When it comes to painting your interior trim work and doors nothing compares to the silky smooth finish that only a paint sprayer can deliver.
Until now.
Thanks to advancements in painting tech, elegant finishes are achievable when spraying isn’t a viable option. In this article I will share with you some great products and tools that will breathe new life into your old worn looking trim. You’ll be amazed at how a seemingly small improvement will dramatically renew your home’s beauty.
️ SYNTHETIC BRISTLES Ideal for water-based paint to create a smooth finish with no brush strokes. ️ VEGAN Contain no animal bi-products. Not tested on animals. ️ DENSE BRISTLES Densely packed bristles allow the brush to hold lots of paint so you can get more out of each brush stroke. The Best Paint Brushes for a Smooth Finish After trying a lot of paintbrushes, I have found three paintbrushes that I truly love for getting a smooth finish. Purdy Nylox Brushes: This brush gives an amazing finish when working with water-based products like latex paint and polyacrylic. It glides on smoothly and comes in several different sizes. This video will show you some useful painting tips, especially when it comes to painting cabinets. It will also show you some of the supplies and equipment.
Before I get into all of that, I want to show you some before and after pics of an interior painting project my company did recently. I’d like to focus on the trim specifically.
Here is a closeup photo I took of a piece of door casing using a brush only.
- The best paint brush for a smooth finish is the Purdy Nylox Glide brush. It has super soft bristles that do not leave brush marks. It’s perfect to use with latex paint. Projects that are perfect for this paint brush include painting cabinets, trim, furniture and doors.
- For the purposes of smooth acrylic paint strokes, you will want to choose paint brushes that have soft and long bristles. The soft and long bristles will help you stay light-handed with your work and will, by default, apply less pressure on your canvas than their shorter and stiffer counterparts.
Traditionally, to achieve a finish like this you would have to use an oil based paint. Oil bases on trim were great because of their ability to reduce brush marks when used. The oil in the paint “levels” or fills in the gaps where your brush made contact with the surface of what you were painting. (Personally I don’t like using oil base, it’s messier and harder to clean up).
Another irritant to me is that oil causes what’s known as “drag” when brushing. Drag is just what it sounds like. When you’re painting, it feels like someone is trying to stop your brush from moving easily. It seems like you expend more effort loading up your brush than you do actually painting.
SO….now that I’ve confessed my sin of being an oil hater….Let’s move forward into what the future holds. Because as I said, tech is here!
Fashion corset sketch. Sherwin Williams Pro Classic.
A water based paint that performs like an oil. Without the mess. Yeah! (I would argue you achieve a better result when having to brush with this product than with an oil base.) In all honesty, it does have a slight drag just like an oil, but not as bad. XIM makes this extender specifically designed for latex paint to ease the flow when brushing.
Now that we’ve got the right products, we need the right weapon to apply them. My choice: Purdy’s 2.5 in. Angled Nylox Brush.
Why this one? Well for me, this is my day in, day out cut in tool. Besides cut in’s, I use it on trim as well. It is by far the most versatile brush in my arsenal. It loads up well so you can move some paint, but what I love most is how super soft the bristles are. That’s what you want to help reduce brush marks! Combine that with the self leveling feature in Sherwin-Williams Pro Classic and you can’t go wrong.
As for cutting, you can get the bristle tips down to about an 1/8″ for laser like precision cutting. I wanna go paint something just thinking about it!
Before we go getting all cocky and believing we can rule the world, keep in mind there is preparation, skill, and technique involved too. If you need your home painted I’m your guy. But if you hand me the best wrenches ever made and pop the hood of your car wanting me to fix something, I guarantee you when I get it put back together there will be parts left over. 😛
Before ripping into a full blown project I would do some practicing on scrap pieces of casings and base moulding. They generally come pre-primed. If the pieces you select are bare wood, you will need to prime them using a wood primer. (I would suggest priming the pieces even if you bought the pre-primed variety) You can purchase both of these at your local big box store. Let’s begin with technique: Assuming your test piece is already primed, sanded, and ready to paint.
If you find the drag in Pro Classic to be a problem, add some of the XIM latex extender to your paint and stir it up. You’ll feel it loosen up as you stir. You don’t want to add too much so that the paint becomes runny. You want the paint to have some “body” to it. It’s best to follow the directions on the extender as to know how many parts to use per gallon/quart of paint.
Load up your paint brush and hold the trim piece. Start at one end of the piece (I’m a righty so I like to work from top to bottom while holding the work in my left hand) and brush the paint laying it on using somewhat heavy pressure, to move it in long strokes. Be sure to cover all the nooks and cranny’s of the surface with paint.
Once you’ve got the piece completely covered, start at one end and make two to three passes using lighter pressure to get good coverage and remove excess paint. Finally make one long final pass the length of the piece using light and I mean light, pressure to finish the layoff. It’s important that you don’t over brush the work. Remember, every time you lay that brush down you’re putting more trails into the paint. Then let the magic of Pro Classic do its work!
Paint And Paint Brush
With a little practice you’ll achieve beautiful results that you can brag about to your friends. Or if your afraid you’ll have parts left over, you can always hire me to do it. Have a great day, and happy painting!
The right brush or roller can be the difference between a paint project living up to your dreams, and needing a do-over. If you’re not sure which one your project needs, we’re here to help.
Brush or Roller?
Brushes are great for smaller projects and detailed areas. Their smaller size makes them useful for trim, ceilings, and cutting in along corners. The other big reason for using a brush is if you’re staining a surface. The bristles on a brush do a better job of working the stain deep into a surface, meaning you’ll get a better look and better durability.
Your other option is a roller. Most jobs will require a 9″ roller cover – they’re designed to hold more paint and cover more area, so they work great for larger surface areas such as walls and ceilings.
Which brush? Which roller?
Brushes come in several shapes and sizes, and each is good for different scenarios. An easy way to pick a brush is by determining the type of coating you’re using.
- For water-based coatings, use a Valspar Wall and Trim Brush.
- For oil-based coatings, we recommend the Valspar All Stain Brush.
- If you’re not sure, go with the Valspar Wall & Trim Brush, it’s a great all-arounder.
If you’re opting for a roller, there’s a few different kinds of roller covers, so you’ll want to figure out which one is right for you.
Always try to use a top-quality roller cover. There’s a reason they’re top quality – they carry more paint to the surface, which means you’ll be done sooner and with less effort. They’re also made from materials that give you a smooth, lint-free finish. A quality roller can also play a critical role in terms of paint-hiding capability. Luckily for you, Valspar has high-quality roller covers in a number of materials and nap sizes.
What roller cover do I need?
Smooth Paint Brush
First, you’ll need to figure out what nap size is right for your project. The general rule of thumb is:
- 1/4″ – Use for ultra-smooth surfaces like cabinets, doors & metal.
- 3/8″ – Use for smooth surfaces like walls & ceilings.
- 1/2″ – Use for semi-smooth surfaces like textured walls, textured ceilings, plaster & wood.
- 3/4″ – Use for rough surfaces like stucco, decks & masonry.
Next, you’ll need to decide on either a knit, woven or microfiber cover. Woven roller covers are more shed-resistant, so they’re better for gloss and semi-gloss finishes, which can highlight lint left over from the roller. For flat, eggshell, and satin finishes, knit roller covers do the job more efficiently. For consistent control and smooth finish, we recommend microfiber roller covers.
Smooth Paint Brush Photoshop
For all brushes and rollers, see the application instructions on the back panel of Valspar paint products, or check with your store associate to make sure that you choose the proper applicator.