Eliminating "Roping" Brush Marks When Painting
Eliminating Brush Strokes
To have paint lay down without brush marks means you must start off with a surface that is smooth and clean. If you are repainting trim that has brush marks already, you’ll need to sand them flat prior to starting your doomed from the start.
To prep the surface start with the mildest [highest] grit paper that will get the job done and work your way down to more aggressive [lower] grits if needed. I start with 220 grit and work down through 180, 150, 100 grits, as needed. The goal here is to sand the surface smooth and flat. I sand the entire surface which ensures the best mechanical bond for the paint to adhere to.
Thinning the Paint
Bill taught me a long time that the secret top laying down oil paint is to pour the paint into a working bucket and thin the paint 5% with paint thinner and Penetrol.
Penetrol is an oil-based additive that helps improve paint adhesion and flow in oil-based paints, primers, and varnish. When thinning the paint, thoroughly stir the paint until you reach the proper viscosity. How do you tell when it's ready?
Here’s a tip:
Pull the paint stick out of the bucket and allow the paint to drip off onto the paint in the bucket. When the paint hits the surface and disappears back [level] into the paint - leaving a level, smooth surface - you’ve reached the proper viscosity and you’re ready to apply paint.
Pro Tip:
If the paint is not coming from a new can strain the paint to eliminate debris.
Applying the Paint
Once the trim is clean, you’ve controlled air dust and thinned the paint you are ready for the secret sauce.
Apply paint to ¼ to 1/3rd of the brush and apply paint to the surface, ensuring complete paint coverage. Working the paint into the surface with back-and-forth strokes until it “feels even.”
Once this is complete, you’re ready for “tipping,” this is the one area that requires some skill and feels, for the paint being applied. The “feel” portion of this process comes from experience and getting your reps in.
Using the tip of the bristles apply a gentle “tip-stroke,” from one end of the board to the opposite end - using one continuous stroke [End-to-End] if possible. you will receive better results if you tip in the same direction.
Once you’ve done this leave that area alone and don’t go back over any paint that is tacking or drying.
Lastly, sand lightly [220 grit] between coats. Following this process will ensure that your paint project will be free of brushstrokes and look professional.
Who else watched this after messing up their paint job? That's me! Thanks for this I'll go back to my project to apply what I have learned from you.
Me!!!😂😂😂😂😂 OMG! I have no idea what I am doing.
Me 😂🤣
Same 🤣
😂
As with most things, it's trial and error! Learning rocks!!! 😂😂
Great tip for painting a 3 foot board on a bench. I'd love to see anyone do a single stroke across a 16 foot board attached to a wall.
I want a brush that holds 16 feet worth of paint without dripping. I could get trim done so fast.😂😂😂
I have say as a high-end paint contractor 25+yrs, this video not only explains how but he also show exactly how to do it. That's awesome. One differences from myself is I use paint thinner to thin it. Finished product looks the same. The hardest and most important thing to NOT do is go back and touch an area thats already setting up. Lol You will screw up the finish.
If only everyone produced DIY videos like this. Thank You!
A good painter knows when to thin the paint and how much. If you thin latex, use distilled water, not water from the faucet. And make sure you use a high-quality brush.
To the point and no filler or annoying music. Excellent, thanks!
This video could've been 1 minute long ... U realize .?
I'm a terrible painter. Every painter I've ever hired has used the paint directly from the can, just like I have. I never heard of thinning paint prior to application until now. Very cool of you to share this knowledge.
Don't thin it! Flotrol and Penetrol are additives, not thinners. Paint thinner is an entirely different product.
Buy good brushes. Nothing under $10. Angle brushes are easier to work with than straight. And it all comes down to the finish stroke...one last smooth stroke to level the paint, pay attention to the feeling of the tip of brush gliding, floating over the wet paint. Then Don't go back over it
Yes to both of those pieces of advice. Especially buying a quality brush. In the grand scheme of things, $20 for a brush to last someone (who doesn't paint professionally-a lifetime) who does paint every day-years, in which that brush will have paid for itself 10x over) as long as you clean and take care of it correctly. The benefit of having used said brush for so long is you get to "know" that brush. How much paint will it hold, how long can I put upside down before it will drip, how hard to I need to "lean" on it to hit my cut in line, etc. It does make one feel pretty good when you come in and can cut into about any area with masking off (except flooring, obviously).
