As a fellow professional craftsman, I really appreciate your ethic and commitment, not just to the quality of the final product, but your consideration of the whole process, the tools, the client and the world at large. Bravo, sir, bravo!
Been painting for 20 years and you're right about keeping your brushes clean and the sink as well. Wipe it while it's wet and comes right off. Let it dry and it's a real struggle. I've give my guys one chance when it comes to a customers sink and if they don't care and leave one a mess a second time their fired. As far as brushes go if they don't want clean them correctly then they can but me new ones. If they don't want to do that their fired. It may seem harsh but it's the only way I can show them how important it is by showing them how important it is to me. Haven't had to change crews in 5 years and I'm booked 6 months in advance because of the little things. I do clean my brushes a little different but I totally agree with your premise on cleaning them often. I never soak them tho. Thanks for your videos because you do exactly the same work as I do, rock and paint, and I share them with my guys to show them a young guy who has pride and a work ethic. Thanks!
You sound like one hell of a hardass. An employee makes the same mistake twice and you get rid of them? You treat your brushes better than people! Don’t get me wrong, you’ve got to keep your brushes clean, but a young buck’s rookie mistake that would take 5 minutes tops to clean up is a piss poor reason to fire them. If they said the sink was spotless and it wasn’t tho... that’s another story. That’s just how I see it tho. Keep up the hard work.
@@alext2046 guess you've never had to clean a sink the paint has dried up in or had to replace one because a person is to lazy to clean up. I haven't had to hire anyone in over 5 years because all my guys truly care about the finished product and all the small things that separate a paint job from a quality fit and finish.
Les Phillips I’ve cleaned sinks with dried paint on them. What did you do, use your tongue to clean it? If it takes longer than 5 minutes then I’m not sure what the hell was done to that sink or what cleaning supplies you used. Glad you have a good team. You’re still a hardass.
@@alext2046 would you leave you own sink like that? It also depends on the material the sink is made out of. Some are more poris than others and stainless will scratch when all you had to do was wipe it if when it's wet. The job I'm currently working on the customer just spent 12 thousand on counter tops and under counter sinks with pearl inlay. What excuse could u give that customer for not caring about their home? Oh he's just a young buck still learning? As you write them a check for the sink! Lazy people will never work for me and you making excuses for someone not caring is exactly you will get the crumbs and the real painters will be busy till they retire.
I wish there were more people in the trades who took pride in their work. I'm a painter and almost without exception we are repainting over sloppy workmanship. I also wish we had people like the Vancouver Carpenter around here because the drywall work is god awful.
Here's another couple of tips. Always have kitchen towel, cling film, your own dish-soap, and green scourers in your kit. When you've washed a brush, sure, don't put it back in cardboard, but do wrap it in kitchen towel. This will have it keep perfect shape as it dries. (Granted, this is more help with old-fashioned bristle brushes.) If you're pausing, for lunch say, and don't want to waste time cleaning the brush, wrap it in cling-film! (aka Saran wrap). It won't dry out and you can carry right on. I'd be fussy, and clean out paint kettles at the end of the day, and the green scourer was useful for that. But just as important, I'd make sure the customer saw me scouring their sink after washing a brush in it, and there'd be plenty of (my own) dish-washing) liquid involved. I'd regularly get a comment that their sink was cleaner after I'd been washing a brush in it than they'd seen it for ages! Lastly, buy a brush/roller sleeve spinner, and use it to spin the brush dry inside a 5-gallon pail - it'll be almost bone dry when you do. It the bristles spread out when you do this, wrap it in kitchen-towel and leave it to dry fully, it'll come right back. I used to teach painting and decorating, and was frankly, the best damn painter you'd ever meet! And keeping my brushes and other kit clean was not negotiable. This was back in the day when the trade was the most highly respected, not like today. (Including knowing how to make paint yourself, all the physics and chemistry of surface coatings and substrates, paper-hanging, marbling and graining, sign-work, glass etching, french-polishing, the whole bit. Sad that it's all down to tape-and-spray now.)
@@Nellopi22 Nowadays, you're return it to a recycling center. Back when I was working, water-based paints went down the drain with a lot of water after them. Oil-based paint, solvents, and cleaners went into containers (usually old paint cans or solvent containers) then into landfill - makes my hair curl now thinking about just throwing it away. But back then people would look at you funny if you asked how to recycle it.
@@Nellopi22 Add lots of dishwashing liquid to the paint water. Then it can safely be put down the drain. Make sure to do this only with water based paint.
Market Place, a consumer TV show in Canada, had hidden cameras in a home when they called in service guys to fix their broken appliance (fridge, stove etc.). They wanted to see how professional they were. Well, they captured on video one of the service guys releaving himself in the kitchen sink. Yup. Your missing ham slices doesn't seem so outrageous any more. LOL
Great video! I am NOT a painter but a real painter showed me how to clean my brushes with a wire brush a couple years ago, and I am still using those same two paint brushes 2 years later. Only thing I do differently is lay them on a board when I comb them out so I can apply some pressure.
I’ve been a painter going on 10 years and I totally agree with your process. Purdy’s are the best option, even if they are a bit expensive, if you keep them nice and clean they last for quite a while. I also bought these plastic brush holders that you can keep your brush in overnight or even for days, they have a foam seal around the handle and work pretty well.
