Selecting the Right Paint Brush For The Job

If you’re like most do-it-yourselfers, you don’t know much about buying the paintbrush that fits the job you plan to tackle. There is generally an endless selection of sizes, shapes, and bristle types, etc. etc. to consider at your local hardware store or home center. Unfortunately, in my experience, there isn’t much help available either at the display racks or from the store clerks with respect to the brush(es) you should select. I think most consumers consider the area to be painted and the size and prices of the brushes as the primary criteria used to make their selection.

Well, there’s a lot more to it and your choice of paint brush(es) can have a dramatic effect on the final appearance of the area you’re planning to paint. This brief primer is designed to provide you with some tips and information about matching the brush with the job that needs to be done.

The first thing to consider is the type of paint you will be using. There are basically two types of paint on the market: water-based and oil and alkyd-based. Water-based paints need brushes that absorb water easily and make applying it evenly a simple chore. On the other hand, an oil and alkyd-based paint need brushes that are made of natural bristles.

Synthetic filaments are the right match for water-based paints. Synthetics include bristles made of either nylon or polyester. Nylon brushes are probably your best choice although they may be a bit more expensive than their polyester counterparts. When considering a synthetic brush you have a choice of three basic shapes. The hollow brush is usually the cheapest and is not my first recommendation. The solid brush is a good choice. It is easy to hold and fairly easy to clean. Consequently, a well taken care of solid brush will give you the best in terms of cost effectiveness because it will last longer than the other two types. Finally, there’s the cross-sectional style bush which is probably the cheapest and a good selection if you’re one of those “use it once and throw it a way” types.

Brushes made from natural bristles are, again, to be the brush(es) of choice if you are using other than a water-based paint. The problem with using a natural-bristle brush with a water-based paint is that they tend to swell up and are just hard to use. Yes, you can paint water-based paint with them, but why make the job even more difficult than it already is by using a brush that’s not designed for the paint that you are using?

Natural-bristles are typically made from pig’s hair and will keep their shape when you are painting with oil-based paint. Since solvents are necessary to clean brushes used with oil-based paint, you need a brush that will handle the solvents used without becoming a throwaway. Pig’s hair bristles will handle nearly all types of solvents without any problems.

Take a look at the end of the paintbrushes you are considering. You’ll see that some brushes have tips that are called “flagged” while others have tips that are ragged in appearance. Flagged tips are somewhat tapered and are designed to let the brush hold more paint and then apply it smoothly and evenly on the surface you are painting. Some of the latest paints have a reduced solvent content which make them heavier and consequently they don’t flow easily with brushes that have flagged tips.

As far as applications go, a sash type bush is angled but sometimes are squared off. These are smaller brushes, generally running from one to two and a half inches wide. These brushes are used for painting baseboards, window trim and molding. Trim brushes are generally two or three inches wide and are squared off. These brushed are most often used to paint wall corners, cabinets and the edge of ceilings where the ceiling joins the wall. These brushes are also used to paint decorative or styled doors. Finally, wall brushes are usually thick, running three to five inches in width. They are designed to hold considerable paint to make can dipping less frequent. These brushes are squared off.

I hope that this brief article will provide you with some guidelines in picking the right brush for the job.

Chuck Lunsford is the content manager for LightnBreezy.com, a well-known source for home improvement Westinghouse lighting fixtures. If you have more questions about other home repair topics visit us at do-it-yourself painting.