Painting and decorating questions

trogg

Just a couple of questions,
What do you think are the best paintbrushes to buy?,
and, what paint would you use on dark wood ?
the last time I painted some dark wood doors, I had to use 3 coats of undercoat and 2 topcoats, and I still wasn't happy.



ta

misgrace

trogg wrote: »

and, what paint would you use on dark wood ?
the last time I painted some dark wood doors, I had to use 3 coats of undercoat and 2 topcoats, and I still wasn't happy.



ta

Thats about right, the darker the wood, the more coats.

I know you can use the paint thicker, thinking it will cover better, but then you get brush marks, gloopy blobs, and thick bits, so its best to slightly thin, you get a much better finish.

nickj_2

hamilton are one of the better brushes - you get what you pay for
if the doors are dark you will need to use a decent primer and undercoat - dulux trade has good coverage , make sure it is trade rather than the stuff you get from diy stores , you will probably have to give it a couple of coats and then a top coat

Treadway1

Id agree with Nick. My Dad had his own painting and decorating business years ago, and swore by Hamilton brushes.

And quality of paint is everything. i bought a 10L tub of B&Q value white paint a while ago, to go over a garish red left by the old owners of my house.... It took me 9 coats before realising that maybe I had bought the wrong paint. Never again will I buy own brand economy paint!!!

trogg

Thank you all for your replies,
The brushes I'm using at the moment are 'Harris' , recomended to me, and to be honest were ok at first.
Looks like the 'ends' have worn away(synthetic).
Going down Screwfix tomorrow (weather permiting) to pick up a set of Hamilton brushes, but which ones ?

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/58158/Decorating-Sundries/Paintbrushes/Hamilton-Trade-Brush-5-Piece-Set
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/32262/Decorating-Sundries/Paintbrushes/Hamilton-Perfection-Box-Set-5-Pc
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/76502/Decorating-Sundries/Paintbrushes/Hamilton-Acorn-Eagle-Brush-Set-5Pc
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/67162/Decorating-Sundries/Paintbrushes/Hamilton-Perfection-S-Series-Paintbrush-Set-3Pc



As for paint, last time I painted dark wooden doors, I used Leyland acrylic undercoat and acrylic gloss, again it was recomended to me.
This time I'm using B&Q acrylic primer/undercoat and Leyland trade gloss(normal).

misgrace

Harris brushes are not bad, but the best are hamiltons, if you look after your brushes they will last for a long time.

Before you use them, ( do this the night before), soak them in a bowl with a little soapy warm water for a couple of hours, rinse with warm water, and spin the brush, ie hold the handle in your hand and spin the handle, (do this outside) ,then leave on the side to dry naturally with the bristles hanging over.

This will get rid of any lose hairs, and make your brush more supple.

If you have used your brushes for a few times, and even though you wash them, or soak them in white spirit, here is another little tip to keep them in good condition.

Soak as above, get them clean as you can, dry like I mentioned above, and then when they are bone dry, get a smidgeon of baby oil and work the oil into the stock end, just working up to the actual bristles.
Then leave them till your ready to use again, they will give your glosswork (oilbase in particular) a lovely finish, plus your brush will be nice and soft.

I do use the synthetic for the oilbase when I can, but still use the ordinary ones as well for the gloss work.