They're a good option, but I wouldn't say the best. Everyone has their own opinion though. I've got Glidden and Linzer that perform at equal or better levels as Purdy and Wooster. And they're about 5-8 dollars cheaper.
I like the brush/roller spinners to get the water out of a good brush. Wash it as shown- then spin it out into an empty drywall bucket (still go outside though - just in case) ... then I wrap the now-barely-damp bristles in a dry paper towel to return their shape to factory. Been using some of the same Purdy brushes for 10+ years.
At the end of cleaning, to remove the excess water, I curl up my toes and bang the thin side of the brush against my shoe a few times. Then, with the brush handle between both hands, I rub my hands back and forth quickly. Kinda like the motion of using a stick to make a fire. Holding the brush against a solid surface while wire brushing helps with removing the dried stuff.
May I suggest using a brass brush for cleaning your bristles. They are more gentle and won't give your brush wild hairs. Also they won't scratch or leave gray oxidation marks on the bottom of sinks.
Thank you, as always. Every step of my project, youre there with a well done video on how to do it the proper way. A good Canadian who takes pride in his work.
I love Purdy brushes. If you take care of them they'll last years. And they use to be really expensive but with the compitition of Big Box stores they are very reasonably priced now.
I was surprised you didn't use your customers Dawn Soap. I use the dawn soap by squirting some down inside the bruch, then working it in and about the brush, then rising again until clean
Using soap help but if you don’t get 100% of the soap out it will cause bubbles to form in your paint job causing you to need to sand vacuum tac cloth and repaint I do not suggest this
I'm a rookie first time house painter, have never painted a house before and decided to paint my home of 2 years a nice clean vibrant yet suttle colour from the ugly brown colour it was. Now I know why professional painters get paid well, for someone whose never painted a house before, it's hard work and tiring. Whoever painted my house prior which was just before I brought my house, my neighbours told me, did a shit, rough job with lots of streaks in it. I have painted it 3x and I'm stoked and proud of myself. I still have the back to paint, I ran out of paint. Thanks for the brush washing tips, I will do that.
Solid if you're constantly cleaning. Brushes keep a good form for a few days if you wrap them correctly. Turn the wire brush vertical and gently press the bristles against the bottom of the sink when there's excessive paint.
your video is really helpful especially I'm just starting my own in this industry and locate in Van as well, I learn most of the stuff hard way as been site helper/cleaner for 2 years and now u just give out all this tips for free!!!!!!!!!!
If I'm going to break for lunch or whatever, I'll put my brush in a plastic lunch bag or newspaper bag, then wrap it tight. If I'm going to be longer, I'll wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator. Also works good for rollers. Also, when cleaning, I like a little soap. I like Simple Green. Thanks for posting.
Storing in the refrigerator will dry out a brush or roller. People think that just because it's cold that it won't dry as fast but a refrigerator is designed to pull moisture from inside it and will dry a brush completely out very quickly if not sealed properly and if it's sealed properly you don't need it in there in the first place. My local paint Store now carries plastic molded brush and roller cases that snap on and seem to work well for an hour or two. Haven't tried them overnight because why would ya take the chance and just be lazy.
@@attitudeadjusted9027 You're right about a fridge drying things out. I keep it in the plastic bag even in the fridge. I painted several rooms the same color over several days and keeping the roller in a bag and in the fridge caused no problems at all.
@@OldJoe212 I never go home without cleaning everything. I absolutely won't let dirty rollers show up in my work because they do. I charge a premium for my work so I do premium work and I don't get lazy with my tools because it will show up.
Hey brother.. when you soak your brushes it swells the wood up and over time loosens the ferrule and you start losing bristles. Granted it takes awhile.. but it will still shorten the life of your brush. Just FYI.
I always pre-clean my brushes in a bucket. That gets most of the paint off the brush without loading up the plumbing in the customer's house with paint buildup. I dump the bucket outside where it can't hurt anything. Then I use the sink to final clean. Wooster makes a combination comb and wire brush with brass bristles. It's basically the same thing you've got there, but in one tool. I have Purdy brushes I've used for years due to cleaning them promptly and thoroughly with this tool.
I usually just spread out the bristles with my fingers while running them under water. I'm definitely going to have to get one of those bristle combs! I completely agree. There is no reason to be wasteful with tools. I'd rather buy better tools and take care of them than by cheap, crappy tools and treat them as disposable.
Best tip I ever got is too pre-wet your brush with whatever solvent that matches your paint. The idea is that the area right up next to the ferrel is now full but full of clean solvent. Yes, of course, the pre-wet the brush needs to be rid of as much excess solvent as possible, flip it or dry it on a towel or whatever, but the effect preserved. Now when you clean the brush the last little bit of milky solvent will clear up much faster. Try it, it works, brushes clean up faster and last longer.
