The Best Painting Tools – Rollers, Sprayers, or Brushes
Posted on June 3, 2019
Choosing the right tools for your painting project can mean the difference between a beautiful outcome and a big mess. Rollers, sprayers and brushes each have a place where they excel in your project, so when should you use each? What are the best tools to use for painting projects.
Rollers
Rollers are best used to paint large, flat areas. They are perfect for walls and ceilings. They provide a good amount of paint retention and avoid runs and drips. Depending on the roller you choose, the nap on it will leave a texture.
You will always have some texture from a roller. The shorter the nap, the less the texture, but there will always be pulls in the paint from the roller material. If you are looking for a satiny smooth finish, consider another option.
Sprayers
Sprayers are the best option for a smooth finish. Sprayers are a good way to paint large, flat surfaces with an even covering. Sprayers are generally chosen for full rooms, ceilings or large foyers.
They do come with the problem of overspray. Any area of the room (ceilings, floors, furniture) have the potential to be accidentally sprayed with paint. You will have to plan for quite a bit of time to tape off and drop cloth areas of the room you want to avoid. The paints for sprayers are generally thinned down and can cause drips and runs if the coat isn’t sprayed on thin enough. You are better off spraying multiple coats rather than one thick one.
Brushes
Brushes will provide a smoother finish than rollers and provide a more controlled paint. Delicate and smaller painting like trim and woodwork is the ideal place to use a brush. When getting brushes for your project, size and quality is an important consideration. Angled brushes create a good cut in option around trim, or to outline areas you will be using a roller or sprayer on.
Choosing a quality brush will impact your final look of your job. Lower quality brushes tend to lose more bristles causing imperfections. You’ll also find quality brushes will hold more paint without drips and runs.
