Tools

Different kinds of brushes and rollers are used to apply paint. The brushes are usually used for painting small areas, cutting in, or windows and doors. Cutting in is painting inside corners and around the trim edges before applying paint with a roller. Rollers are typically used for painting large, flat surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and floors. Painting is much faster with roller than with a brush.

All paint brushes are composed of bristles, a heel, a ferrule, and a handle. The brush may have a very poor to excellent quality based on its materials and construction. Brushes are made for specific propose and performance. Brushes are composed of natural or synthetic bristles. Hogs’ hair is a common natural bristle which hold more paint and spread it evenly onto a surface. Generally, natural bristles are used only with oil or alkyd paints and synthetic bristles are used with water-based paints. Some common types of brushes are wall brushes, varnish brushes, sash and trim brushes, stain brushes, decorative brushes, and special purpose brushes. Selecting a brush should be based on the desired type of finish, the size and shape of the area being covered, and the quality and speed of application.

Rollers are covered with a fabric component to easily transfer and spread paint onto a surface by rolling. A good roller should apply highest amount of paint on the surface without leaving roller marks, craters, bubbles, and other surface imperfections. They are classified into dip rollers, self-feeding rollers, and special purpose rollers. This classification is based on the method of supplying paint to the roller cover. Dip rollers are the most common type of roller. The roller is dipped into the roller tray or a five-gallon can to supply paint to the roller cover. Dip rollers are composed of a handle, a frame, and a cage or cylinder which holds the roller cover. In self-feeding rollers, the roller cover is connected to a continuous supply of paint which eliminates the need for dipping. Self-feeding rollers are the most efficient types for working in a larger scale. There are some other kinds of rollers for special purposes such as trim rollers, pipe rollers, paint stripers, and spike rollers.