There are so many paint brush options available that figuring out exactly the right kind of brush for your painting project can be a real challenge. Standing in the paint aisle of the hardware store and looking at the packages doesn’t help either. Some say they are good for oil paints, others for latex. There are rollers made of foam or fuzzy cotton. Knowing what type of brush is best for your project will help you accomplish a professional looking finish!
The types of bristles aren’t the only thing you need to take into consideration when choosing the right interior home painters near me. You’ll also want the right size brush before you begin. A four inch wide brush with a thickness of up to one inch is perfect for exterior surfaces like the walls of your house. If you plan to do any cutting in at the corners of your walls, you’ll want a two inch wide brush with tapered edges. For all woodwork and molding you want to use a brush between one and two and one-half inches side but if you’re working on window frames and trim you want an angled sash brush of that same size. Working on walls and ceilings? Use brushes no less than three inches wide.
Brushes come in three different types of bristles: natural, blended and polyester. Natural bristle brushes are made with animal hair and are idea for oil based paints and finishes such as varnish or polyurethane. They have a natural splitting at the tips that holds more paint and provides a smooth finish. Blended brushes use bristles of nylon and polyester. These bristles are best for latex paint and with proper care can last you for years. Polyester brushes are stiff and hold their shape making them great for latex paints as well. Choosing a high quality paint brush means looking closely at the bristles. You want them to have split ends for a more even finish, have a flex at the tips so they spring back into their natural shape, be shorter on the outside and longer towards the middle, and be at least half as long as they brush is wide; this means that the bristles on a two inch brush should be at least three inches long. Before purchasing, give the bristles a tug and see if any come out. If more than one or two come loose pick a different brush.
Your bristles on your brush will be cut in one of three ends: chisel with slanted bristles for straight lines in corners and edges, square which are cut flat and best for painting over flat areas, and angled making it easier to paint things like window trim. Additionally, you may see the brush style listed. These are most commonly thin angle sash, angle sash, flat sash, trim and wall. Thin angle sash brushes are good for corners and edges. Angle sashes are very similar but hold more paint. A flat sash is good for places like baseboards where the paint will be applied in a flat area while trim brushes are great for large flat surfaces like siding on the exterior of your house. Wall brushes are best for painting things like walls where there is a lot of surface area to cover.