Yep, that 's how its done. There are a few other points that can help maintain your brushes: 1. Never hold your brush upside down if you can avoid it for any length of time when it has paint on it. The paint will run up the bristles inside the ferrel where you can't clean it out and make the brush stiffen up. Don't store brushes standing on their handles. 2. Use a small amount of dish soap as a final clean when you think you have the paint mostly or completely out. You will be surprised by how much more this gets. Don't forget to do a final rinse after this with clean water. 3. You can often get some of that paint off the outside bristles by gently pinching them between your thumb and finger and using your thumbnail to scrape off the glob of paint. You have to be careful to not permanently bend the bristles doing this, and I generally only do it if there is a lot of paint, not the little you had. 4. As well as slinging the water out of the bristles, you can slap the ferrel of the brush against the palm of your hand to snap the water out of the bristles. This is best done outside, because you may get a little water slapping back in your face if you are too vigorous. This can get the brush mostly dry a lot easier than slinging. (This is also how you do a spatter texture coat using a brush, using paint of course.) 5. Make sure the bristles are flat when they are drying. They will take a set and ruin the brush if you leave the brush standing on the bristles, or bent under something when it is drying.
Everything you said is wrong. I've worked with over a hundred tradesman in the industry. Idk why I feel like explaining myself, but just trust me. Find a a real painters tutorial.
Nice video. I really like a stiff plastic bristled brush verses a metal brush. It works better than you'd think and won't scratch the sink if you put it against it.
Being just a home DIYer, I'd never heard of a painters comb or seen one used, and was getting frustrated with my good brushes getting slowly ruined no matter how carefully I washed them. I paused the video four minutes in and went off and bought myself a nice combination brass brush and comb :D
I'm glad to hear it's okay to clean the brushes in the sink. I was afraid to clog the pipes or something so I stained my concrete and messed up my turf trying to clean outside 😅 fortunately the turf wasn't gonna stay anyways but this helps!
I would recommend not washing your brushes or disposing of paint through a garbage disposal. I just think it’s safer to use a sink without a garbage disposal.
A good trick to keep your brushes clean is prior to starting to paint dip your brush in water and get water in the bristles up under the ferrel. This prevents paint from traveling up and to under the ferrel and drying out.
Thank you. I was well informed and entertained at the same time. Now I know how to clean a paintbrush. I had no idea. I'm Darryl from Kamloops bc here.
As a painter I wish Purdy and Corona brushes would come standard with plastic brush covers instead of those flimsy cardboard covers that get wet and break all the time. I mean their brushes are not cheap and for the price they really ought to have a more durable storing case.
@@samo4648 I inherited my late Uncle's (finish carpenter and general handyman) tools and all of his Purdy brushes had the covers layered in duct tape and Sharpie marker identifying what they were. Super handy!
When I clean paint brushes, I invert the brush in the water stream to flush out all the paint. I move the inverted brush around to rinse all around the brush interior, particularly around the outer edges. I use a steel brush comb as well. I shake out the excess water after cleaning, then hang the brush bristles down to dry. I’ve found that latex primer can be very difficult to completely rinse out. I use cheaper brushes for primer & rinse them out but expect to have to throw them out after several uses.
I was so worried about washing brushes in the sink, but when the water Hose is frozen solid in the winter I had no choice! Ahhhh WATER based paint...duh...I feel silly now.
Great videos so much valuable information, thank you. I think people are wrong about oil based paints. The benefits of latex and others alike are they dry fast and don't stink. Clean ability, durability, and finish goes to oil base esp. with stains. They don't dry fast on your brush and can use an old newspaper with mineral spirits to clean the bulk and then just dip and clean brush. The best thing is the mineral spirits can be re-used just let the pigments and binders fall to the bottom in a sealed container and pour off the top. Rollers are a different story I do not save those, but wrapping them in plastic bag works better with oil base keeping roller wet till job is done even if the job takes a couple days.
Hello Ben. A job recently required I open a brand new Wooster brush as the brush I regularly use was unavailable. I was immediately struck by the far superior cut the new brush left and I was left with two questions: 1. Is the superior cut a function of the brush's brand or newness? 2. If the latter, is it better practice to reserve one brush solely for cutting and use another for painting within the field after cutting so as to 'preserve' that newness? Kind regards and thank you for making these valuable video lessons.
Purdy...All the way! And as for rollers, I have been using a "sheep skin" roller and wash it after every use. It is as good as the day I bought it, and I have used it for years, (homeowner use)....
To get the water out at the end, I flip the bristles across a scrap piece of 2x4 several times - gets the water out AND it will leave streaks on the board if the brush isn’t quite clean.
Another great video! I have enjoyed your drywall patching videos a lot. I am not a professional painter, but my Dad taught me a lot about painting. 1st thing is spend the money on good quality brushes and roller covers and 2nd clean them and they will last a long time. I use Simple Green if the brush has a lot of built up paint and I will be investing in one of those brush combs.
As i got older I understood the need for expensive paint brushes and brush combs. I have a combo brush comb/wire brush. I would only add I would be using some of that Dawn dishwashing liquid. Maybe I' messing up my brushes but after almost all the paint is off I take a little dawn in my hand and work it into the middle of the brush, it has a name, almost like a shaving brush and then rinse it off and comb it out again.
Dig your videos and agree about keeping tools maintained and clean. Just a little fyi from a retired billboard painter that used only oil based enamels, we used the same basic method to keep our high priced lettering brushes clean. Only the main difference was we used naphtha instead of water of course. The pre-soak method in a can of thinner works well and then using the bristle brush to get the bulk out ... then bending the brush in palm of the hand to get the last bits. Then when mostly dry, give the brush an oil dip and wrap in craft paper until needed again. Bee Safe!
