Which brush do I use?

Number 1:  Yes, I know you didn’t know Wilson Lumber sells paint.  But we do.

Number 2:  One very common question people have with painting projects is how to choose a brush for it. There are a lot of brushes out there.

It’s not complicated.  Really there are only two variables.  One is the type of surface you’re painting and the other is what type of paint you’re using.  This blog will cover what to choose based on what type of paint you’re using.

The good news is, there are only two types of paint.  Well, that’s not fair at all.  There are boatloads of “types” of paint.  What I mean is that when it comes to choosing a brush, there is either water based paint, or oil based paint.  And oil based isn’t used near as much as it used to be but that’s another blog.

First, oil based pains or stains.  You should use a Natural Bristle brush (meaning the bristles came off of something alive, like a Long-haired Chinese Hog.  No, I’m not kidding).  Why?  Two main reasons.  1. Because they hold a lot of paint or stain and 2. they are very soft so the paint goes on smooth.

So then it would always be better to use a use a Bristle brush right?  Well, no.  The soft Bristles are nice, but a natural brush soaks in water.  So if you use one with water based paint, it will be more like mopping than brushing.

So for a water based paint, you should use a synthetic (or Nylon & Polyester) brush.  They stay nice and stiff for easier painting and they clean easy.

I guess it goes without saying that there are many different qualities within these two categories.  And that the nicer the brush you buy, the easier the painting goes, and the better it looks when you’re done.  I could get into the differences between each of them but how about this?  When you come here to buy your paint 🙂 ask our paint guy.

I should mention here that we are very happy to be partnered with Wooster for our brushes.  We have enjoyed a great relationship with them and are happy to sell their products with full knowledge of their great quality.

Sadly, we do not have a paint page on our website yet (we’ve only sold paint for about 50 years), but give us a call (256-852-7411) or come by the store for more information.

 

The problem(s) with projects

In Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable about a guy who decides to build a tower.  But then once he gets started he realizes he did not “count the cost” properly and cannot finish it.

There are two issues that are consistent with home projects.  But the antidote to them both is this, know what you’re getting in to.

Problem #1. There will always be more work involved than you think.

Recently I replaced the flooring in my sons room.  I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself.  I decided to use that interlocking stuff that you don’t have to nail down and doesn’t require glue or special tools and all that.  Seemed like a really good idea at the time…

Long story short, had I just rented the tools and bought traditional nail down flooring, the project would have taken half as long and my knees might still be usable.

Problem #2. It  will always be more expensive than you think.

A few weeks ago I went to measure a door for a customer who only wanted to replace the door slab (meaning to leave the frame in place and just replace the door itself).  Well, this is no problem and we do it all the time.  When I got there however, the bottom of their frame was rotten.  I stuck my finger right through it, which I felt kind of bad about because it looked kind of silly then but it had to be replaced anyway.

Now, they wouldn’t have known to look for that as the paint was still finely adhered to the rotted wood.  But since I’ve seen a few, I knew it as soon as I saw it.

Don’t panic!  Like I said, there is an antidote.  And the antidote is knowledge.  Sometimes it’s not easy to know what you’re getting into before you start.  There’s rot hidden that you can’t see, or there’s a water leak you didn’t know about, or its not as easy to install as the sales guy at the store made it sound, or etc.

My best advice is this.  If you’re like me, pay somebody to do it 🙂

But if you’re a project person, do some studying first.  What am I telling you?  If you’re reading this blog, you probably already do that.  So keep doing it.  And don’t be afraid to call us with questions or visit us on the web.