Detailed Description of the Painting Process From a Washington DC Area Contractor
Many handyman articles will tell you the basics about paint: what it is, what types there are, common pitfalls associated with it. They will tell you what paint to buy, what colors to pick, what equipment to use, how many coats to apply, and when to apply them. They will tell you how to know if you made a mistake, how to deal with complications, and what steps to take to fix any errors. But when it comes time to get started painting your house, you may still find yourself staring dubiously into a freshly opened can of paint, paintbrush gripped nervously in one hand, feeling a little bit unsure about your next move.
So what Blue Door Painters is going to share with you today is exactly how to make that first move: a single brushstroke of paint.
You’re going to start your project with brushing. That’s true for almost every project; a typical room, for example, will need to have the edges and corners of the paint area cut in with a paintbrush before the larger open surface area is rolled. For corners in between two surfaces that are going to be painted, the whole corner should be brushed, up to 3 inches out on each wall. For edges between a paint surface and a non-paint surface, applying painters’ tape on the non-paint surface prior to brushing will make your project easier and less stressful, (though experienced painters with reliably steady hands sometimes skip that step). The paint surface should be coated up to 3″ from the edge with a paintbrush prior to rolling. For other surfaces, like trim or stair steps, you may do the entire project with a brush, lacking the surface area to justify a roller (although in some cases a mini-roller will yield a better finish). For these, if there is a large enough space to distinguish the edges from the center, the edges should still be coated first.
So your paint can should be open, and your paint adequately mixed (if you detect any irregularity in the color, stir thoroughly with a paint stirrer, making sure to distribute the pigment all the way through the depth of the can). You should have a paintbrush – ideally, one picked specifically for your type of paint and substrate – in hand. Now it is time to dip your brush into the paint for the first time. Which brings up an often overlooked – but extremely important – question: how to load your paintbrush.
In order to get a thorough coating, you need to make sure that your paintbrush is completely saturated with paint on the inside. This means in between the bristles, where you can’t see it. Paint nested in between the bristles will release slowly and evenly over the course of your strokes, creating an even finish. You don’t want your brush overly saturated with paint on the outside of the bristles, however, because this extra paint will spread in unexpected directions, and will create drips and sags in your finish that can be challenging to correct.
So in order to load your paint onto the brush in the ideal manner, you should stab your paintbrush gently into the can of paint a couple times, working the paint up in between the bristles. After repeating this vertical motion your brush will be filled, and you need to remove excess paint from the bottom and outside of the brush. To do so, first hold it up for a couple seconds so that loose paint can drain. Once all remaining paint is staying on the brush in spite of gravity, run the bottom edge of the brush gently along the rim of the paint can or bucket, smoothing off the excess. If you are cutting an edge, repeat that motion with the face of at least one of the sides of your brush, wiping the paint on the outside of that surface against the rim. You should be left with a paintbrush that is saturated with paint on the inside, but is not dripping and is, if intended for an edge, cleared off on one face.
Start your brushstrokes at a corner of your surface, so that you can work outward from there is a continuous line. When you start the stroke, watch how far your paint spreads, and how thickly it is applied. Some types of paint (like semigloss) will be more viscous than others: DO NOT be tempted to spread this extra-runny paint more thickly to make up for the apparent lack of coverage. Doing so will lead to drips or paint sagging as the thick, runny paint fails to hold up to gravity for as long as it takes to dry. The only way to fix sags is by waiting for the paint to dry completely, sanding them down, and recoating that area – so prevention is really the best approach.
When your brush first touches the surface, you only need to press gently, because there will be paint on the outside of the brush. As you continue your stroke, however, you will need to increase the pressure, so that the paint from the inside of the brush comes out. The brush should bend gently in the opposite direction of your stroke, squeezing out the internal paint, and your grip should allow maximal control of both the direction and the pressure of the stroke. Use a full-hand grip for larger brushes, and a pencil grip for smaller ones. After a few tries, you will learn how your particular paint flows through your particular brush, so that you can perfect the exact right motion to ensure a stroke that is smooth, even, and the desired width.
Your next stroke should start off right where your previous stroke left off. This is called the ‘wet edge’, and it is a key principle in paint technique. Matching wet paint to wet paint usually causes two different strokes to blend together into a continuous whole, rather than developing an unsightly seam. If you find that you can still see a seam, wait until your next stroke is complete and the brush is relatively dry, but the paint is still wet, then lightly brush at the seam with the dry brush until the coat looks even.
When cutting in an edge, place the ‘clean’ side of the brush (meaning, the one you wiped against the paint can) against the edge. If it is taped, you will be able to press it firmly; if it is not taped, you will need to watch closely to find the perfect placement to give a thorough coating that doesn’t blot over to the non-paint surface. Working non-taped edges goes a lot more slowly, which is why taping is almost always worth the perceived trouble it causes.
Okay, now you’ve had your ‘next move’ described down to minute detail – and the 500 or so moves you make after that will all be the same until your brushed area is complete (that’s one thing about painting – it is a very repetitive process, and it gets easier as you get more experienced!) In our next blog, we’ll tackle the anatomy of the paintbrush’s big brother – the paint roller – and you will have your entire paint process laid out before you.