. Also be sure to pick a brush that is comfortable to hold so that your hand doesn’t get tired or aggravated.
Remember, you get what you pay for. This stands true for almost everything in the painting world; price and quality are usually directly linked when it comes to paint, brushes, contractors, supplies, etc.
If you have any further questions, contact one of our painting experts online or at 678-455-2887. Bear Mountain Custom Painting gladly serves the greater part of North Georgia.
