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Paint Brushes Navigating The Options Article
Paint Brushes: Navigating The Options
from:Paint brushes have grown in terms of options. Walk into any home improvement store and you are sure to find a dozen or more paint brush types to select from, not to mention the various brands of each. Which one do you use? Before you reach for the least expensive, or the brush that looks good, you should brush up on your knowledge of paint brushes.
Many people have problems with paint brushes. For example, the bristles may break off or they may get stuck in the paint job. This can really hamper any project. It is best to invest in a quality set of paint brushes that cost a bit more. Then, take care of them and keep them around for your next job. When you invest in quality, you can count on using those brushes for years to come (assuming you put them away properly!)
What To Look For
When buying paint brushes, you should be looking for a high quality brush that has the right materials and is well put together. The first thing to look for is the brush material. If you want to purchase natural bristles, these come from Chinese boars (most of the time) and there are three options readily available. Those include the natural white, natural black and natural ox hair. Any of these will work well if you are using oil or alkyd paints and stains. They also work well with shellacs, lacquers and varnishes you may be applying. The only time you do not want to use them is when you are applying a latex coating.
You also can select synthetic paint brushes. Black nylon dyed nylon and blends, such as dyed nylon and polyester blends are available. The blends are often the most recommended since they are quite stiff and offer a lot of retention of the bristles. You can use any of these for latex paints, alkyd paints, and oil paints. You can also purchase polyester filaments for virtually any paint job including stains, varnishes, lacquers and shellacs.
What else should you look for when buying paint brushes? Check out the rest of the brush's construction. You want to see a strong handle. Wood are sometimes preferred. Keep it light to minimize the amount of hand cramping you have. You also want to look at the ferrule, which is the metal piece that holds the bristles in place. Choose a paint brush with a stainless steel ferrule if possible.
You may not have known that selecting a paint brush gave you so many options. Investing in quality here will really pay off in the long term, though. It is well worth your investment to focus on top quality bristles that help you to complete the job quickly and efficiently.