VC great job on all your videos. I like to use a little dab of cream rinse before final rinse leaving the bush just wet enough to shape the bristles into a sharp edge. Hang or set brush not to be disturbed till dry. You will have a brush that will trim and cut in like a new one.😉
Thanks man. I'm currently being blamed for a messed up brush (I wasn't the one who cleaned it though). So I figured just to cover my ass I'd, Brush Up 🙃 I REALLY like that brush comb you got, I'm gonna have to get one. Should go a long way towards stomping this dumb argument once and for all 😅
Nobodies tackling the elephant in the room “WHATS UP WITH THOSE FAUX BEAMS”!! You should of wiped off more than your brush on those Ben....and thanks as always for the video.
I bent some wire into a hook that I tighten into a drill chuck and then hook the wire into the hanging hole on the brush (if equipped) then hold it in a garbage can or bucket and spin the drill up. Not too fast, to avoid flinging paint and ripping tinge bristles out, but fast enough to encourage the paint to exnay from the ushbray. Then I wash the rest of it off and fling it to dry. I’m an amateur Handyman/DIYer, so I’m not overly concerned with keeping every brush perfect and pristine. Just enough to keep the bristles clean. I gotta get one of those brush rollers though. I HATE cleaning rollers.
This is a good tutorial but I never use a comb just a steel brush. Also you should be able to go WAY faster and not splatter everywhere. I also don’t have the brush “floating” in the sink. I hold it at the bottom of the sink and intermittently apply pressure to spread the bristles of the brush apart. When I think I’m finished I hold the bristles in my hand and bend them at a 90 degree angle on both sides of the brush. If any paint or water with cloudiness comes out it’s not clean enough.
Dab your brush in water. Rinsing the outside is just nonsense. Dab it by bending it side ways without messing the bristles up. Most of the paint is near the ferrel. Also shake out the brush bu spinning it between hands, and let it dry before using. Dont want a damp brush, they're too soft and do not flag out correctly.
@4:47, you grab hair--squeezing it between thumb and fingers--and slide your fingers gripping as you go, to the end of the hair. This will curl the hair and shorten the life of the brush.
I think it would be helpful to make a video about cleaning drywall tools. Is it safe to wash the extra mud down the drain, or is it going to clog it over time? Best way to wash the tools and get into the little crevasses? Is it bad for the public water? Is it safe to wash mud down the drain if you're on a septic tank?
Here’s how I clean oil paint off brushes. When I first use some paint thinner to clean a brush I pour the dirty solution into a big pickle jar. Over time the paint particles will settle with clean solvent on the top. This I drain off into another glass jar which I label “cleaned paint thinner”. Then I use this to clean another oil paint brush. The sludge will accumulate and I take it to the proper waste disposal facility with other like material. This saves money and is better for the environment.
Up until maybe 7 years ago there was an amazing product called Polyclens. It was a pinkish liguid that totally dissolved paint of any kind. As it did it’s thing it turned milky white. It was great to use to clean your hands too and you would only need a drop or too. It was all water soluble so when you added a little soap and water, everything rinsed totally clean. It was super fantastic and I really miss it! I think it was made by Lepage. The government must have banned it. There is nothing quite the same or as good.
So my first concern is whether or not this is acceptable to the local water district. Second is the this good for the plumbing. A slop sink in a basement might be preferable? Third this is too much water use for me. I'd rather throw them away than use this much water. I live in Vegas. Still good techniques for cleaning brushes.
I'd like to see how you cut in corners. I am not good at cutting in the transition between two different colors at the corner where ceiling meets wall. Any tips?
Tips number 1 thru 12: use a sash brush. A sash brush has the bristles cut at an angle and is designed to do exactly this sort of thing. Ten minutes practice with a good sash brush and you should be able to cut in lines at corners, edges, and on the flat between two colors with no problem at all. Tip number 13: don't have so much paint on the brush that it is dripping. Dip the brush an inch or so into the paint, then wipe one side gently against the edge of the bucket/can/tray. Paint with the wiped side toward the side that you don't want to get paint on. Pull the brush toward the side that you didn't wipe. The idea is to have a reservoir of paint on one side of the brush and feed it under the bristles to the relatively dry side so you don't leave thick streaks and dribbles of paint on the surface you are painting.
Before you try to cut against another color on a wall you should practice on something else with an inside corner. Keep two things in mind: 1) Do not slide the entire brush edge along the wall, you only want a lead edge of a few bristles 2) Start away from the corner and push gently into it and let that lead edge hit the opposite wall, making a nice clean line. Your goal isn't to make the colors meet exactly in the middle of the corner. That would be challenging even for most professional painters. So there will be a slight overlap on the other wall. Just pick which wall to overlap and make that overlap as small as you can. If this is for an accent wall then overlap on to that wall and it will look better. If it's a light color and a dark one overlap the light one. Good luck!
