How to Choose the Best Paintbrush for Interior Projects
Choosing the best paintbrush to use with premium paint is key to a successful DIY home project. Here’s what you need to know.
Paintbrushes come in many shapes and sizes, and there are several types to consider. While a roller cover is the best choice for large, flat surfaces like ceilings and walls, anything with raised, recessed, or finer details requires a paintbrush.
Benjamin Moore offers several varieties of paintbrushes, each suited to different needs. To determine which brush you should buy, it’s helpful to understand the benefits of each type.
Angled Paintbrush and Flat Paintbrush: Two Main Types of Paintbrushes
When selecting the best paintbrush for your painting project, it’s important to figure out which brush is best suited for the job at hand.
The bristles of an angled sash paintbrush are cut at an angle. These brushes are best for corners, woodwork, and moulding—and any other detailed surfaces.
On the other hand, flat sash paintbrushes have bristles that are cut straight across. They are best for larger flat surfaces with less detail.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Paintbrush
Paintbrush Quality
A quality paintbrush lasts longer, holds more paint, and applies paint more evenly. Another benefit: The best paintbrushes won’t leave brush marks or shed bristles. When shopping for a high-quality paintbrush, look for these key features:
A good brush flexes at the tips and springs back into shape when pressure is released. When the bristles of a high-quality brush are pulled apart, they won’t have a gap in the centre that exposes the handle.
Machine-distressed bristle tips are a different colour than the rest of the bristles and appear frizzy. These bristles provide a more even finish because the process enables the brush to hold more paint.
Professional painters usually prefer an unfinished wooden handle because it won’t slip in the hand like a painted or plastic handle. A firmly attached, nailed-in ferrule (the shaft that binds the bristles) won’t loosen with use.
Additionally, look for a copper or stainless-steel ferrule. It won’t rust like a tin or nickel-plated one.
Paintbrush Sizes
Paintbrushes generally come in sizes ranging from 2.5 cm (1 in.) to 15.2 cm (6 in.) wide.
Larger brushes hold more paint than small brushes do, cover more surface area, and cut a wider line. Here’s what to choose:
- A 10.2 cm to 15.2 cm (4-6 in.) wide flat sash paintbrush is best for wide-open flat surfaces like siding, decking, or fencing.
- A 7.6 cm to 10.2 cm (3-4 in.) wide flat sash paintbrush is ideal for large flat surfaces like walls, doors, and bookshelves.
- A 6.4 cm (2½ in.) flat sash brush works well on narrower flat surfaces like wide moulding, cabinet doors, and baseboards.
Smaller brushes give you greater control. Use them for these tasks:
- A 5 cm (2 in.) wide angle sash brush is great for cutting in corners.
- A 2.5 cm to 6.4 cm (1-2½ in.) wide angle sash brush is just right for painting woodwork, moulding, and other surfaces where precision matters, like the details of carvings or trim work.
Helpful Tip
Prevent fatigue and reduce hand cramps by using a brush that is truly comfortable to hold. With so many types of paintbrushes out there, some may feel less comfortable to you than others. The size of your hand, the size of the handle, and the weight of the paintbrush are all important considerations.
Paintbrush Bristles: Go for Synthetic
While paintbrush bristles can be either synthetic or natural, synthetic bristles are the most practical. Commonly used by DIY-ers and professional painters alike, they work well with water-based paints like Aura® Interior, Ben® Interior, and Regal® Select Interior. Here are the options:
- Nylon & Polyester: Recommended for latex paints, acrylic paints, and oil-based enamels, these bristles offer exceptional paint capacity and provide the fastest results.
- Soft Nylon & Polyester: You can use these bristles for all paints, especially semi-gloss and satin finishes. They provide extra flex for smooth application, leave few brush marks, and have excellent paint capacity.
