To Brush Or Roll

Painters Plus

Just wondering if all you painters brush or roll doors and garage doors. I read once all woodwork and doors should always be brushed. I know if I paint a steel garage door with a brush it looks different than if i used a roller. What is the correct way here?

George Z

There is no correct way, it depends which look you or your customer wants

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phinsher

I agree with George. If it's been previously painted I'll usually stick with the previous application method. Living in an older area most people here tend to like the brushed look on trim and doors.

Woz the Painter

Around here, all high-end residential trim gets painted by brush, weather it's interior or exterior. Interior can be rolled on and layed off with a brush, but you must use a foam wizzy, no lint or hair allowed. Exteriors you can have a fuzzy roller and lay off with a brush. But if it's already been rolled, what difference does it make?

Humble Abode

Are you talking raw wood or repaints?

I think the idea behind brushing raw wood is to work the primer into the pours. That can be acheived with a roller too. I usually brush and roll doors, especially if I have more than one.

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Peter B

I usually spray all my doors, it leaves a perfect finish everytime, no brush marks and faster if there are a lot of doors.

painterofeveryt

I am with you , I spray all my doors, especially if there are more then one...

Woz the Painter

Does this include inside doors in occupied homes or offices? Seems like masking, covering furniture etc. would negate any time savings from spraying!

Humble Abode

If you're going to spray a door you have to take iot down and take it somewhere to be sprayed. If you're lucky it's your shop or garage. Otherwise the back yard and some tarps will do...

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Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. Kurt Vonnegut, (1922 - 2007) from the Novel 'Hocus Pocus'
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Milwaukee Painting Contractor

Woz the Painter

SAy your doing an office repaint, occupied office, that has 40 doors and frames, would you take them all off, load them on your truck, take them to your shop spray them, haul them back and rehang them? Or just take and brush and roll them with a mohair sleeve?

Humble Abode

Yes. It's great you can smoke and swear. You're not anywhere near a cubicle, and you can spray which is easier that brush/roll all round.

The frames i would brush...


No Unless I had 5 or more employees.

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Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. Kurt Vonnegut, (1922 - 2007) from the Novel 'Hocus Pocus'
The NAPP
Milwaukee Painting Contractor

Woz the Painter

You can still smoke and swear in some offices, and sometimes their is unbelievable scenery around, if you know what I mean!

Humble Abode

I guess it would have to come down to transport. At the moment I would have trouble transporting 40 doors without renting a trailor... And I am sure not emptying my van.. I can barely bring myself to clean it.

Ideal situation for spraying these 40 doors, for me would be to lay tarps and spray them in the parking lot.

Do you have 40 doors to paint or is this just a hypothetical? Not that it matters...

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Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. Kurt Vonnegut, (1922 - 2007) from the Novel 'Hocus Pocus'
The NAPP
Milwaukee Painting Contractor

Woz the Painter

I've done hundreds of jobs with 40 or more doors to paint and many times spraying is not an option. If you know how to brush and roll them, they look great, and you'll take less time than taking them off, moving them, spraying them, rehanging them, plus when your dealing with doors that weigh over a 100 pounds, your back will thank you. I worked on the new International Terminal at O'hare in the early 90's, we brushed and rolled over 1800 doors and frames, 3 coats

Humble Abode

How long did that take? When you finished the last one did the first need repainting?

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Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. Kurt Vonnegut, (1922 - 2007) from the Novel 'Hocus Pocus'
The NAPP
Milwaukee Painting Contractor