I realize this is an older vid. I'd just shoot a couple of tips out there I've found helpful as well. It's a really good video and I'd like to piggy-back the curtails of someone else's success so to speak. I've switched from metal to stiff nylon brushes for cleaning. They are just as effective removing caked paint. They last longer without deforming in shape. No rush. Less likely to fray the paint brush hairs. It's advisable to dip one's brush in water and shake it out prior to applying any paint with it. The paint will flow better on the brush. The brush will last longer without caking latex on the upside of the bristles. It will be easier to clean later. Note: The same is not true of oil based paints (natural or synthetic), do not pre-dip in oil or mineral spirits. Tap, never wipe when painting with a brush. Nuff said. A little soap and warm water work best. Never fold a brush over under the water in an attempt to squeeze paint out. That action will also force paint up higher into the ferrule, ultimately extending your clean time. Under the water, sift the bristle tips with you habd lightly. This will quickly disperse most of the paint. Repeat until the water doesn't change colour. Use Flotrol (or similar agent) with your paint as required. Improved results. Use the best brush you can afford. You will thank yourself later. Keep fighting the good fight guys
Can you do or do you have a video on how to mud a large section of drywall say full 4’ width when the rest is mud and painted already finished? I imagine once you tape it you have to go very far to make it disappear especially when the light hits?
As a fellow professional craftsman, I really appreciate your ethic and commitment, not just to the quality of the final product, but your consideration of the whole process, the tools, the client and the world at large. Bravo, sir, bravo!
Been painting for 20 years and you're right about keeping your brushes clean and the sink as well. Wipe it while it's wet and comes right off. Let it dry and it's a real struggle. I've give my guys one chance when it comes to a customers sink and if they don't care and leave one a mess a second time their fired. As far as brushes go if they don't want clean them correctly then they can but me new ones. If they don't want to do that their fired. It may seem harsh but it's the only way I can show them how important it is by showing them how important it is to me. Haven't had to change crews in 5 years and I'm booked 6 months in advance because of the little things. I do clean my brushes a little different but I totally agree with your premise on cleaning them often. I never soak them tho. Thanks for your videos because you do exactly the same work as I do, rock and paint, and I share them with my guys to show them a young guy who has pride and a work ethic. Thanks!
You sound like one hell of a hardass. An employee makes the same mistake twice and you get rid of them? You treat your brushes better than people! Don’t get me wrong, you’ve got to keep your brushes clean, but a young buck’s rookie mistake that would take 5 minutes tops to clean up is a piss poor reason to fire them. If they said the sink was spotless and it wasn’t tho... that’s another story. That’s just how I see it tho. Keep up the hard work.
@@alext2046 guess you've never had to clean a sink the paint has dried up in or had to replace one because a person is to lazy to clean up. I haven't had to hire anyone in over 5 years because all my guys truly care about the finished product and all the small things that separate a paint job from a quality fit and finish.
Les Phillips I’ve cleaned sinks with dried paint on them. What did you do, use your tongue to clean it? If it takes longer than 5 minutes then I’m not sure what the hell was done to that sink or what cleaning supplies you used. Glad you have a good team. You’re still a hardass.
@@alext2046 would you leave you own sink like that? It also depends on the material the sink is made out of. Some are more poris than others and stainless will scratch when all you had to do was wipe it if when it's wet. The job I'm currently working on the customer just spent 12 thousand on counter tops and under counter sinks with pearl inlay. What excuse could u give that customer for not caring about their home? Oh he's just a young buck still learning? As you write them a check for the sink! Lazy people will never work for me and you making excuses for someone not caring is exactly you will get the crumbs and the real painters will be busy till they retire.
I wish there were more people in the trades who took pride in their work. I'm a painter and almost without exception we are repainting over sloppy workmanship. I also wish we had people like the Vancouver Carpenter around here because the drywall work is god awful.
Here's another couple of tips. Always have kitchen towel, cling film, your own dish-soap, and green scourers in your kit. When you've washed a brush, sure, don't put it back in cardboard, but do wrap it in kitchen towel. This will have it keep perfect shape as it dries. (Granted, this is more help with old-fashioned bristle brushes.) If you're pausing, for lunch say, and don't want to waste time cleaning the brush, wrap it in cling-film! (aka Saran wrap). It won't dry out and you can carry right on. I'd be fussy, and clean out paint kettles at the end of the day, and the green scourer was useful for that. But just as important, I'd make sure the customer saw me scouring their sink after washing a brush in it, and there'd be plenty of (my own) dish-washing) liquid involved. I'd regularly get a comment that their sink was cleaner after I'd been washing a brush in it than they'd seen it for ages! Lastly, buy a brush/roller sleeve spinner, and use it to spin the brush dry inside a 5-gallon pail - it'll be almost bone dry when you do. It the bristles spread out when you do this, wrap it in kitchen-towel and leave it to dry fully, it'll come right back.
I used to teach painting and decorating, and was frankly, the best damn painter you'd ever meet! And keeping my brushes and other kit clean was not negotiable. This was back in the day when the trade was the most highly respected, not like today. (Including knowing how to make paint yourself, all the physics and chemistry of surface coatings and substrates, paper-hanging, marbling and graining, sign-work, glass etching, french-polishing, the whole bit. Sad that it's all down to tape-and-spray now.)
Much appreciated! Great, simple insights.
@Buggins how do you discard paint after after cleaning brushed and rollers??
@@Nellopi22 Nowadays, you're return it to a recycling center. Back when I was working, water-based paints went down the drain with a lot of water after them. Oil-based paint, solvents, and cleaners went into containers (usually old paint cans or solvent containers) then into landfill - makes my hair curl now thinking about just throwing it away. But back then people would look at you funny if you asked how to recycle it.
@Buggins thank you ... I meant the paint water lol
But thank for letting me know about the recycling of the paint as I am a new Diy homeowner
@@Nellopi22 Add lots of dishwashing liquid to the paint water. Then it can safely be put down the drain. Make sure to do this only with water based paint.
