The most common painting methods are brushing, rolling and spraying. All work well and are suitable for most surfaces with large areas being more easily covered with rollers or sprayers, while brushes are best around edges, corners, trim and woodwork.
When you’re doing it yourself, brushing and rolling are often be the best choice. While an airless paint sprayer can speed up the finish painting, it will require more skill and experience.
Make sure you use quality equipment, as it will make the job easier. Cheap equipment may give a poor finish, for example track lines and uneven coverage when rolling, or excessive brush marks and bristle loss when brushing.
Brushes
Brushes are made from natural bristle, synthetic filament or a blend of both. For water based paints, quality synthetic bristle brushes are easier to clean and will give you a smoother finish particularly when glossing. Synthetic brushes also limit the amount of brush marks and dried strokes in the paint, keep shape in moisture and won’t as easily lose bristles.
Natural brushes are made of pig hair that is soft and porous, and best used with oil-based paint as the bristles soak up acrylic, making them limp.
In terms of a handle, choose brushes with unvarnished timber handles as they are the most comfortable since the grain raises in contact with water and sweat to improve the grip. Another good tip is to opt for bigger brushes with long bristles, as it will make the job a little easier and improve the finish.
Rollers
A good roller is sturdy with grip-like teeth to prevent the cover from slipping. It should also spin freely, have an ergonomic and solvent-resistant handle, and a durable frame with a metal arm.
Choose a roller between 230 and 270mm wide and depending on the application use a varying nap, otherwise known as the pile length. A good rule of thumb to remember is that the smoother the surface, the shorter the nap, but more specifically:
- A 5mm nap is for ceilings, smooth surfaces and high gloss paints such as those used on doors.
- An 8mm nap is for where a semi-gloss paint is being applied.
- A 10mm to 12mm nap is ideal for walls and other flat, low sheen and smooth surfaces.
- A 20mm nap is for rough surfaces and to get into the grooves of rough brick and render.
There are also a few different types of rollers suited to a variety of applications:
Foam – applies a seamless finish for cutting close to the trim.
Lambswool – tough and durable, yet the soft fibre holds paint well with minimal splattering.
Synthetic fibres – holds plenty of paint on the roller, saving application time.
Microfibre – has minimal lint shedding and is suited to most surfaces.
Mohair – easy to clean and the extra-fine fibre holds paint well. Best with high-gloss paints.
Sprayers
The fastest way to apply paint to a wall or ceiling is with a spray gun. A high-volume low-pressure (HVLP) gun is designed for interior walls, as it doesn’t waste paint and produces less overspray. The air pressure for spraying is generated by a light, portable turbine carried with a shoulder strap that is connected to the gun by a flexible hose. A standard gun has various settings for broad application or accurate targeting, and usually comes with a 1.8 litre container that can cover up to 12 square metres.
Other equipment you might need
Corner Painter – for easy painting of corners. Ideal for awkward or hard to reach corners of a room.
Edger – provides a sharp edge for the corners of walls and ceilings. Particularly useful for feature walls with opposing colours to adjacent walls and ceilings.
Foam Brushes – perfect when using water-based or oil-based paints, a foam brush creates a better finish and makes it easier to get clear detail.
Pad Painters – great for both interior and exterior painting, this tool will speed up the painting process.
Squeegees – a surprising choice for painting, but using a squeegee on your recently painted walls will give a fan effect and works well when texturing.
Wallpaper Finishing Brush – another for making a great textured look, this brush makes a striated pattern when dragged through paint due to the coarse bristles.