- Extra-Firm Nylon & Polyester: Good for all paints, especially thick or heavy coatings, these bristles provide a sharp edge for controlled painting, even in hot or humid conditions. Exceptional paint capacity gives you fast results.
- 100% Polyester: Formulated for use with all interior or exterior latex or oil-based paints, stains, primers, and polyurethanes, 100% polyester bristles virtually eliminate brush marks. They also provide superior smoothness and robust paint capacity.
Natural bristles are the best choice for oil-based stains or alkyd paints.
- White China: These natural bristles are best used with oil-based paints, especially enamels and varnishes. Ideal for woodwork, enamels, and marine applications, White China bristles virtually eliminate brush marks.
Helpful Tip
When you buy a new brush, save the cardboard wrapper; it is designed to keep the bristles from splaying after washing. Properly cleaning and storing paintbrushes will help them last through multiple uses.
Benjamin Moore’s Best Paintbrushes
The Benjamin Moore Online Store offers some of the best paintbrushes and painting tools you can use to complete any painting task:
100% DuPont™ Tynex®/Orel® Nylon/Polyester
- Formulated for long-lasting use with all of today’s interior or exterior latex or oil-based paints, stains, primers, and polyurethanes.
100% Extra Firm DuPont™ Chinex® Extra Firm Blend
- Formulated for use with all interior or exterior latex or oil-based paints, stains, and primers.
100% DuPont™ Tynex® Nylon
- Engineered for maximum flexibility for fine finishing; works with all paints, stains, and urethanes/polyurethanes.
Firm Nylon/Polyester
- Designed for all interior or exterior latex or oil-based paints, stains, primers, and polyurethanes.
100% CT Poly™ Soft Blend
- Formulated for use with all interior or exterior latex or oil-based paints, stains, primers, and polyurethanes.
10.2 cm (4 in.) Block Stainer Polyester/Bristle Blend
- Designed for all latex or oil-based stains, preservatives, and waterproofing.
All Benjamin Moore paintbrushes feature premium hardwood handles that absorb moisture from hands, keeping them dry. The handles are also light, durable, and easy to maneuver. Benjamin Moore is dedicated to the highest standard of quality and uses synthetic filaments sourced from the finest natural resources.
Your locally owned Benjamin Moore store carries all the supplies you need for any painting project and offers the type of expert advice that is all too rare at large home improvement centres. You’ll also find a range of colour samples to help make your paint colour selection easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the best paintbrush for painting trim?
A. When painting trim, the best paintbrush to use is an angled sash paintbrush. With bristles cut at an angle, these brushes are best for corners, woodwork, moulding, and other surfaces that demand detail work.
Q. What paintbrush should you use when cutting in?
A. When cutting into corners, use a brush that can handle fine detail work.
The bristles of an angled sash paintbrush are cut at an angle. These brushes are best for corners, woodwork, moulding, and other surfaces requiring detail work.
Q. What is the best paintbrush to avoid leaving streaks?
A. To avoid leaving streaks, consider using a paintbrush with soft nylon and polyester bristles or White China bristles.
Soft nylon and polyester bristles provide extra flex for smooth application, leave few brush marks, and have excellent paint capacity.
Paintbrushes with natural White China bristles are ideal for woodwork, enamels, and marine applications, and virtually eliminate brush marks.
Q. What paintbrush gives the smoothest finish?
A. If you’re looking for a paintbrush that gives an ultra-smooth finish, you have a few options.
Machine-distressed bristles provide a more even finish because they enable the brush to hold more paint. Machine-distressed tips are a different colour than the rest of the bristles and appear frizzy.
A foam brush will also provide a smooth finish on cabinetry, furniture, trim, and more.
Q. How often should you replace paintbrushes?
A. The need to replace your paintbrushes depends on the quality of the brushes and how well they are maintained.
When you buy a new brush, save the cardboard wrapper; it is designed to keep the bristles from splaying after washing. Properly cleaning and storing paintbrushes will help them last through multiple uses.