You forgot the part where you show us how to make a sandwich in the customer's kitchen without them noticing you've used all their sliced ham.
Market Place, a consumer TV show in Canada, had hidden cameras in a home when they called in service guys to fix their broken appliance (fridge, stove etc.). They wanted to see how professional they were. Well, they captured on video one of the service guys releaving himself in the kitchen sink. Yup. Your missing ham slices doesn't seem so outrageous any more. LOL
@@bluemarbel1242 those homeowners must have been pissed off
lol
lmao
😂😂 I laughed way too hard at this
Great video! I am NOT a painter but a real painter showed me how to clean my brushes with a wire brush a couple years ago, and I am still using those same two paint brushes 2 years later. Only thing I do differently is lay them on a board when I comb them out so I can apply some pressure.
I’ve been a painter going on 10 years and I totally agree with your process. Purdy’s are the best option, even if they are a bit expensive, if you keep them nice and clean they last for quite a while. I also bought these plastic brush holders that you can keep your brush in overnight or even for days, they have a foam seal around the handle and work pretty well.
They're a good option, but I wouldn't say the best. Everyone has their own opinion though. I've got Glidden and Linzer that perform at equal or better levels as Purdy and Wooster. And they're about 5-8 dollars cheaper.
I like the brush/roller spinners to get the water out of a good brush. Wash it as shown- then spin it out into an empty drywall bucket (still go outside though - just in case) ... then I wrap the now-barely-damp bristles in a dry paper towel to return their shape to factory. Been using some of the same Purdy brushes for 10+ years.
At the end of cleaning, to remove the excess water, I curl up my toes and bang the thin side of the brush against my shoe a few times. Then, with the brush handle between both hands, I rub my hands back and forth quickly. Kinda like the motion of using a stick to make a fire. Holding the brush against a solid surface while wire brushing helps with removing the dried stuff.
get a brush spinner...so so so so so so worth $15
May I suggest using a brass brush for cleaning your bristles. They are more gentle and won't give your brush wild hairs. Also they won't scratch or leave gray oxidation marks on the bottom of sinks.
Thank you, as always. Every step of my project, youre there with a well done video on how to do it the proper way. A good Canadian who takes pride in his work.
Love the sarcasm! It’s always good to point out what not to do!
I love Purdy brushes. If you take care of them they'll last years. And they use to be really expensive but with the compitition of Big Box stores they are very reasonably priced now.
You ever get a call from one of your customers..."hey, I seen your video..stop messing around and get my house finished"!
😂
He does such a professional job I don't think they would mind. I know I wouldn't.
“Why is this dude talking to himself in the next room” 😂
I was surprised you didn't use your customers Dawn Soap. I use the dawn soap by squirting some down inside the bruch, then working it in and about the brush, then rising again until clean
Using soap help but if you don’t get 100% of the soap out it will cause bubbles to form in your paint job causing you to need to sand vacuum tac cloth and repaint I do not suggest this
I'm a rookie first time house painter, have never painted a house before and decided to paint my home of 2 years a nice clean vibrant yet suttle colour from the ugly brown colour it was. Now I know why professional painters get paid well, for someone whose never painted a house before, it's hard work and tiring. Whoever painted my house prior which was just before I brought my house, my neighbours told me, did a shit, rough job with lots of streaks in it. I have painted it 3x and I'm stoked and proud of myself. I still have the back to paint, I ran out of paint. Thanks for the brush washing tips, I will do that.
Solid if you're constantly cleaning.
Brushes keep a good form for a few days if you wrap them correctly. Turn the wire brush vertical and gently press the bristles against the bottom of the sink when there's excessive paint.
You can always Bob Ross it !
your video is really helpful especially I'm just starting my own in this industry and locate in Van as well, I learn most of the stuff hard way as been site helper/cleaner for 2 years and now u just give out all this tips for free!!!!!!!!!!
If I'm going to break for lunch or whatever, I'll put my brush in a plastic lunch bag or newspaper bag, then wrap it tight. If I'm going to be longer, I'll wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator. Also works good for rollers. Also, when cleaning, I like a little soap. I like Simple Green. Thanks for posting.
Storing in the refrigerator will dry out a brush or roller. People think that just because it's cold that it won't dry as fast but a refrigerator is designed to pull moisture from inside it and will dry a brush completely out very quickly if not sealed properly and if it's sealed properly you don't need it in there in the first place. My local paint Store now carries plastic molded brush and roller cases that snap on and seem to work well for an hour or two. Haven't tried them overnight because why would ya take the chance and just be lazy.
@@attitudeadjusted9027 You're right about a fridge drying things out. I keep it in the plastic bag even in the fridge. I painted several rooms the same color over several days and keeping the roller in a bag and in the fridge caused no problems at all.
@@OldJoe212 I never go home without cleaning everything. I absolutely won't let dirty rollers show up in my work because they do. I charge a premium for my work so I do premium work and I don't get lazy with my tools because it will show up.
Hey brother.. when you soak your brushes it swells the wood up and over time loosens the ferrule and you start losing bristles. Granted it takes awhile.. but it will still shorten the life of your brush. Just FYI.
