Best applicator for smooth paint finish?

[lago]

I need to refinish some window sills that were originally spray painted by the contractor. I always seem to have a problem with brush streaks on smooth surfaces so I am looking for some advice on this. Spraying again is out of the question.

Not sure if it is my brushing technique or the applicator itself. What do the rest of you use?

TIA

Ken

[Tom Slick]

sponge roller gives a smoother finish with just a hint of stippling. you can try using some floetrol to see if you can get the paint to flow out better.

[RayintheUK]

I've found, over the years, that a lot of problems with brush marks are from over-brushing, so that there is hardly any paint left on the surface.

With a good-quality (best you can get) real bristle brush, well-stirred paint and the courage NOT to keep on brushing, you should find that the marks will self-level out.

Ray.

[jziegler]

Ray's advice is good advice. A better brush makes a big difference. The best that I've used so far are the Purdy brand brushes, available at HD, Sherwin Williams, and probably lots of other places. My wife and I did a lot of painting this weekend, and out of 3 different brands of brushed used, they were the best.

Also, the type of paint can make a difference. If you read the labels, some paints will claim to be better at self-leveling. This seems to be at least somewhat true.

Jim

[SARGE..g-47]

Have to agree with Ray and Jim, Ken. Good paint and a 2 1/2" Purdy sash brush has done the trick for me for years and I paint a lot. Good paint will even out as Ray stated, so don't over-brush and thin it too much. After some experience, you will feel what is "just right".

BTW.. I have about 6 Purdy's in various sizes that are 15 + years old. Just don't forget to get a "brush comb" and clean it well. A pair of scissors every so often to get rid of stray bristles and keep the tip shaped. Combined with good paint.. gluide on is a good phrase.

Regards.. JT

[ironhat]

Yep, Purdy, good paint and long light strokes to blend everything. The lighter the better and you will amaze yourself! I have successfully used this technique on large surfaces such as doors. I first laid down a coat with a roller and then quickly used the long strokes with a brush just lightly tipped with paint. You will have to re-tip a few times on a large surface.

[jAngiel]

As the others have said, the best brush you can find, but also the paint makes a huge difference. For walls I am not so picky about which paint to use, but for wood I always use Benjamin Moore. It levels out way better that any of the others I have tried, which is a lot (Sherwin Williams, Kelly Moore, Behr...).

If I am going to paint woodwork, whether spray or brush, it's always Benjamin Moore. It just works better for me than any other paint.

[scmhogg]

I agree. Buy the best brushes you can afford. But, don't use natural bristle with water based finishes. The bristles will swell.

Steve

[cwsmith]

Agree entirely with all, a good quality brush is a must and will make a world of difference.

You didn't mention the kind or brand of paint that you were using. The reason I mention this was that I recently painted our kitchen using Behr's Kitchen and Batch paint; I hated that stuff. It was much too thick and whether I applied it with roller or brush, it streaked, blotched, etc. I had a coat of primer on the walls and two coats of an "almond" color flat paint paint that was done in the past year. My wife decided she wanted "white" and "kitchen and bath" is supposed to be very durable and easy to clean. But what a job trying to apply that stuff.

After two coats, it still looked I had forgotten how to paint. I called the company and they recommended that I thin it. After doing so, it made a big difference.

So, good brush... but also a good quality paint!

CWS

[lago]

I haven't had a chance to read the label but it is Behr's Exterior paint that I was thinking of using. The window sills are on the east side and get a lot of sun. Also, some rain when we didn't get the windows closed in time. Before the paint cracked, it was already turning yellow. I am pretty sure that the original paint used was Kelly Moore and it was sprayed.

My thought was to paint the window sills with an exterior paint; mainly to avoid any problems with yellowing from sun or cracking from water. Also because I have about 3/4 gal of paint left over from another job.

I will pick up a new brush on next trip to BORG and try it on a test surface. My thoughts were to also prime the surface with a primer after I scraped/sanded the old paint off.

Ken

[mmgross144]

Best paint practices.

