General Painting Tips

If you are new to painting or it's been a while since you picked up a brush or roller, Bestt Liebco® offers these simple painting guidelines. Just follow these four easy tips and you can obtain the high-quality results you want.

1. Get prepared to paint. Be sure to have all your equipment together including brushes, roller covers and frames, extension poles, paint tray, drop cloth, and masking tape. Cover furniture and exposed surfaces to protect them from paint splatters. You may want to apply tape to the trim to protect it or wipe the baseboards and trim with water to make splatter cleanup easy.

2. Selecting the proper tools. Step one is selecting the right paint brush or roller cover.
   
   

   
   Selecting the right brush and roller is crucial because good quality paint needs to be applied with the correct tools. Cheap brushes can lose bristles and spread paint unevenly. The challenge is that most paint brushes look the same on the outside; it's the materials and the way the brush is constructed that count.
   
   Use a brush that has:

   • Solid steel ferrule
   • Synthetic filaments for latex paints and Natural Bristle for oil-based paints that allow the paint to flow evenly to the wall
   • Plug which creates a paint reservoir to allow for even flow

   Typically, you'll need two brushes, a narrow 1 to 1-1/2" angle brush for trim and small spaces and a larger 2-1/2 to 3-inch flat brush for walls. The Like a Pro™ brush is our most popular brush as it works with all types of paints.
   
   A roller cover should be crafted of high quality material and be lint-free. In addition, the nap of the cover should match the texture of the surface you are painting. You can find this information on the product label. The Like a Pro™ 9" x 3/8" roller cover is a good option for covering smooth surfaces and our Perfect Touch™ 9" x 3/4" roller cover is a good option for textured surfaces like ceilings.

3. Use your brush correctly and efficiently. The best way to load a paint brush is to dip the brush about an inch or two into the paint and then gently tap the brush against both sides of the paint can. Don't wipe the brush against the side of the paint can; it will cause paint to dry up on the brush and the lip of the can, creating dry paint balls that end up in the paint and on the substrate.
   
   Cutting in is easy if you use a high-quality paint brush and follow these simple rules:

   • Fully load the brush with paint.
   • Place the brush parallel to the area to be cut, push the bristles against the surface and let the brush open up into a semi oval. Then move it into the line you are cutting. Follow the line until the line of paint begins to break up. Repeat.

   If you are not comfortable cutting in with a brush, you can always use special painters tape to ensure you get a straight line.
   
   Once you have finished painting around all the edges in the room, you can begin rolling. Or, if you prefer, use a large paint brush to complete the project.

4. Use your roller correctly and efficiently. To load the roller, pour paint into the pan. Dip the roller about one-quarter of the way into the paint and roll it along the grooves of the pan to load. Next, dip the roller half way into the paint and again roll along the grooves of the pan to load. Repeat this process two more times until the roller is saturated or loaded with paint.
   
   Begin rolling the wall by creating a "v" shape. Fill the shape and roll smoothly from top to bottom. If the roller cover was loaded properly, you should get about 6-12 square feet of coverage from each dip. Professional painters also use rollers on extension poles to quickly and easily paint walls and ceilings. Never let your roller cover run dry.

   
   
   Be sure to allow adequate time for the paint to dry, before removing any masking tape or moving furniture and pictures back into place.
   
   We hope you found our instructions helpful and that you now feel confident to paint your walls and obtain the high-quality appearance you desire.
   
   Learn how to properly clean and store your paint brushes and rollers.