How to paint internal walls with a brush?

Noyade

One bedroom. There is too much furniture to move out of the room and no space to fit it outside, so I'm trying a Tetris approach; pushing the furniture into a corner at regular stages. This is gonna take me some time to complete and my thought is with a brush I will save paint (theory) when compared to a roller. One paint shop staff member felt you waste around 300mls with a roller each time you finish with it. But is this a case for Mythbusters? Using a brush, will I be inadvertently applying the paint more thickly?

And any tips/tricks to share with brush wall painting? This is from an old DIY book. I've never seen an 8" brush. I'm using a 4" monarch wall brush.

Cheers.

MitchellMc

Hi @Noyade,

I think the 300ml figure is probably a little pessimistic, but there is certainly some paint left behind in a roller cover, tray and associated equipment each time you pack up. Given you're planning to tackle the room in stages, I can see the logic in sticking with your 100mm Monarch wall brush.

A brush doesn't necessarily mean you'll apply the paint more thickly. Provided you're loading it reasonably and brushing the paint out evenly, the coverage should still be close to the manufacturer's specified rate. The bigger difference will be the finish. A roller leaves a relatively uniform texture, whereas a brush will leave visible brush marks, particularly with low-sheen wall paints and when light hits the wall from the side.

I'd suggest working in manageable sections and keeping a wet edge. Load the brush well without completely drowning it, spread the paint over a small area, then finish with long, light strokes in the same direction. Avoid repeatedly brushing over paint once it has started to tack off, as that's when you'll tend to create heavier brush marks and an uneven finish.

Your 100mm brush is already quite substantial for wall painting. An 8-inch brush would be an impressive bit of equipment to wield around a bedroom, and I suspect your arm might have a few things to say about it after the first wall.

I'd also be interested to hear how the brush-only experiment goes.

Mitchell