Painting and Decorating tools, tips, chat and how to videos.

Sunday 25 September 2016

Old paint brushes versus new brushes for cutting in with paints

My hand trimmed brushes compared with old worn brushes

If you are a pro decorator you may be lucky to have some worn down brushes for use with cutting in tasks

They can take forever to wear down and once they have become the right shape the stock and handle of the brushes are pretty tired, the bristles are often clogged and crusty.


Bad example!


My version


Spot the difference


looks a bit tired!

My version

Our own brand of brushes are now available from Ebay where i usually sell modified hamilton perfection brushes.

Or alternatively we now supply brushes called the edge paint brush to the decorating warehouse Edge brushes from the decorating warehouse

If you have ever wondered how the professional decorator gets those neat straight lines and edges when painting the secret is they sometimes use a worn down paint brush or "cutting in" brush specifically for this task
The Edge paint brush range has been created exclusively for us to provide our customers with a brand new paint brush capable of getting that all important professional finished look
these clever painting tools can make this task a cinch
edge brushes can be used for painting against glass on Georgian or sash windows, the edges of woodwork on door frames or skirting boards also you can get those all important neat tidy lines with emulsion paints and coloured varnishes!
each brush is carefully crafted and modified by hand by a professional decorator so be assured these tools are not mass produced, our supplier is based locally to us and is in fact the creator of this method of modifying brushes

Monday 18 July 2016

Hand trimmed, worn brushes on ebay

A selection of my very own brushes for sale on ebay uk
please take some time to read my feedback from satisfied customers

Thursday 14 April 2016

How to do shabby chic furniture painting

my own video shows you how

I'ts so easy to create your own style just choose a suitable piece of furniture

get some good quality paint and brushes and youre halfway there!

If you need any further advice you can contact me via youtube comments section i'm always happy to help.

How to wallpaper around a socket or light switch

My own video shows my simple step by step technique for this task

I am using a paste the wall wall covering in this easy to follow short video

How to wallpaper around a window reveal

My own video shows my technique for doing this

This video shows the process in step by step order, i am using lining paper you would of course match the paper if it has a pattern

This job presented an oppertunity for me to film against strong contrasting wall colour so i set up the camera i think its usefull to make a visual reperesentation of the task which some might otherwise struggle with

Which paint brushes do i recommend?

A question i often get asked via you tube

"Hi which is the best brush to use"?

"Hi which roller sleeves do you recommend"?

Well it can be a difficult question to answer because i am a professional decorator i will pay a premium price for my tools simply because i want them to last and be robust enough for daily use.

For use in oil based painting tasks i need a firm bristle brush, i would therefore buy a Hamilton perfection pure bristle brush.

For a synthetic filament brush a Purdy monarch elite would be my weapon of choice

How much will i pay? i tend to buy box sets rather than single brushes as this offers good value its just common sense a five brush box set of Hamilton perfection brushes will cost around £26.00 a set like that would contain 1x 1" 2x 1.5" and 2x 2" brushes the combination of sizes can vary it a no brainer .Why try to buy cheap brushes that may look the part but will simply fall apart in use!

Brushes are expensive because of the components used IE stainless steel stocks do not rust and rot after a few months, wooden handles are suitable for vapour box storage and are comfortable they expand and contract keeping the connection between stock and handle tight.

good quality bristles (black china) are an expensive natural product and are hard to source according to a brush manufacturer raising hogs is an expensive business for Chinese farmers and bristles are a by product of the slaughter process of these valuable animals.

Quality products cost a little more but its worth the extra investment why be disappointed after spending your hard earned cash?

Even if you only intend to use brushes a few times a year buying a good product, storing and cleaning your tools properly will give you years of use.

Personal choice is an important factor to mention as no two decorators would say the same or make the choices i might.

Gimmicks gizmo's and gadgets and trends to make painting easier I'm no Luddite i will try and enjoy trying new products i recently asked a brush manufacturer why they sell synthetic filament brushes in different colours and what is the difference between them? there is no difference he said! its just branding and marketing so don't be fooled.

Monday 21 September 2015

list of the best places to buy painting and decorating tools wholesale in the UK

My list of some smaller independant suppliers where you can buy both trade and retail painting and decorating tools, paints wallpapers at wholesale prices.

Each entry will have a brief overview of the kind of products you can buy as some are more trade than retail in supply

This list is by no means extensive of all independent suppliers

but should provide a use full reference

Over time i will add more stores and update on any changes

Mypaintbrush .....

Award winning web site based in the midlands all leading brands of brushes and tools trade based quality and always have some new innovative products to promote also the home of the distinctive FOX brush brand

Also supply fillers, abrasives, rollers, hand tools and accessories

A great source of good quality trade tools

free delivery over £50.00 free t shirt orders over £70.00 free brush comb when you spend over £20.00 on Fox products.

Decoratingdirect.....

Trade based suppliers based Middlesbrough A very broad range of brushes tools rollers with prices to suit all pockets they also sell access equipment and most sundries useful to the pro decorator and diy.

some trade paints, floor coatings, masonry, primers etc also do Sadolin stains lining papers and an extensive range of thermal liners.

very good extensive site with some great brushes.

free delivery orders over £45.00

Trade1st...

Located in Cheshire very crisp responsive site selling all leading brands of tools brushes and sundries has a nice top ten featuring best sellers on each page.

A good broad range of trade and retail brands which are easy to locate from the brand image scroller on the home page not a great deal in the way of paints but they do have some usefull primers and damp proofers

free delivery orders over £50.00

Decoratingwarehouse...

based in Nottingham large range of all paints and wallpapers probably the largest online! all leading paint brands and sundries most but not all of the brushes and rollers are geared towards the retail market .