Cutting in - brush thickness

[mouk]

I need to paint a house.

I went into Brewers (trade decorating shop) and asked for the tools I needed to do my mist coat.

For cutting in the guy suggested a very thin brush and to take the roller right up to the edge of the wall..

Now I see that you might use a thick brush and then take the roller as close as you can to the wall - overlapping the brush mark (so as to leave as little brush marks on the wall as possible).

However,the brush I got is so thin (maybe an inch?) that it will be a challenge for an amateur like to to get the roller so close without bumping the nearby wall - maybe not so important for the mist coat where you will run around doing everythign quickly - maybe more important for final coat where you may not want the roller to touch the other wall.

Is such a small brush standard for cutting in and am I over thinking it? I can alwaysbuy another brush.

By the way on a mist coat - is it ok to do all the cutting in for a whoel room and then roll it - or because it will dry quickly, are you better of cutting in each wall as you go so you don't end up paiting over paint that is already dry?

 

[misterhelpful]

You were given poor advice, and it sounds like you know it. Using a small brush for cutting in is much harder, more time consuming, and more likely to give you an uneven edge. Use a good quality 2½" or 3" brush for misting and finishing, and roll as close as possible to the ceiling/other walls to minimise brush marks, as you suggest. Using the bigger brush allows you to drag the paint more evenly, and in a straighter line, than with a small brush.

As for cutting in, I always work one wall at a time and it always blends in much better. Cutting in the whole room can sometimes lead to a little thicker build-up where you overlap the dry paint with the roller, especially for the DIYer, and this can often be seen through the topcoats.

 

[mouk]

Thanks - I did wodner why they sell larger angled brushes - which I presume are always for cutting in.

Whilst you are here - 1 mist coat or 2 - so much different info on the net - guy in Brewers said 1 and an ex decorator I met also said 1.

I spsoe the better question is, is there a way of knowing 1 coat has done the trick?

Is it the cas emost people do 2 because they want a solid white surface to work from whereas 1 mist coat still gives you a see through surface and peopel don't liek the idea of it?

 

[misterhelpful]

Angled brushes are becoming more popular in all sizes now, but when I started decorating they tended to be mainly smaller 'window brushes' for painting wooden windows. A larger sized square brush is still easier to cut in with than a small angled brush, on walls and ceilings.

I only use one mist coat but I always use contract matt as a mist coat. This usually has high opacity and results in a nice solid base, whilst also having the bonus of allowing moisture in new plaster to dry before you use your finish coats. You can use most emulsions to mist with but, within the trade, a good quality contract matt is the most common choice.

A little more info here:
//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/mist-coat-or-pva-bare-surface-basics.425261/

 

[mouk]

Thanks - I am goin to use Leyland contract matt for the mist.

 

[misterhelpful]

Thanks - I am goin to use Leyland contract matt for the mist.

That's fine....just make sure you still dilute it with around 20% water.

 

[Belle427]

Everybody has their preference but i find a 2 inch brush is just about right for me.