If you're here learning then you're not a terrible painter
@@AB-nb2ic but what if you are dealing with an entire room and you have to always back brush to keep a wet edge? We can't just do one final stroke!
Thanks for taking the time to post this - very helpful tips.
Perfect. Answered all of my questions for trying to lose brush stokes on second coat of skirting boards.
A very timely video for my project nearing completion. I always am unsure about checking for the proper viscosity of the paint, so the tip that you thin until the dripping paint just disappears into the surface is a perfect and easy to use viscosity check.
Well done, gives me confidence to tackle my trim job!
I’m terrible at painting and will be using a brush for the kitchen cabinets… great tips particularly with how to judge the viscosity. Thanks
handy tip for trying to pour a liquid out of those big square cans with the hole on one side. turn it around so youre pouring with the hole at the top not the bottom. this will allow the air to be at the top by the hole thus allowing air to go into the can as your pour.
What I came to comment. 👍🏻
I recently purchased my 1st home for my dog Riley & me. The prior owner had her curtains screwed into the wood trim around the windows. Also, as you mentioned, the home was built in the 59's and there were multiple layers of paint. I've sanded the trim around the bedrooms windows and that went well, though I went to paint today and the brush marks were HORRIBLE!! I stopped immediately and found this video. Now I know with 100% certainty...what I need to do and my plan of attack has changed!! Thank You very much for sharing this information.. God Bless.
Very clear and helpful guidance on getting a good finish. Especially the advice on 220 grit for sanding in between coats. Thanks.
Why not 400 grit sand paper?
Thank you so much finally someone tells me how to thin paint ❤️❤️
Very well-versed in painting knowledge and information. Thank you
Awesome tips for a professional finish,thank you
My favorite brushes for enamel work are made by Wooster. Brush model is the Mink. 1-1/2”, 2”, 2-1/2” and 3. 2”and 2-1/2” are my favorites. Great video, Rob! Oh, 320g between coats is better.
So helpful, brother. Thank you, God bless you all!
Excellent freaking video!🙏🏾❤️
I have to commend you with how you hold the brush right, dip the brush to load both sides of the bristles then tap both sides to pack the paint. Your smooth , right tilt is perfect, with just the right amount from end to end. I'm 48 yrs a painting contractor, started out with a master painting contractor as a teacher early in my long career. I think you just have to have a good hand able to pick this up. The Idaho Painter , (paint life) a successful business man, but as he says , "I'm self taught" he has probably 1000 video's here on KZhead. In about 1 min watching, I can see how a person holds the brush while moving paint ,that they really never learned the right way. He dips the brush ,doesn't tap the brush, and scrapes one side of the brush to finish loading the brush. Imagine being in business for over 10 years and being a clumsy brush man. He brushes , then goes back into the work and ads more paint, only to do a poor spreading of material When I watch you here, it looks like your lightly spraying on the finish lightly like a spraying pass of the gun, Feather light touch so as not to push the bristles through the light film layer. Floating the brush, not like blobbing thru it. You think most people have a hand for this, I think not Your hand skills must come from quality woodworking ? Thanks, your one of the first I've seen master what most people think is easy. I do all kinds of spraying, even cars if I want to, but being a good brush man is still a talent
thanks friend
I recently prepared new cabinet doors and painted with 3 coats of latex. I do have roping ( areas where the paint wasn't applied evenly) in the center of the doors. Is it possible just to sand that area and repaint or do I have to do the entire door?
@@quentincrisp6933 Absolutely - sand flat, flat, flat
@@quentincrisp6933 You may be able to wet sand the paint smooth with 400 or 500 grit paper and be done with it. I did this with my window trim that came out less than perfect and it looks great now.
i agree about the brush being better than than the vacuum in terms of getting rid of sanding dust. I use a soft but stiff bristled brush and 'smack' it against the grains of wood to move it out of corners and grains. Nothing better, including tack cloth and blowers or vacuums--which don't have enough pressure to 'kick' the dust off the the surface.
