Choosing Rollers and Brushes for Your Paint Project

Even if you have the best quality paint, using the wrong roller or brush for your project can waste time and money. By taking a moment to consider your tools, your paint job is going to get the most payback for your investment.

Kinds of paintbrushes: Natural and Synthetic

Natural-hair bristles are best used with oil-based paints, stains and varnishes while Synthetic bristles are better with water-based and latex paints. Synthetic bristles hold their shape and maintain stiffness no matter how much water they’re exposed t

Choosing the right brush size and shape

Brush Sizes

• 1” – 2 ½“ Straight Edge are best for woodwork and molding
• 1” – 2 ½” Angled Sash are best for window frames and trim (more precise applications)
• 2” Straight Edge are best for cutting in at the corners of e

  Choosing a paint roller

  The best part of using a roller is you can cover a lot more surface area in a lot less time. So, if you’ve got a large, flat area to paint like a wall or ceiling, rollers are a great option. As with brushes, when you’re painting with latex and water-ba

  

  When you’re choosing a roller, just like brush sizes, you’ll want to think about the roller’s width:

  • 3” are best for trim and narrow areas
  • 9” are best for most interior wall and ceiling jobs

  Another important conside

  Consider the paint’s finish or sheen when picking a roller cover

  Gloss and semi-gloss paints go on better with short-nap rollers because these tend to generate less foam and fewer bubbles when you’re rolling the paint out.

  When you’re buying any paint roller, as with brushes, you’ll want to pay attention to a