Painting With No Brush Strokes

I have done quite a bit of research on how to paint a piece of furniture and not leave any brush strokes. There are lot’s of opinions out there and I am just offering another one. Being from an IT background I tend to take a logical, analytical, and common sense approach to things.

First of all, make sure your surface is sanded smooth. Depending on what the condition the piece of furniture is in, you will start with a coarser grit sandpaper, like 80 or a 100 grit and work your way up to 220 grit. Make sure to remove all dust with either a tack cloth or slightly damp lint-free cloth

Second, if you want to have a near flawless finish using paint, I would use a sprayer. Yes, spraying uses more paint, but you get a finish with absolutely no brush strokes. I use a Graco D360 VSP corded sprayer.

But you say, I don’t have a sprayer. You can still get a near flawless finish using a brush, a spray bottle, and the right paint. There are all kinds of paint out there and depending on what you are doing, one type may be better than another. But whatever you do, buy high quality paint. I tend to like Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex. and Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. I have had great success with both. You do get what you pay for.

Invest in a good brush. I tend to like Purdy brushes and the brush you choose depends on the paint you are using.

When applying the paint, follow these basic guidelines:

• Use a light touch on the brush

• Mist the brush with water. I have also lightly misted the surface as well. It helps to let the paint spread out and erase brush marks

• Paint lightly in one direction and don’t keep going over where you painted

• A couple of thin coats are better than one coat using more paint

Let me know how your project turns out.