I hate gloss paint!

[RizzoTheRat]

My banisters are 40ish mm wooden poles varying from under a meter to about 3 meters long, and I have 10 of the things to paint.

I'm using a DIY shed own brand water based gloss, which I accept is probably not going to work as well as a better quality paint, but I can't seem to get rid of the brush strokes. Any tips?

I've got them off the wall, sanded the old paint to get rid of the runs the previous owner had left on them, and have hung them from a couple of trestles so I can rotate them to get at the underside. I've been painting in 6" or so lengths, getting the paint on first and then light strokes to smooth it down.

If I dilute a water based paint a bit will it smooth out better without ending up with runs everywhere?

[Simon_GH]

I find brush stroke marks correct themselves if left alone. I wonder whether you’re working the paint too much and removing some of it which is leaving marks? I wouldn't dilute because I think it would run more easily. Perhaps put your brush and pain smaller areas with each dip of paint. I found decent quality brushes make a big difference - the soft end bristles smooth the paint without too much effort.

[swanseaboydan]

Foam roller - every time

[StevieBee]

I used aerosol paints on mine - applied about 10 years ago and has held up exceptionally well. I can't remember the brand but there's plenty to choose from. I think I may have sprayed a coat of gloss sealant on it as well.

Bit of a faff - especially if what you're painting is fixed in place but well worth the effort.

[shtu]

RizzoTheRat said:

DIY shed own brand water based gloss

For me, that's the biggest problem. I've tried water-base gloss previously and found it to be awful to work with, where oil-based is much easier once you get the technique. Not too much at once, let the paint flow, and use the trick of "laying-off", leaving the paint to settle and then very lightly brush over without adding paint.

[M400 NBL]

Satin wood and a brush with bristle that aren't too stiff works for me.

[ARH]

Go to your local decorators merchant and ask them for a recommendation, you will then get a paint that is easy to use with good coverage.

Also as suggested with water based paint if you try to remove the brush strokes by overworking it you will just end up with a worse finish. Also a decent brush suitable for water based paint is helpful. Water based paint is fine, but it dries quick so can't be messed about with.

[RustyNissanPrairie]

https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/floetrol/

[Fastpedeller]

I used to detest painting, and then I decided to brush paint my car. Friends thought I'd had it professionally sprayed. I now enjoy painting. These are key:-
Good prep of surface - dust down after sanding, then use tack rags and don't apply any paint until the day after because there will be dust in the air.
Good brushes (as already mentioned by someone above) and good paint. Do not use quick drying paints as these will leave brush marks. The worst are those thixotropic (thick & horrible) gloss paints. I suggest either a 'full gloss' from one of the major brands - beware some 'gloss' paints are now water based.
Better still ..... Craftmaster paints in Over, Cambridgeshire sell coachpaint, and it is excellent. Traditional paint that will take several hours to dry completely.
See Youtube videos on how to coachpaint. Too many people overwork paint (also mentioned above) - The correct amount applied quickly, tipped out and
then onto the next bit just touching back into the previous part. It's very satisfying, and with excellent results.
The only caveat.... If you want white paint, water-based is better (over time) because there is no oil content to go yellow.

[langtounlad]

^ what RNP recommended every time - will make up for a lack of skill

[JoshSm]

RustyNissanPrairie said:

https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/floetrol/

This.

Also if you have them de-mounted you could think about using an HVLP sprayer?

[Fastpedeller]

Here's some gloss on my Daughter's House (her colour choice!)

[Mark Palmer]

I only use satin/matt water based, gloss is nasty. Depending on what and where I'm painting it, I use either a flock type 4" roller for flat areas, soft brush for edges and detail areas or HVLP sprayer and only solvent based paints. My favourite paint for spraying is an ACL (acid catalysed lacquer) 2 part paint intended for furniture, it has teflon in it and is very hard wearing, designed for kitchen cabinet carcasses, it's very easy to spray, gives a superb finish but the spraymist, smell and fumes are a bit nasty. Dries in 20 mins as well.
As already mentioned, prep is key, and I like to use panel wipe on paint (not bare wood) and a tack cloth before applying top coats regardless of application metgod

[Simpo Two]

A foam brush will leave a good finish without brush marks, as long as the paint isn't too thick. I use them for varnish when the finish is important.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brushes-Applying-Paint-St...

