Paintbrushes: which paintbrush do you use for what?

The paint is bought, let’s get started! But, which paint brush do you use for what? What types of brushes are there to choose from? And what is the difference in paintbrushes?

Steel Blue Fresco kalkverf Pure & Original

What types of paintbrushes are available?

When you start painting, never just grab the first best brush from the shed, or from the shelf in the store. Always check which type of paint you are going to work with and whether your brush is suitable for it. Good to remember: paintbrushes with a wooden handle are professional brushes that, with proper maintenance, can last for years. Brushes with a plastic handle are disposable brushes, the hairs fall out quickly and they are often difficult to clean.

In general you can distinguish brushes in 5 different categories: brushes for water-based paint, brushes for oil-based paint, lime brushes, spalters, goat paw brushes.

  • Brushes for water-based paint: these are the brushes in the Pure & Original Non-paint range. Brushes for water-based paint have soft synthetic bristles (or a mix with natural bristles) which ensure a nice flow of water-based (lacquer) paint.
  • Brushes for oil-based paints: These brushes often have harder bristles than those for water-based paints. If you use a brush for oil-based paint to apply water-based paint, the paint will flow less nicely so that you can continue to see streaks from the brush.
  • Lime brushes: brushes specially designed for the processing of lime-based paints.
  • Spalters: thin flat brushes for applying sealer, lime paint or chalk paint.
  • Goat paw brushes: brushes with a slanted head and a long wooden handle. Also known as radiator brushes.

Do you use a round or flat brush?

Whether you use a round or a flat brush is often just what you like best. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind when purchasing paint material for your job.

A round brush is often used for lacquer paints, with which the lacquer often flows better.
A flat brush is always used for sealers, this can be an ordinary flat brush or a spalter. A flat brush is also generally chosen for applying wall paints.

Block brush or lime brush

A block brush is a wide, thick brush that is often used for painting large surfaces or lime paints.

A lime brush is a brush of the block brush type and has been specially developed for processing lime paint. The use and length of the hairs, the type of hairs and the quality of these contribute to the final end result of the lime paint. For example, the right brush (brush) ensures that the paint comes into its own and the nuances come across well.

For the processing of Fresco lime paint, Pure & Original has the Fresco Pro Lime brush in its range.