The right brushes and rollers for your next painting project will make a big difference to how long it takes to get the job done and more importantly, how good it looks.
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Which brush, where?
General-purpose brushes have short handles relative to their width. This gives you more power when using the brush, allowing you to get paint on more quickly. They come in widths between 25 and 100mm to suit the size of whatever it is you’re painting.
Specialised brushes have angled bristles and long handles, giving you greater accuracy and control. They’re used for painting trim like windows, architraves and skirtings.
Quality matters
The biggest tip for paintbrushes is to buy the best quality you can. Inferior brushes will not hold as much paint, leave a streaky finish and will drop bristles, which you have to pull off the work. With the right maintenance, a good quality brush will last a long time.
On a roll
The nap of a paint roller is the length of its fibres. Different types of paints and surfaces require different length naps.
Short nap rollers are best for glossy paints, especially on smooth surfaces. The fine fibres leave a thin, smooth coating, which is perfect for a shiny finish.
Medium nap rollers are a good all-purpose roller. They hold a reasonable amount of paint and produce a fine stipple effect. They are the ones to use for walls and ceilings using low sheen and matt paints.
Long nap rollers are designed for rough or textured surfaces. The long fibres hold a lot of paint and penetrate into every nook and cranny of uneven surfaces.
Specialty rollers
Some rollers are designed for very specific task, but using them will give you the best results.
Mohair and foam rollers are great for full and semi gloss paints as well as varnishes on smooth surfaces.
Textured rollers are used with the wide range of thick, texture paints. They are available in coarse, medium and fine, depending upon how rough you want the finish to look.
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