You are so impressive! I'm new at painting and want to do my kitchen cabinets. I noticed that you didn't use a primer? Is that because the surface was already painted?
Rob, how do you keep such a neat workshop. LOL! I’ve tried, but all it takes is a small project to throw it into disarray. Your shop truly looks as though everything has a place and there’s a place for everything.
Thanks 😊 Stay safe.
Using something like Penetrol to lower the viscosity is an excellent tip. Thanks Rob! Though you should flip the can over the avoid spilling it when pouring into the paint.
Penetrol will help yellow your whites!;
love these videos… great pro tips for the diyers
Brilliant video thanks mate
Great video
Floetrol try it works well. Nice video Rob, I hired painters to do this on all my wood trim that was painted with oil paint. Smooth ss butter and used Graham's Ceramic paint.
Floetrol is for latex.. not oil. Penetrol is for oil.
Hey man, first of all thanks for taking the time to show your methods and experience. Learned a lot from this. What type brush do you recommend for applying polyurethane and what sanding tool/grit in between polyurethane coats? Thank you very much for your time
Thank you for this!!
Real good work up
The tip on viscosity alone was worth watching.
Great tips
I just want to paint an old wood kid's wagon (tropical blue or turquois), but I want it kind of glossy, not matte. Is there a specifically glossy paint, or I will have to apply after the paint some sort of glossy coating? I never painted anything before, other than the town blue :)
Just a helpful tip. When pouring anything out from a quart can, try pouring it out from the opposite side of the opening that you did in the video. It won't spill down the side of the can then.
Any container with an offset spout. Linseed, motor oil, etc, keep the opening at the TOP, not bottom when pouring
@@AB-nb2ic Doesn't just about every container with a pouring spout have it offset near the edge of the container? Milk, Gas Cans, 5 gal paint pails... I've always poured with spout down. Have I been doing it wrong this whole time?
@@KB-ie7jr xx xx xx in
@@AB-nb2ic ioj
Thanks! Great information.
Great tips 👍👍👍
Thanks for being succinct. What about alkyd paint? Do I treat it like oil or like latex? Penetrol or Floetrol?
Thanks…painting my trim…looks great, but I know this brush lines are there, so I will try this method…thanks.
How much is 5 percent of 1 quart of paint? And did you say paint thinner as well or one of the other?
I'm fond of ben moores advanced. It levels nicely without thining, but you have to take care otherwise you'll get drips and sags.
Thank you for the video. Can you prepare a bulk quantity of thined paint and use it for multiple jobs over multiple days? I do lots of small paint applications daily
Penetrol....Ding, Ding, Ding!!!! That stuff is great.
Thanks,🎉straight to the point instructions, no bullshit.
installed new mdf pre-primed window sills, I'm not the best painter and really do not enjoy it so I see some videos where they suggest painting before you install the sills and then after installing filling the nail holes than touch up with the latex paint. Im not using oil paint so most likely SW semi gloss or satin. I just want a nice look to the sills without paint brush strokes. Thanks
great tips thanks Sir
Thank you great tip
My tip for you is when pouring that penetrol is turn the can the other way so you avoid all that dripping
I allways thin out my paint ... walls ,trim ya takes a bit more time but results are way nicer and ya sand between coats he's do right I hate when guys try to paint something in one coat and tons of brush lines
Which type of brush would work best painting with acrylic paint? Ty for letting ppl know the prep work is so important! Used a “semi soft” 3/4th” brush but feel need bigger brush as at end (only one long paint stroke) or gets those ridges. Should have more paint on tip then at bottom & acrylic’s dry fast even w mediums!
This is good stuff.
This seems great for a nice flat project, but I’m about to paint a round hand rail (dowel). Not sure how well the tipping is going to work on the convex surface. My first attempt was with acrylic paint, and it was horrible! It’s all sanded back and ready for oil-based paint, but I’m not sure how well it will go down.
