Whether you’re an avid DIY’er or you just need to touch up a few areas of paint in your home, choosing the best paint brush for your DIY project is key. With so many types of paintbrushes out there for different jobs, it can be tricky to know what you need. Read on to learn how to choose a paintbrush and what the best paintbrushes for house painting are.
Why It’s Important to Choose the Right Paintbrush for Your DIY Project.
Depending on the conditions and the goal of your paint job, different brushes are needed for different paint jobs. Not all paintbrushes will apply paint to all surfaces in the same way and with the same evenness. In order to get the highest quality, most long-lasting paint job, it’s important to consider several factors when choosing the best paint brush for your DIY job.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Paintbrush
Paint brushes come in many shapes and sizes and are best used for specific paint jobs. Depending on the type of application, you may need a paintbrush made from a specific material, such as natural bristles, soft bristles, or brushes with stiff filaments.
The paint brush you use should be carefully chosen based on the paint product you’re using, the size of the area you’re painting, the texture of the surface, and the environment, such as whether you are painting an interior hallway wall, a wall in the bathroom, or an exterior area that is exposed to the outdoor elements.
How To Choose The Right Paintbrush
Purdy is one of the biggest brands in the U.S. for high-quality paint brushes and paint rollers. We use Purdy paint brushes and applicators the most, as they are sold in every Sherwin-Williams store as well as at all Lowes and Home Depot stores. These stores do a great job of laying out and helping you decide which brush to use for your DIY project and why.
Throughout the years, I have had plenty of instances where some person (a pro painter, even) will say “I hate that brush. It’s the worst!” and then the next person will say “I love that brush. It’s the best.”
All in all, there is some subjectivity to the brushes in terms of bristle size, bristle shape, and handle shape. However, there is certainly a time and place for certain brushes, as they are engineered for specific needs and problems.
How to Choose the Right Paint Brush Filament
Paintbrushes with stiff filaments result in crisp, sharp lines, which is helpful to use around windows, doors, and with exterior paint. These stiff brushes are also better able to withstand flexing in warm outdoor temperatures. They are great for thicker paint coatings as well as low VOC paints.
Paint brushes with soft filaments result in smooth finishes with few brush marks, which is what you want when painting doors, trim, and furniture.
Brushes with synthetic filaments are best to use for water-based paint coatings and acrylic paints, making them the most versatile paintbrush option.
Brushes with natural bristles are best suited for oil-based paint coatings.
How to Choose the Right Paint Brush Size and Style
It’s also important to choose the right size and style of paintbrush for your DIY project.
Brushes with an angular style make it easy to paint in tight corners and areas where other paint brushes may not be able to reach, all while giving you sharp lines, such as along trim, ceilings, and baseboards.
Brushes with flat heads are best used on paint projects that need long, large, continuous strokes, such as when painting an interior wall.
Large paint brushes are ideal for painting larger surface areas that are not ideal for a paint roller, such as on a fence or a curved surface.
Brushes with short handles are ideal to use when painting in a tight area, such as around corners, cabinets, and behind toilets. These paint brushes give you better control so you can work precisely and not smudge the paint.
With this knowledge in mind, you can feel confident going into your local homestore and choosing the best paint brush for your next paint job. Again, we recommend looking into Purdy paint brushes.
You can learn more about how to choose the best paintbrush in our YouTube video collaboration with The Honest Carpenter.
