brush marks - how to avoid
 

Probably a beginner paint question, but I'm a beginner.

I've been painting some interior rooms, using good quality Benjamin
Moore (mostly darker colors on the bottom half of the 6-part chip
sample) and I always seem to require at least 3 coats to make the brush
marks diappear. Even over 2 solid coats of primer. What might I be
doing wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

Janis

wrote in message
ups.com...

Probably a beginner paint question, but I'm a beginner.

I've been painting some interior rooms, using good quality Benjamin
Moore (mostly darker colors on the bottom half of the 6-part chip
sample) and I always seem to require at least 3 coats to make the brush
marks diappear. Even over 2 solid coats of primer. What might I be
doing wrong?

You do not mention what quality of brush you use.
IIRR (memory aided by a look at my own brushes)
my professional painter friend buys for this reason
only Beauti-Tone, fairly expensive.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

In alt.home.repair on 28 Jul 2005 16:25:14 -0700
posted:

Probably a beginner paint question, but I'm a beginner.

I've been painting some interior rooms, using good quality Benjamin
Moore (mostly darker colors on the bottom half of the 6-part chip

Latex?

Not now, Ma'am. Maybe later.

sample) and I always seem to require at least 3 coats to make the brush
marks diappear. Even over 2 solid coats of primer. What might I be
doing wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

Janis


Meirman
--
If emailing, please let me know whether
or not you are posting the same letter.
Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

First I'd make sure to use a good quality brush that is has the bristles
tapered instead of one where all the bristles are cut to the same length.
Next when brushing make sure your finish strokes go from the area to be
painted next into the area just painted. In other words, if you are
painting a vertical board and starting at the top, put on the paint and get
it smoothed out downward, then make very light finish strokes starting on
the unpainted part and going upward across the part just painted.

Steve.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Probably a beginner paint question, but I'm a beginner.

I've been painting some interior rooms, using good quality Benjamin
Moore (mostly darker colors on the bottom half of the 6-part chip
sample) and I always seem to require at least 3 coats to make the brush
marks diappear. Even over 2 solid coats of primer. What might I be
doing wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

Janis

wrote in message
ups.com...
Probably a beginner paint question, but I'm a beginner.

I've been painting some interior rooms, using good quality Benjamin
Moore (mostly darker colors on the bottom half of the 6-part chip
sample) and I always seem to require at least 3 coats to make the brush
marks diappear. Even over 2 solid coats of primer. What might I be
doing wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

Janis


Some stuff called Flo-trol (?), or Flo-something that is available at Home
Depot and hardware stores. It is a liquid and mixes with the paint, and
really makes it flow nicely. Brush marks are a combination of substrate
(what you are painting), the type and quality of brush, the thickness of
paint, the temperature, the temperature of the substrate, lots of things.

But the Flo-trol (sp?) sure helps.

Steve

I use a roller in order to get completely even coverage. This leaves a
dimpled finish. Immediately after the whole door, or whatever, is evenly
covered, I slide a very fine brush over the dimples to eliminate them.
Merely the weight of the brush on the tip of the brush is sufficient. Use
long "slides" from one end of the piece to the other. Works great with oil
and latex, flat and gloss.

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
wrote in message
ups.com...
Probably a beginner paint question, but I'm a beginner.

I've been painting some interior rooms, using good quality Benjamin
Moore (mostly darker colors on the bottom half of the 6-part chip
sample) and I always seem to require at least 3 coats to make the brush
marks diappear. Even over 2 solid coats of primer. What might I be
doing wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

Janis

Brushes seem like the only option around edges though, right? Those
foam pads were sloppy.

A sprayer sounds great for the walls, but is it overkill for just a
couple of interior rooms? Does it involve a lot more prep/masking?
Sounds like a dream, but would it be a mess? Can I rent one?

Can't wait to try the Flotrol too.

Thanks!

Worked with an old painter as a kid. His advice to me was to lay on the
paint and stroke toward the previously painted edge as recommended by
others. Then, tip the brush lightly with paint about 1/4" up. Start close
to the edge but not *at* the edge (that would peel the paint off and have it
running down the edge). Take a loooong, liiiiight stroke, slowly lifting
the brush as you go. The advice and technique has served me well for years
and I'm usually disappointed when I have to resort to hiring someone to
paint what I am no longer able to do.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Brushes seem like the only option around edges though, right? Those
foam pads were sloppy.

A sprayer sounds great for the walls, but is it overkill for just a
couple of interior rooms? Does it involve a lot more prep/masking?
Sounds like a dream, but would it be a mess? Can I rent one?

Can't wait to try the Flotrol too.

Thanks!

The problem is that everyone (well lots, anyway) wants a paint to dry
instantly and for white to cover black in one coat. Naturally the
paint mfgrs adjust their formulation to try to satisfy these demands
but in doing so they sacrifice the self-leveling characteristic. The
instant-gratification crowd probably don't care since they use rollers
which spread out the paint enough to cover and they've already
accepted the inferior dimple finish.

Surprisingly the cheaper the paint the better the self-leveling or so
it seems to me. Floetrol might be worth a shot, too.

WonderfulFel.. is right -- often colors don't cover and multiple
coats are necessary. The darker the color, the more coats needed
typically.

Floetrol won't help much with coverage - it's used to slow dry time
when doing trim/doors/windows. It also allows the brush marks to level
out, letting latex act more like oil.

Oh, and no, a sprayer is not reasonable for a room or 2.

There are two paint conditioners with close sounding names. One is
for latex and the other is for oil. Ensure you get the right type.
Smoothest job I've ever had was oil in a kitchen. Rolled walls then
rolled the pocket door but didn't want the texture so used the brush
to tip it off and it ended up looking like it was sprayed.

On 29 Jul 2005 10:45:33 -0700, wrote:

Brushes seem like the only option around edges though, right? Those
foam pads were sloppy.

A sprayer sounds great for the walls, but is it overkill for just a
couple of interior rooms? Does it involve a lot more prep/masking?
Sounds like a dream, but would it be a mess? Can I rent one?

Can't wait to try the Flotrol too.

Thanks!