I can't for the life of me, stop the brush from becoming gummy and starting to dry out before I'm even done with my first pass on an 8 ft board. I use high quality paint, I tap side to side when loading, I do a light pass from one end to the other after initial paint is laid. I've mixed in floetrol and still can't seem to stop the brush from drying out and leaving tiny specs on my project. I end up sanding and doing another coat, just to have it start all over again. I use Purdy and Wooster brushes. Any tips would be great🤷
I’m using water based enamel paint in Australia. The weather is hot and humid pretty much most of the time and I can’t even get the paint to spread more than 2ft before it gets tacky and shows up your brush marks if you go back over it within 20secomds 🤷🏻♀️
Thanks Rob 😎🛠️😎🛠️😎
Finishing is the bane of my existence
yes, prep is most of the battle. i use water to thin latex paint. it’s cheap, it’s always available, you never run out, and most of all it works great. paint with a good quality brush, and then run a roller over it. apply the paint, and run the roller over it. done. no fussing. AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SPRAYED IT ON !!!smooth, uniform, beautiful and so easy. you can run the roller over the surface even when it has started to dry if you missed a spot. just do it lightly. store the roller in a plastic bag and close it so air doesn’t dry the paint. always clean the brush. ready for the second coat…..give the surface a very quick sanding with a foam sanding block with fine paper or hit it really quick with 220, stir the paint, and add another coat. paint brush in one hand, roller in the other. the roller fixes everything, you can be sloppy with the brush, and the roller comes in and fixes all the uneven strokes, lines, clumps, missed patches, uneven paint. the roller makes it all look even, flat, and uniform, with a texture left with a spray gun. sometimes even better. roll out the uneven areas, then apply little pressure for that professional sprayed look. i love your videos btw. thank you and your friends for taking the time to make them. cheers !
Based on watching several KZhead videos of water vs floetrol I wouldn't recommend it. Water mutes the paint color whereas floetrol makes the paint brighter and looks more like oil based paint.
do you use the roller when the paint is still wet or after the brush strokes have dried? if it's when the paint is wet do you do it with a dry roller with no paint on it
I want to tell you what I learned as a teenager from my father and my grandfather. Most of your work is in the preparation which I'm telling you is 3/4 of the time that you will spend
@@susanmarshall817 : read again, the first six words of my comment. Then read your reply.
@@ginoasci2876 I learned from two painters at the age of 16. I have not seen the average painter do what I had learned. They are careless about their prep. Not to say that you are.
Does it matter which way you do the strokes do to lighting/sun? Or dies this way completely diminish stroke lines? Also, at the beginning you were mixing the paint. If I got paint from home depot, and they did a certain color for me, do air still need to mix this? I do use a drill bit to stir but didnt mix any other thing into the paint. I'm using premium plus EXT/INT High Gloss. Its white paint.
Nice video. I especially liked the tip about knowing when the paint is thinned enough. However, your example was for a very small piece of wood. How do you handle larger areas like door frames or even doors themselves when using latex with Floetrol? How big of an area when you handle with a single tip off before you have to start overlapping sections because the paint is starting to dry too much? I.e., can you handle a a 7' by 6" door jam with a single tip off? Or would you have to start breaking it into sections like the top half and bottom half? For sake of argument, how would you handle painting a flat hollow core door if you only had a brush rather than a roller? Thanks!
Great advice! Try a water based alkyd they are great easy to work with and layout great! I was taught to use a stiff brush our medium stiff brush. That helps also. Then again I know a guy who uses soft brush with expert finish. Keep making the industry better Rob!!!
The stiffer the brush, the more brush marks show
Benjamin Moore advance is awesome!
@@prestonfeivor5488 Mr Feivor, that ignites conversations like paint the body first or cut in first? Or chicken or the egg multiple people in both sides of that one. Ironically I like cutting in with a softer brush as I get straighter lines and better flow of the paint for milage. Yet hard surfaces with the finesse of a stiff brush right paint pretty consistent results. Thank you sir!!
@@prestonfeivor5488that's not true.
@@ryans9029 when is that not true then?
Wipe down with a damp cloth is good too
Thank you :)
4:59 this is usually when my brush starts to grab and the paint feels tacky… even though it’s been less than 30 seconds. I’m guessing this is when Floetrol would be used? It also seems to get tacky faster with more expensive latex paints. I’m assuming it’s because it’s not “watered down” like cheaper paints?
