| Non-professional painters like the most of us do | | | | paints and synthetic-bristle brushes for latex or |
| not know which are the right type of brushes and | | | | water-based paints. |
| rollers to buy for our paint job. This guide hopes | | | | 4. For painting large areas, buy a flat 3- to 5-inch |
| to give you some tips on how to buy the correct | | | | brush; for wood-work and other trim, a 1- to |
| brush and roller, so that it can help you paint with | | | | 2-inch brush is best. |
| ease: | | | | 5. Rollers are available up to 18 inches in length - |
| 1. To test a brush before buying it, slap the | | | | the larger the roller, the faster you will cover your |
| bristles against the palm of your hand. If it fails to | | | | wall space. There are also smaller rollers, 2 to 3 |
| spring back into shape and bristles fall out, select | | | | inches wide that are handy for trim. |
| a better grade brush. | | | | 6. Pick the roller with the correct pile for the job. |
| 2. One way to judge the quality of a paintbrush is | | | | The general rule is the smoother the surface, the |
| to examine its bristles for split ends known as | | | | thinner the pile. The proper roller will hold the paint, |
| "flags". These enable the brush to retain more | | | | instead of allowing it to dribble down as you work. |
| paint and spread it more uniformly. On good | | | | 7. Like brushes, roller covers also vary in quality. |
| brushes, at least half the bristles are flagged. | | | | Poor-quality ones will frequently mat or shed |
| 3. Use natural-bristle brushes for alkyd or oil-based | | | | fibers. |