Ken,
I'm new to the forum, but have been painting professionally on high level work for 15 years. Maybe these suggestions will help.
1. Brushes are important...don't skimp on quality. The best American made brushes that I have found are from Corona. I have used everbody elses' (Purdy, Duron, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Wooster) and now I prefer Corona. They aren't cheap, but a well cared for brush will last for decades. There are excellent Italian made brushes (Omega- considered by many to be the world's best) which I also use, but they are very expensive. Hint: Dip the brush in the applicable solvent (water for acrylic/latex/vinyl and mineral spirits for alkyd/oil based paint & finishes) and shake them out before dipping it in paint. This aids the flow & simplifies clean-up. Also Clean-up is an art in itself, and your best friend is a brush/roller spinner (if you want more info on clean-up, post basck & I'll try to get back to you.)
For exterior water-based paint, a polyester-nylon blend with flagged tips works well. The combination has the firmness to push the more viscous paint and the soft tips to minimize stroke marks.
2. Paint...run away from Behr. It is actually a high quality product that shouldn't be sold at a DIY store like HD, but it is a killer to use (semi-gloss & shinier sheen) and can produce bad results in the hands of the uninitiated. Some of the worst repair jobs that customers have called me in on were from Harry-homeowner attempts with Behr paint. All the major manufacturors make good top-end paint (stay with top-of-the-line), personally I use Benjamin Moore or products from Fine Paints Of Europe (the best but VERY expensive). The key to limiting brush strokes is two part: a.) "Open-time" the more you have, the better the paint "levels", hiding strokes. Only caution is that slower drying times need better weather conditions and overloading the surface can cause sags & drips. Adding a viscosity agent such as Floetrol (water based) or Penetrol (alkyd/oil based) can help but will increase the sheen level, so if you begin with a low sheen you will end up with a semi-gloss. b.) Technique - minimizes strokes. Work from a paint pot (Handy-pots are great, the built-in brush holdin magnet is killer), not the paint can. dip the brush in about 1/3 and tap the bristles side to side on the pot. You now are properly loaded. Start your stroke about 4 inches from the end (never place a loaded brush in a corner...drip city!) and brush to the end. Then brush out from the wet into the dry area, and then back into the wet. Three strokes is all you need (perhaps 5 with heavy latex paints and alkyd/oil paints) and any more can mar you surface, especially in warmer temps or in direct sunlight. Reload your brush and begin the next stroke about 8"-12" into the dry area, pulling it back into the wet, then from wet to the dry again past where you began, and finish with a third stroke back into the wet. The last stroke should be to light in pressure to "tip-off" or "feather" the paint. Yellowing is caused by alkyd/oil based paint not getting enugh UV light. Newer acrylic/vinyl paints won't yellow, but can get dirty and look that way. DO NOT mix paint types, water-based over oil or oil over water-based with out either stripping or sanding and priming. They are chemically incompatible and you will have MAJOR addhesion problems. (Exception: oil based primers work under all paints)
3.) Prep. All of the above is useless without proper prep. The best paint applied with the best tools by the best painter and bad prep equals a bad paint job! Remove ALL loose paint and repair ALL damaged wood. THe substrate (wood) MUST be dry and free of dust (some water-based primers & paints can go over slightly damp wood, but not over dust). Excess moisture with water-based paints and ANY moisture with alkyd/oil paints will "pop" or lift the paint from the surface. Paint sticking to dust holds only as long as the dust holds to the wood.
If your paint is old, peeling, but to hard to fully remove, there are two new products (Mad Dog Primer, and Zinsser Peel Stop) that have amazing binding qualities to help "fix" the paint to the surface.
I hope that some of this is helpful, albeit long. Have fun painting

[RayintheUK]

I'm new to the forum, but have been painting professionally on high level work for 15 years. Maybe these suggestions will help.

Maybe?! What a brilliant reply - thank you, Mike!

Ray.

[mmgross144]

Thanks Ray

Thanks Ray,
I try to be of service. How are things in the UK? I lived in Germany for 4 years, traveled alot, but never got to the UK. I hope to remedy that in the not too distant future.
Mike

[ironhat]

Welcome, Mike! Thanks for that great post and look forward to more from you.

Later,
Chiz

[jAngiel]

(if you want more info on clean-up, post basck & I'll try to get back to you.)

I'm interested in knowing more information on how to clean up after painting. If I am going to attempt to spend more money on brushes and stuff I'd like to know how to clean them up so they last.

I tried an expensive brush once before and really liked the job afterwards but my cleaning sucked and ended up trashing the brush. I've since gone to buying the best brush that I feel comfortable tossing after the job. Any info would be a huge help.