I recently prepared new cabinet doors and painted with 3 coats of latex. I do have roping ( areas where the paint wasn't applied evenly) in the center of the doors. Is it possible just to sand that area and repaint or do I have to do the entire door?
I’m having a hard time with brush marks on long runs like door frames. It is making me want to switch from latex to oil paint. You said to do the tip-off step the full length of the board - for how long of a board will that work for? A 7’ door frame? A 16’ run of crown molding or baseboard? There has to be a limit. I’m guessing it’s about 4’? And how do you blend?
Can you add water lowering viscosity. I'm not from the USA and I don't know that what would be floetrol and penetrol replacements over here
for my next job im going to tell my guys to take all the door and baseboards down to the floor thanks for the pro tip👌🏽!! hey! how we put everything back?
Right on!
My 1 question is after you dip brush into paint do you wipe brush against the bucket (both sides or 1 side) or not
Hi, 1st : thanks for all your video specially the comparison tests ones , I was wondering : Did you make a polisher cordless comparison already ? With the Milwaukee M18, and the dewalt ?
We did not
Is using a soft brush better than a firm brush for eliminating brush marks?
Do any of the pros use laying off brushes or are they a gimmick
Nice video
Could I mix the thinner with sherwin Williams infinity flat paint ?
Nice vid..concise..thanks !
You’re using it on flat surface. Can you use Floetrol on a vertical surface, like trim that’s already nailed to a wall?
I noticed you said to sand between coats. Why not sand after final coat to ensure a smooth finish.
Do you sand after your final paint coat? If not, how do you get a buttery smooth finish? I’m using a semi-gloss paint and the finish is beautiful but not buttery smooth. Any light sanding (w 320 or higher) removes the gloss sheen so I’ve stopped sanding the final coat but would like to know how to have both sheen and smoothness.
Good content
First, thank you for your video. I'm a pretty seasoned diy'er but I'm always learning. I'm adding M-1 to my latex paint so as not to have brush strokes on my baseboards. I'm painting 16 ft primed pre-installed baseboards. I can't keep enough paint on the brush to go the entire length. Can I do 1/3, 1/3 1/3 and then paint into the prior section so as not to have demarcation? Second, you mentioned lead paint. My second project is to prepare and paint all my window and door frames. They are 60 yr old ugly, varnished trim. I'm trying to get someone to test for lead because I'll have to sand them. Have you any experience with old varnished trim? Thk u so much.
get paint on the whole board, bush it all on then complete the process by long brush strokes
thats a lot of work but the results are reliable it seems. i Personally love my trim sprayed the most
Sprayed is the best
I have found that soft bristle brushes leave less brush marks than stiff bristle brushes.
Just finished a paneling using a roller since I didn't know how to make it look nice with a brush. My grandfather was a professional painter in the day before rollers existed. He unfortunately passed away due to lead poisoning before I was born. Hopefully this'll help me paint with a brush properly for the next project.
Anybody can paint a piece of baseboard sitting on a table and make it look great, especially when a paint has an additive in it. The issue is that if baseboard is already installed and a non professional is painting it they best realize that thin even coats is mandatory to control drips, the details of baseboard and inside corners are drip magnets, to control this takes particular techniques. Also, baseboard is almost always a continuous run so back brushing and time management is critical to having a professional looking finish. Your video is a good and you are spot on with what you say but this type of video should always state that homeowners can definitely paint their own home but 9 out of 10 times the paint job will never match a professional paint job. These how to videos are needed for homeowners to understand the process and to do their own small projects but if the makers of these videos do not strongly emphasize the value of hiring a professional it undercuts the value of professional trades.
How do you avoid rollover on the edge? I brush it out but then it rolls over on the other end
I've also found that the paint makes a difference. I've used an alkyd paint and our painter told me to use flotrol. the same method you showed here. It was nearly impossible for me to get a good finish. I just painted some trim in my house using Emerald polyurethane from SW and didn't add any additive. It turned out flawless! I personally have had mixed results using flotrol. On another note. How do you handle a long run of trim such as baseboard in place? surely you can't do your "tip" stroke the entire run?
