All About Brushes: Natural and Synthetic Bristles
Transcript:
The paint brush aisle can be a little daunting if you don't paint everyday. Let's try to clear up some of the confusion. I'm Dan Hansen and this is a minute at RepcoLite Paints sponsored by Benjamin Moore.
For the next few days I'll break down some of the key characteristics of paint brushes and why one may be better for your project than another. Today let's start right at the beginning with the big picture: brushes generally fall into two main categories—brushes with natural bristles and brushes with synthetic bristles. Natural bristle brushes, often called china bristle brushes, are made from animal hair like hog or ox hair. These brushes are best suited for oil-based paints and varnishes.
You don't want to use a natural bristle brush with water-based paint. Water causes the natural bristles to swell, lose their shape, and ultimately ruin both the brush and the paint job.
For water-based paints, synthetic bristles are the way to go--though many synthetic bristles are suitable for all paints. Either way, the main synthetic materials you'll see are polyester, nylon, and Chinex and brushes often combine two or more of these materials to offer different characteristics. I'm Dan Hansen and that's a Minute at RepcoLite.
