Oil-based paints, primers, and varnishes are best with a solid, medium length bristle brush. Acrylic paints should be used with a long bristle brush, ideally with a synthetic bristle, for a smoother finish. For staining rough sawn timber, use a short bristle brush. Sherwin-Williams paint brushes and rollers come in various sizes, brush types, and bristles, and understanding how to use each type can help you achieve a better-looking job with less effort.
A brush is ideal for painting trim, corners, and small areas, while a specialty paint brush is recommended for projects like furniture, exterior decks, and railings. It is essential to choose the right tools for exterior painting, such as brushes, rollers, and paint sprayers, to ensure efficient coverage and a professional finish.
For smooth surfaces, soft, versatile brushes like those in the XL® lineup are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Paintbrushes with stiff filaments result in crisp, sharp lines, making them ideal for use around windows, doors, and with exterior paint. They are also better able to withstand flexing in warm outdoor temperatures and are great for thicker paint coatings and low VOC paints.
The best paintbrush end type for painting exteriors is angled, with bristles designed to cut in and paint trim. If using oil-based paint, natural bristle brushes, also known as China bristle, are the best option. High-quality nylon/polyester brushes are recommended for latex paint finishes. For smooth or semi-smooth surfaces, three-eighth to half-inch roller covers are recommended.
To apply paint, essential items include high-quality paintbrushes, rollers, and a paint sprayer for efficient coverage and a professional finish. The top five best brushes for exterior house painting include Pro Grade Paintbrush Set Brush, Wooster Shortcut Angle Sash Paintbrush Brush, and Synthetic brushes designed for solvent- and oil-based coatings.
📹 5 ESSENTIAL Paint Brushes
You have a lot of paint brushes to choose from. What brushes are right for you? These are some of my favorite and most useful …
Do professional painters use brushes or rollers?
Professional painters typically use both brushes and rollers when painting, with brushes used for tight spaces and intricate details, and rollers for larger surfaces like walls and ceilings. The type of roller nap chosen depends on the surface, with longer naps providing more coverage on rough surfaces and shorter naps working best on smooth surfaces. Professional painters also have access to a selection of materials for precision and speed.
Rollers can be used to give walls a polished, uniform look, but proper preparation, consistent application, and blending in overlapping edges are essential for a professional look. Hiring ESP Painting, a professional team of interior and exterior house painters in Beaverton, Oregon, ensures quality results using the best rollers for your project.
Does paint go further with a brush or roller?
Paint rollers are a versatile tool designed for painting large, flat surfaces such as walls and ceilings. They facilitate faster and more even distribution of paint, which is beneficial in terms of efficiency and quality of the painted surface. They vary in size, style, and material, exhibiting similarities to paint brushes.
What brush to use for exterior paint?
Large brushes (3-inch to 4-inch) hold more paint and cover a larger surface area, making them ideal for exterior siding, decks, doors, or walls. Small brushes (1-inch to 1½-inch) are recommended for tight, detailed areas, while small brushes are ideal for hobbies, crafts, window mullions, and tight corners. 2-inch to 2½-inch brushes are versatile and suitable for a wide variety of projects, such as baseboards, cabinets, furniture, moldings, railings, shutters, gutters, and window frames.
Choosing a high-quality brush in a slightly larger size (2-inch instead of 1½-inch) can paint more precisely and make the project go faster and smoother. However, beginners should be cautious when attempting to trim around woodwork without tapping it off. Starting with a thin angle sash style brush instead of an angle sash can help control the amount of paint carried to the wall and avoid causing damage to the woodwork.
What tools do you need to paint an exterior house?
In order to achieve optimal results, it is recommended that the following materials be utilized: a nylon/polyester brush, paint tray, painter’s tape, drop cloths, ladder, roller cover and frame, checklist, and paint tray liner.
Can you paint exterior with brush?
There is no “best” way to paint the exterior of a house, as each project has its strengths and weaknesses. Spraying paint is efficient for large surfaces without many features, but it can be time-consuming and expensive. For smaller projects with fine detail work or multiple colors, brushing is a better option. It is easy to set up and uses less paint, saving money. However, the painting process may take longer than spraying.
Choose the painting technique that suits your needs and start transforming your home’s exterior today. For more painting tips, check out other blogs and get a free estimate if you prefer to leave the job to the professionals.
Can you paint the exterior of a house with a brush?
There is no “best” way to paint the exterior of a house, as each project has its strengths and weaknesses. Spraying paint is efficient for large surfaces without many features, but it can be time-consuming and expensive. For smaller projects with fine detail work or multiple colors, brushing is a better option. It is easy to set up and uses less paint, saving money. However, the painting process may take longer than spraying.
Choose the painting technique that suits your needs and start transforming your home’s exterior today. For more painting tips, check out other blogs and get a free estimate if you prefer to leave the job to the professionals.
What is the best brush for exterior acrylic paint?
Latex paints are the most common type of paint, and synthetic brushes are recommended for latex and acrylic paints and water-based wood finishes. Synthetic brushes come in various filaments, including Chinex®, nylon, nylon/polyester blend, and polyester. Chinex® and nylon brushes offer superior paint pick up and production, a smooth, professional finish, and easy cleanup. Nylon brushes are durable but soften in hot weather or after prolonged use in latex paint.
Polyester brushes maintain shape and control but have lower paint pick up and production. However, polyester brushes are difficult to clean due to the presence of acrylic resins and fast-drying solids in paints. A nylon/polyester blend brush combines the positive qualities of nylon and polyester, making it the most popular professional paintbrush choice due to their versatility.
Should I use soft or hard brushes for acrylic paint?