You should have used Penetrol for Alkyd
@@ConcordCarpenter California outlawed penetrol...
I've been using primarily SW paints for years. I had a customer recently want Benjamin Moore Impervo for her trim, and its way thicker. The SW goes on pretty good as is, but the Impervo needed a lot of thinning out to avoid brush strokes. Regarding the longer boards, it requires lifting off and on really lightly and consistently. And still keep the brush strokes as long as possible.
Fantastic video but can you add one thing to the list - how do you keep paint can covers from being gummed up when pouring paint? What is your best recommendation since you are on the subject of paint. Thanks!
Wipe clean with a paper towel
When the tin is new, put a strip of masking tape across part of the lid and down the side ... This will give you a marker to line up the lid with the tin when closing ...
@@damienhill6383 Genius idea. Thanks!
You're going to take your paint brush which is dry when you start. And get all of the paint off of your paint can and lid before you start your painting project
What do you do if the board is 9’ long
Why not use a roller for the flat part of the baseboard?
A roller leaves an orange peel texture
Good for you
Coming from Australia, we use the terms water-based (acrylic) or oil-based. Where do latex paints fit into this scheme? Thanks!
Most latex are waterbased
I am in the States. I am a painter. I use Acrylic paint . I rarely hear acrylic (water based) called latex. That is an old term. Yes there are a few folkswhot call Acrylic paint LATEX, but those are usually decrepit old folks like me.
Is there such a thing as a sort of job site litmus test for the presence of leads in an old finish?
They sell testing kits at Home Depot for like 10-15 a pop and you get two kits per pack. You gotta use something like a utility knife and carve out enough layers if you wanna test the entire substrate or you can do it on the top layer you got rn. Granted the test isn’t 100% perfect compared to if you call people who specialize and test it for you
@@97Ahuatzi99 Thank you. I'm an old guy with largely out dated knowledge. Your reply is news to me.
Yes 3M lead test kit
The polyurethane technique on a trim paint job… I can see that. I just use a smooth surface roller, but this is a good tip. Until you’re doing a whole house full of painted trim, that is. Just make sure not to undercharge when pricing that out.
Polyurethane technique?
@@AB-nb2ic when you use polyurethane on a furniture project, your first coat will certainly have brush marks. If you sand in between coats, it will fill itself in enough that it will be smooth to the touch and invisible to most eyes. With poly, that’s 4 coats or more. Paint needs less because you won’t be seeing through anything.
How long do you wait in between coats before you sand with 220?
overnight
The problem i am having is painting 16 foot strands of baseboard/trim for work. I do this also and have gotten pretty good at having no brush marks but my problem is after i paint a section, I’ll start another one and you can see the line of paint where i ended (if that makes sense). When light hits you can see these ugly sections. How do i get rid of that? Is it possible or do i have to buy a gun? I’d prefer using just a brush since im limited to space.
Well if the pain has slightly dried and is tacky, you're better off waiting till it's fully dry and then get back to it
Will this method still work if your trim runs at a diagonal? Like down stairs? Will the paint be more likely to run down?
Yes
@@ConcordCarpenter yes this will work fine still? Or yes the paint is more likely to run?
As a painter... what he says is actually great... but in everyday life... controlling humidity, dust and etc... its like living in unicorn land. Nowadays... everything needs to be done before even starting😂
You mention oil based and latex paint. What kind of brush should be used for a water based paint? Do you think water based paint would be best for painting a stripped wood desk or bed? Update: I used a brand new Purdy brush and even with a light touch and "tipping" I STILL got brush strokes. I tried a dry foam roller and it did NOT give me a smooth coat. I got a leather/hammered look. NOT smooth AT ALL. Yes, roller is FOAM, clean, dry and brand new. Paint was also brand new. Pretty disappointed.
Did you use a Paint conditioner (Flotrol)? That is the real secret here. Flotrol is what allows the paint to lay flat as it drys and shouldn't leave rope lines if you follow the paint stroke instructions.