[Cheib]

RustyNissanPrairie said:

https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/floetrol/

People that supplied our kitchen sent a contractor round to paint the final coat in situ. Finish is incredible, looks like it’s been sprayed. He used Benjamin Moore paint which as I’ve discovered is bloody expensive but it’s also very good. They do a paint called Scuff-X which is for high traffic areas available in different finishes.

He added a product like this (probably this ?!) as part of the application.

They also supplied some cabinets for a boot room…different contractors did the paint. Finish wasn’t in same league so they had to send the kitchen bloke back.

[POIDH]

RizzoTheRat said:

I'm using a DIY shed own brand water based gloss, which I accept is probably not going to work as well as a better quality paint, but I can't seem to get rid of the brush strokes. Any tips?

This is the issue.

[RizzoTheRat]

swanseaboydan said:

Foam roller - every time

Would a foam roller work ok on round profile?

shtu said:

For me, that's the biggest problem. I've tried water-base gloss previously and found it to be awful to work with, where oil-based is much easier once you get the technique. Not too much at once, let the paint flow, and use the trick of "laying-off", leaving the paint to settle and then very lightly brush over without adding paint.

I find oil based a pain in the arse to clean though, I've only got space to paint 2 rails at a time so doing a couple of coats means at least 10 days so cleaning everything every time is a ball ache.

RustyNissanPrairie said:

https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/floetrol/

Is mixing this with basic paint going to be better than just buying a better paint?

JoshSm said:

Also if you have them de-mounted you could think about using an HVLP sprayer?

I don't really fancy trying to spray inside the house, that sound like a recipe for disaster, and it's bloody windy round here so can't really do it outside either.

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Wednesday 29th April 11:24

[trevalvole]

RizzoTheRat said:

My banisters are 40ish mm wooden poles varying from under a meter to about 3 meters long, and I have 10 of the things to paint.

{snip}

I've been painting in 6" or so lengths, getting the paint on first and then light strokes to smooth it down.

I don't quite understand the painting in 6" lengths. My feeling is that you should be painting them in one go and as quickly as possible with the biggest brush that is sensible, with any smoothing-out strokes going from the most recently-applied paint to that which is drying. I may be missing something, though.

[RizzoTheRat]

It looks like I can get Sikkens, Flexa, Histor, Sigma, Wijzonol or the own brands from my local place, Sikkens and Histor being the ones I've heard of before, any views on quality of any of those paint brands?

To be honest I'm not after perfection, these are in stair wells with no natural light so imperfections don't show up that well, but it would be nice to get it smoother than I've managed so far. Tempted to see if I can get some of that Flotrol stuff to dilute a bit with, but only seems to be available by the litre which seems excessive.

trevalvole said:

RizzoTheRat said:

My banisters are 40ish mm wooden poles varying from under a meter to about 3 meters long, and I have 10 of the things to paint.

{snip}

I've been painting in 6" or so lengths, getting the paint on first and then light strokes to smooth it down.

I don't quite understand the painting in 6" lengths. My feeling is that you should be painting them in one go and as quickly as possible with the biggest brush that is sensible, with any smoothing-out strokes going from the most recently-applied paint to that which is drying. I may be missing something, though.

I suspect I described it badly, rather than doing a full length of 3 meters of pole but only covering a quarter of the circumference, then rotating it a bit and doing another 3 meters, I've been doing 6" or so all the way around the pole and then moving on to the next 6", so I'm not brushing over any paint that's been there for more than a few seconds.

[chili1]

Highly recommend Axus decor wood finishing roller lime series. Fantastic results when I used with Johnstones aqua guard range of water based paint.