Choosing the right paint brush and roller - General Coatings (2024)

I always thought a brush is a brush? Or a roller a roller? Right? Not quite! If you know how to choose the right paintbrush or roller, it can save you a lot of time painting. Painting a room isn’t just about the quality of paint, but what tools you use. By investing in the right brushes and rollers, you can get the job done faster and with higher-quality coverage and a better finish.Ask yourself these questions: What does the surface look like you are painting? Eg. Raw plaster, ceiling board, wood. How big is the surface you are painting? Eg wall, ceiling, window frame what type of paint are you using? Eg acrylic or enamel for smaller surfaces, choose a brush. To cover a large surface area like a ceiling or a wall, you will save a lot of time using a roller. Paint brushes choose right brush you need to consider the paint you’ll be using and the finish you want. Oil-based / Enamel paint / Varnish Get a good quality natural bristle brush. The better the quality of natural bristles the smoother and glossier the finish you’ll achieve.Water based / Acrylic paintSynthetic brushesworkbestwater-based paints.These brushes keep their shape and maintain stiffness no matter how much water they’re exposed to.Synthetic bristles don’t absorb water, which means the paint flows through the brush better, allowing you to avoid heavy brush marks.

Then, choose a brush size and shape:

Smaller, angled brushis for cutting and trim work.
A Flat brushis great for molding.
Larger brushesare used for painting corners or when you’re covering larger surfaces.

Paint rollers

For larger, flatter surfaces rollers can make a huge time difference but it is important to use a brush to go around all the edges and corners where the roller cannot get without making a mess of the surface next to the one you are painting.

Lambs wool or long haired roller sleeveare used for PVA and acrylic paint.

Mohair or short haired roller sleevesare used for applying enamel paint.

Synthetic foam roller sleevesare used to apply texture paints. Theseare not recommended for normal acrylic paints as their spongy texture creates air bubbles in the paint film which can then burst, leaving a cratered, orange peel effect.

Consider the material, or nap, of the roller:

Smooth surfaces, like a wallboard, smooth plaster, wood or metal= Short-nap roller
Rougher surfaces, like plaster, concrete brick or rough wood=Longer-nap roller

Happy painting!