Nina Weiss, an artist, advises against using bristle brushes or squirrel hair brushes as they can break into paint and are stiff. Instead, she prefers using nylon brushes by Princeton, which offer flexibility, won’t leave marks, and maintains shape for a long time. She suggests using long-handled brushes for standing up painting, while short handles are suitable for working on delicate surfaces. Brush shapes include fan brushes for special effects, Filbert brushes for blending, Chisel brushes for sharp lines, flat brushes with longer hairs, brights for fine lines, and round brushes for larger coverage with varying pressure. Overall, Weiss advises using nylon brushes for their flexibility, long-lasting shape, and ease of use.
What is the best way to apply exterior paint?
In order to apply the exterior color, it is necessary to work from the top to the bottom in a smooth and controlled manner, overlapping the strokes by eight inches. It is recommended that a coat of primer be applied prior to changing the color from light to dark or dark to light. However, this step is not necessary when applying a fresh coat.
How do I paint my house exterior like a pro?
- Pressure-wash walls to remove dirt and dust buildup.
- Repair damaged surfaces, remove loose paint, caulk trim, prime stains, protect doors, windows, and lights, then paint the exterior and trim and doors.
Is it better to paint exterior with a roller or brush?
To apply exterior paint efficiently, use a paintbrush and roller to brush paint onto narrow surfaces and edges, and a roller for large surfaces like siding and trim. Avoid direct sunlight or sun-baked surfaces to prevent premature blistering and flaking. Start on the shady side of the house and wait for the sun to move and shade the other sides. Start near the top of the house and work your way down, applying paint to the siding first and then broad surfaces. To avoid lap marks, brush from one wet surface onto another wet surface. If painting onto a previously painted and dried surface, overlap onto the dried-paint surface by several inches.
📹 How to Paint Exterior Rendered Walls
Today’s video is all about painting exterior rendered walls, what paint to use and the best tools for the job in my experience.
Your articles are very educational, as well as very enjoyable to watch. In VA and just really enjoy the articles. Checked out your site have super awesome things on their. Coolest one I saw was your 2 edge paint tool. Trying to convince my wife it’s a must have! Keep up the good work man! Congratulations on all your success.
Wooster makes a nice chinex brush.Some people have not discovered how good these brushes are. The Chinex filament that they use is by far the easiest Brush Ever to wash out. From my understanding it is a solid filament compared to most other brushes which have hollow bristles that keep brush from washing out thoroughly and quickly. On the rare occasion that I use oil primer or paint, they are my go to brush. Hard to believe but I prefer this brush over china bristle, and they clean out superbly! Some painters that I have spoken with think the Chinex is a white china bristle since they definitely have the same appearance. You won’t be sorry if you try these brushes. Wooster also makes the Alpha which is nice to work with and a new one that I discovered recently called the Gold edge semi-oval is also very easy to use.
I’ll always miss the Duron Nutech brushes. The bristles were shorter and I can’t stand floppy brushes. Sherwin W bought out Duron and that was the end of the best production brush I ever loved. Sherwin W wave brushes were a good stiff exterior brush and they carry a lot of paint. Of course they discontinued them. I call Purdy brushes the “Vulcan brush” During use they divide in the middle like Spock’s famous “Vulcan sign”. “Live long and prosper”. Did he learn that from Jesus? I always moisten my brush before starting. Extends the time before dry paint builds up on the ferule end. Cleans easier. Use the short bristle small stainless brushes for cleaning. They work really good. I’ve never seen Premiere brand. Chinex is a good production brush. Cleans easy. Somebody make one with shorter bristles, PLEASE. Nobody uses oil brushes anymore. China bristle, ox hair………………… Bless you
I don’t mind some premiere products, but when it comes to brushes nothing is better then a Wooster imo, I use Wooster ultra/pro firm or Wooster ultra/pro extra firm 2.5 angle on both, been in the paint field since 1981 and have yet to find a cutter that can hang wit me some call me the ceiling line master haha, your only as good as your brush well I tell ya Chris I have used some real crap over the years, but bad brush or not talent can overcome many slip ups haha
Good day sir, I’ve been perusal your articles for a few years now & I must congratulate you on awesome content! I’ve been in the trade for 8 years and finally I’m finally biting the bullet and purchasing my first airless machine. I mainly do residential work but looking to get more into small/medium commercial works. My question is I have a choice between a Graco 495 @£1500 and Graco 695 at £2000. Can you please advise which machine is better suited for my needs. Thank you sir
Great tips on the brush materials and the Deck Boss – I always though China bristles were for oil based paint. Speaking of oil based paint – I would love a Pros advice. I have badly peeling cedar lap siding and was planning to prime bare wood spots after scraping and sanding with oil based Zinsser Cover Stain before repainting – but I am concerned about any possible moisture in the wood pushing the paint off because oil does not breath. In your opinion would I be better off with a Latex Exterior Primer for cedar siding before going back w flat latex – probably SW Duration – SW has an Exterior Latex and its 53 Gal! Many thanks for a Pros answer, as I keep getting different answers from paint store salespeople. My house is 3 story’s in places and I do not want to have to do this again for 8 to 10+ years!
Hey Chris! Another great educational article! Buy the way I left a few messages concerning the gooseneck brush! I received half a dozen of new STIFF gooseneck brushes from Richard a few weeks ago! Painters like the soft gooseneck but have express their feelings wanting a STIFF gooseneck! I recommend having both! You should receive the new Stiff gooseneck soon! It will get a 5 star!! I personally tested this brush recently! Awesome! Cheers!
What are the best cut-in brush, roller cover and mini roller cover for Aura paint? I used Regal which was nice to work with and looked good in the bedrooms, but now I am going to have a go with Aura eggshell, for my bathroom, and perhaps Aura semigloss (or eggshell) for kitchen. The Purdy Dale was great for Regal, but I am wavering on using the Dale for Aura because of the divergent info from internet research.