OUR PROS

CATY SAVILLE Johnson Specialty Painters JohnsonSpecialtyPainters.com

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JACOB WRIGHT Pro-Vision Painting ProVisionPaints.com

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Jacob Wright

This Jacksonville, Florida-based project manager oversees crews who specialize in residential interiors and exterior repaints. Wright’s workhorse brush on interiors is the Purdy ClearCut Elite Cub. It’s easy to clean and offers plenty of durability, he said. He keeps his crews stocked with angled 3" brushes for larger surfaces and 1" varieties for tight spaces.

“It’s a stiff-bristled brush that’s great for tight lines,” he noted. “We do a lot of fine finish work, and the brush almost does the work for you because the bristles don’t move. It’s a great all-purpose brush for acrylic paints.”

He’ll also turn to the Purdy Chinex Elite Glide brush for oil-based coatings.

“The Chinex is actually built like an exterior brush because of how well the bristles clean up,” he added. “We’ll even use it for window trim and millwork on exteriors and garage doors.”

His workhorse roller cover is a 14" Purdy Colossus in a 1/2" nap.

“It’s easy to manipulate because it doesn’t take on too much paint. You can use it on walls, ceilings, and even to back-roll after spraying stucco on exteriors,” Wright explained. “The 14" allows us to have fewer strokes on the wall, and you can really spread the paint farther than with a 9." The only slight change we’ll make from time to time is we’ll use a 3/4" nap on a ceiling if we feel we need better penetration.”

For small areas such as bathrooms, his crews will also turn away from the 14" roller cover and go with a 9" Purdy Ultra Finish in a 1/2" nap. For very tight areas, he also likes either their 4" Colossus Jumbo Mini or their Whiz Microfiber

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STEVE ADICKES Adix Painting AdixPainting.com

3 Paul Schmidt

This Chicago-based pro has been in the industry for nearly 40 years and focuses on residential interior and exterior repaints; about 15% of his business also comes from multifamily projects.

A 2-1/2" angled Corona Red-Gold Nylon/Polyester Blend Cortez is his go-to all-purpose brush, and he’ll shift to the 1" or 1-1/2" Cortez for tight areas and detail work. Schmidt also uses the 3" semi-oval Corona Red-Gold Nylon/Polyester Blend Zane brush for exterior siding panels.

For some fine finish work, he likes rich Fine Paints of Europe coatings. Here, he opts for a Corona China Bristle and Ox-Ear Hair Blend Chicago Loop brush. “We use multiple coats over several days and it washes out easily and works well in those situations,” he added.

When it comes to roller covers on interiors, he prefers a 9" wide, 1/2" nap Wooster 50/50 High Production Wool/ Polyester Blend . He also likes the 4-1/2" 50/50 for exterior siding. But when using paints such as Benjamin Moore Aura, he switches to an ArroWorthy Microfiber 3/8" roller cover. “With Aura, you really have to put it on thinner, otherwise it will sag on you.”

The pro also relies on Zinsser Gardz primer/sealer, a very thin coating that penetrates deep into drywall. In these situations, he turns to a 1/2" nap Wooster Pro/Doo-Z roller cover. “Gardz can be a real problem solver for us, and that woven cover will hold the much thinner, more watery, material better than others,” he emphasized.

4 Steve Adickes

This Arizona-based pro loves to test out new brushes and roller covers, but he has a few go-tos that help keep his unique enterprise running smoothly. Adickes is a residential interior and exterior painter who also offers a ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ service where he teaches the tricks of the trade to homeowners who want to pitch in and help on a project.

When it comes to brushes, Adickes sticks with 2" and 2-1/2" sizes for cutting in but will go with a 3" brush for exterior fascia boards. One of his favorite brushes for both interior and exterior work is a Wooster Ultra/Pro Firm with a rattail handle. “It releases nicely and leaves a nice, smooth, even finish,” he said.

Always exploring other options, one of his recent discoveries has been the 2" Trylon Thin Angled Sash brush, a solid option for acrylic paints on both interiors and exteriors. “It’s a nice and firm brush you can cut in really well with.” He also likes the Purdy Syntox Flat brush for clear coats and the Purdy Pro-Extra Glide as a stiffer option that tolerates the extreme desert heat and minimizes brush lines on doors.

Pioneer is another go-to brand for Adickes. The pro specifically likes Pioneer Spirit Window Rechampir, a round brush ideal for precision painting that comes in 15- to 32-mm sizes. He has found that these brushes make cutting in tops of baseboards and other curved surfaces such as raised panel doors easier for homeowners he coaches. The Summit Precision brush is another Pioneer option that works well for low-VOC paints with their faster dry times and less flowing and leveling.

The pro’s workhorse roller cover is a 9" Purdy Pro-Extra Colossus in either 3/8," 1/2" or 3/4" nap sizes.

Made non-shedding woven fabric, the ArroWorthy Microfiber 3/8" roller cover is a solid choice for paints and stains, especially new lowVOC coatings.

“The Colossus is extremely durable and is designed for repeated use. I love the amount of paint it will hold, and when painting ceilings you can cover wall to wall in one pass on your typical 12' x 12' room,” he said.

Adickes will also turn to the Wooster Microfiber roller cover when working with high-solid products such as Benjamin Moore SCUFF-X. However, microfiber rollers can perform poorly in hot environments such as the Arizona desert because of low humidity, warm surfaces and fast dry times.

“Roller pans and cut buckets must be covered with a wet rag and at times misted with water to keep paint workable,” he added. -