That’s why you soak the bristles and not the entire brush
@@michaeldavies9853 capillary effect
@@StalkedByLosers capillary effect only takes action if up to a certain level
I always pre-clean my brushes in a bucket. That gets most of the paint off the brush without loading up the plumbing in the customer's house with paint buildup. I dump the bucket outside where it can't hurt anything. Then I use the sink to final clean. Wooster makes a combination comb and wire brush with brass bristles. It's basically the same thing you've got there, but in one tool. I have Purdy brushes I've used for years due to cleaning them promptly and thoroughly with this tool.
I usually just spread out the bristles with my fingers while running them under water. I'm definitely going to have to get one of those bristle combs! I completely agree. There is no reason to be wasteful with tools. I'd rather buy better tools and take care of them than by cheap, crappy tools and treat them as disposable.
Really do appreciate all the tips on what it takes to be a good craftsman! :-)
Yes, you said it. costumer's sink where you don't have to worry about paying the water bill.
*Laughs in Ireland*
💯😂
Best tip I ever got is too pre-wet your brush with whatever solvent that matches your paint. The idea is that the area right up next to the ferrel is now full but full of clean solvent. Yes, of course, the pre-wet the brush needs to be rid of as much excess solvent as possible, flip it or dry it on a towel or whatever, but the effect preserved. Now when you clean the brush the last little bit of milky solvent will clear up much faster. Try it, it works, brushes clean up faster and last longer.
Never use a damp brush. Any painter by trade knows that a wet brush is too soft, and paint will drip out of the ferrel.
Yep, that 's how its done. There are a few other points that can help maintain your brushes:
1. Never hold your brush upside down if you can avoid it for any length of time when it has paint on it. The paint will run up the bristles inside the ferrel where you can't clean it out and make the brush stiffen up. Don't store brushes standing on their handles.
2. Use a small amount of dish soap as a final clean when you think you have the paint mostly or completely out. You will be surprised by how much more this gets. Don't forget to do a final rinse after this with clean water.
3. You can often get some of that paint off the outside bristles by gently pinching them between your thumb and finger and using your thumbnail to scrape off the glob of paint. You have to be careful to not permanently bend the bristles doing this, and I generally only do it if there is a lot of paint, not the little you had.
4. As well as slinging the water out of the bristles, you can slap the ferrel of the brush against the palm of your hand to snap the water out of the bristles. This is best done outside, because you may get a little water slapping back in your face if you are too vigorous. This can get the brush mostly dry a lot easier than slinging. (This is also how you do a spatter texture coat using a brush, using paint of course.)
5. Make sure the bristles are flat when they are drying. They will take a set and ruin the brush if you leave the brush standing on the bristles, or bent under something when it is drying.
Everything you said is wrong. I've worked with over a hundred tradesman in the industry. Idk why I feel like explaining myself, but just trust me. Find a a real painters tutorial.
Nice video. I really like a stiff plastic bristled brush verses a metal brush. It works better than you'd think and won't scratch the sink if you put it against it.
Being just a home DIYer, I'd never heard of a painters comb or seen one used, and was getting frustrated with my good brushes getting slowly ruined no matter how carefully I washed them.
I paused the video four minutes in and went off and bought myself a nice combination brass brush and comb :D
Please do “How to organize your workspace”
How do you pack your tools and materials for travel and how do you set your equip up?
I'm glad to hear it's okay to clean the brushes in the sink. I was afraid to clog the pipes or something so I stained my concrete and messed up my turf trying to clean outside 😅 fortunately the turf wasn't gonna stay anyways but this helps!
Yes! me too! I was so worried about washing brushes in the sink, but when the water Hose is frozen solid in the winter I had no choice!
I would recommend not washing your brushes or disposing of paint through a garbage disposal. I just think it’s safer to use a sink without a garbage disposal.
Sir, you may not call yourself a painter, but I class you as a good tradesman. A good tradesman ALWAYS looks after his tools.
Thanks! I absolutely abhor painting, but I’m trying to work up the motivation to finish a bedroom.
A good trick to keep your brushes clean is prior to starting to paint dip your brush in water and get water in the bristles up under the ferrel. This prevents paint from traveling up and to under the ferrel and drying out.
"I like to just.. right all over the customers floor" I love that!!😂😂😂I'm subscribing just cause of that haha
Thank you. I was well informed and entertained at the same time. Now I know how to clean a paintbrush. I had no idea. I'm Darryl from Kamloops bc here.
As a painter I wish Purdy and Corona brushes would come standard with plastic brush covers instead of those flimsy cardboard covers that get wet and break all the time. I mean their brushes are not cheap and for the price they really ought to have a more durable storing case.
Buy a roll of duct tape and tape the whole thing. Waterproof brush cover
@@samo4648 I inherited my late Uncle's (finish carpenter and general handyman) tools and all of his Purdy brushes had the covers layered in duct tape and Sharpie marker identifying what they were. Super handy!
i DID find several useful things from this video. thanks for this explanation!
Thanks. You have a video for everything, and its helping me learn!
Great tips and advice, thanks for sharing
Damnit and I just threw away one of those stupid wire handles from a 5gal bucket 🤣🤦♂️ Thanks Ben! 🤙
When I clean paint brushes, I invert the brush in the water stream to flush out all the paint. I move the inverted brush around to rinse all around the brush interior, particularly around the outer edges. I use a steel brush comb as well. I shake out the excess water after cleaning, then hang the brush bristles down to dry.
