A union painter told me to never trust a brush that costs less than $12. I learned the hard way.

About a year back I was trying to save some cash on a big repaint job for a house in Oak Park. I grabbed a pack of those cheap throwaway brushes from the hardware store, like 4 for $8 or something. First room looked okay but by the second I was picking bristles out of the paint every 10 minutes. Then the ferrule started slipping on one and a glob of paint shot onto a brand new hardwood floor. My crew lead just shook his head and handed me a Purdy from his truck. That brush cost $14 but it laid down paint perfect for 6 straight rooms without a single stray hair. Has anyone else found that the expensive brush pays for itself in frustration saved?

3 comments

3 Comments

mia_singh2418d ago

Honest question though, is picking a few bristles out of paint really that big of a deal or are we just making a hobby feel more dramatic than it has to be?

fiona_sullivan2918d ago

Had a buddy who spent 3 hours retouching a single door because he kept finding little bristle hairs after each coat. By the end he was just standing there with tweezers like a surgeon. @xenarobinson is right, it's that cheap brush tax you didn't know you signed up for. I just switched to those high density foam rollers for trim work and haven't looked back. Still get the occasional fuzz but nothing like the cheap bristle massacre.

xenarobinson18d ago

Have you ever tried to explain to a homeowner why there's a single blue bristle embedded in their freshly painted white trim? Because I have, and let me tell you, "Sorry, that's just the cheap brush tax" doesn't go over as well as you'd think. Ngl, picking bristles is like finding a hair in your food - yeah you can remove it, but the whole experience is ruined.