| As you shop for new paintbrushes for your painting | | | | toughest available. A nylon brush will last a lifetime. |
| project, you may notice that they aren’t all made | | | | However, its performance may not make you very |
| with the same material. Some are more expensive | | | | happy. This brush tends to create a finish that isn’t |
| than others, so you’re just going to go with the | | | | as nice as other materials. It is best used on textured |
| cheapest brush and not worry about what it is made | | | | walls, since the final look won’t be as smooth |
| with, right? Actually, different materials can really affect | | | | anyway. |
| how well your job turns out. | | | | Polyester brushes work a lot more like natural fibers |
| Natural Brush Fibers | | | | than some of the other synthetic fibers. They pick up |
| If your painting project involves oil based paint, you’ll | | | | more paint and create a smoother coat. However, |
| usually want to look for paintbrushes made with natural | | | | they aren’t as sturdy as some other fibers, which is |
| fibers. Most natural brushes are made with long hog or | | | | why brushes often are a combination of polyester and |
| ox hair. The reason these brushes work so well with | | | | another synthetic fiber instead of pure polyester. |
| oil based paints is that they do not become limp or | | | | These brushes are pretty easy to clean, so if the |
| misshapen when they are dipped in the paint. The | | | | bristles hold up, you can use them over and over again. |
| same cannot be said of water based paint. Natural | | | | There is one type of synthetic fiber that works as well |
| fibers tend to absorb moisture and water based paint | | | | as natural fibers for oil based paints. Chinex bristles are |
| has plenty of moisture to be absorbed, which causes | | | | able to handle the weight of the paint just fine and do |
| the brush to be much less effective. | | | | a great job. In addition, they can handle water based |
| Because natural fibers are so soft, these brushes | | | | paints, because the synthetic fibers don‘t absorb |
| create a beautiful finish when they are used with oil | | | | water like natural fibers do. If you are planning to |
| based paints. With proper care and cleaning, they can | | | | switch back and forth between paint types, you’ll |
| be reused for many different projects. | | | | want to look for brushes made with these synthetic |
| Synthetic Brush Fibers | | | | brush fibers. |
| Nylon brush fibers are one of the strongest and | | | | |