I’ve found that latex primer can be very difficult to completely rinse out. I use cheaper brushes for primer & rinse them out but expect to have to throw them out after several uses.
I was so worried about washing brushes in the sink, but when the water Hose is frozen solid in the winter I had no choice! Ahhhh WATER based paint...duh...I feel silly now.
Great videos so much valuable information, thank you. I think people are wrong about oil based paints. The benefits of latex and others alike are they dry fast and don't stink. Clean ability, durability, and finish goes to oil base esp. with stains. They don't dry fast on your brush and can use an old newspaper with mineral spirits to clean the bulk and then just dip and clean brush. The best thing is the mineral spirits can be re-used just let the pigments and binders fall to the bottom in a sealed container and pour off the top. Rollers are a different story I do not save those, but wrapping them in plastic bag works better with oil base keeping roller wet till job is done even if the job takes a couple days.
Hello Ben. A job recently required I open a brand new Wooster brush as the brush I regularly use was unavailable. I was immediately struck by the far superior cut the new brush left and I was left with two questions: 1. Is the superior cut a function of the brush's brand or newness? 2. If the latter, is it better practice to reserve one brush solely for cutting and use another for painting within the field after cutting so as to 'preserve' that newness? Kind regards and thank you for making these valuable video lessons.
Bravo young man. Never cleaned a brush with a wire brush.....looks like it works pretty good and I'll have to get a brush comb....thanx big guy!
o helllll naw💀
Purdy...All the way! And as for rollers, I have been using a "sheep skin" roller and wash it after every use. It is as good as the day I bought it, and I have used it for years, (homeowner use)....
I like the fact that he's more concern about the customer which is very good.
Yes! It’s not only about being a good painter, most important is keeping paint where it don’t belong!!!
To get the water out at the end, I flip the bristles across a scrap piece of 2x4 several times - gets the water out AND it will leave streaks on the board if the brush isn’t quite clean.
Another great video! I have enjoyed your drywall patching videos a lot. I am not a professional painter, but my Dad taught me a lot about painting. 1st thing is spend the money on good quality brushes and roller covers and 2nd clean them and they will last a long time. I use Simple Green if the brush has a lot of built up paint and I will be investing in one of those brush combs.
Thank you so much! Great ideas. I love painting but I hate the cleaning part. So unfortunately I end up painting less than I would like to.
As i got older I understood the need for expensive paint brushes and brush combs. I have a combo brush comb/wire brush. I would only add I would be using some of that Dawn dishwashing liquid.
Maybe I' messing up my brushes but after almost all the paint is off I take a little dawn in my hand and work it into the middle of the brush, it has a name, almost like a shaving brush and then rinse it off and comb it out again.
oh and one other tip was to wrap them in paper from a paper bag. It soaks up the water and lets them dry and keep their shape.
“I’m a carpenter not a painter”
Dig your videos and agree about keeping tools maintained and clean. Just a little fyi from a retired billboard painter that used only oil based enamels, we used the same basic method to keep our high priced lettering brushes clean. Only the main difference was we used naphtha instead of water of course. The pre-soak method in a can of thinner works well and then using the bristle brush to get the bulk out ... then bending the brush in palm of the hand to get the last bits. Then when mostly dry, give the brush an oil dip and wrap in craft paper until needed again.
Bee Safe!
VC great job on all your videos. I like to use a little dab of cream rinse before final rinse leaving the bush just wet enough to shape the bristles into a sharp edge. Hang or set brush not to be disturbed till dry. You will have a brush that will trim and cut in like a new one.😉
I installed a 2nd hand $20 laundry tub just for that kind of thing.
"Fantastic" can help.
I like the bucket hanger thing!
Can you make a video on how to mud a flat joint that meets a butt joint and how to remove bad drywall tape job so I can fix my screwups thanks
Thanks man. I'm currently being blamed for a messed up brush (I wasn't the one who cleaned it though). So I figured just to cover my ass I'd, Brush Up 🙃
I REALLY like that brush comb you got, I'm gonna have to get one. Should go a long way towards stomping this dumb argument once and for all 😅
I always use shampoo & conditioner to wash my brushes, rinse very well & wrap the brushes in paper towels. After many use they look very well.
Nobodies tackling the elephant in the room “WHATS UP WITH THOSE FAUX BEAMS”!! You should of wiped off more than your brush on those Ben....and thanks as always for the video.
Ed Over50 no kidding what was the purpose of those?
Makes me think someone went overboard on the Pinterest pallet craze.
Framing for a coffered ceiling?
I was thinking that myself.
Two different depths though.
I'm not really sure what is going on there. Who knows.
It does not look like new lumber.
no more 20minutes cleaning brushes or just throwing them!!! I owe you a beer
I bent some wire into a hook that I tighten into a drill chuck and then hook the wire into the hanging hole on the brush (if equipped) then hold it in a garbage can or bucket and spin the drill up. Not too fast, to avoid flinging paint and ripping tinge bristles out, but fast enough to encourage the paint to exnay from the ushbray. Then I wash the rest of it off and fling it to dry. I’m an amateur Handyman/DIYer, so I’m not overly concerned with keeping every brush perfect and pristine. Just enough to keep the bristles clean. I gotta get one of those brush rollers though. I HATE cleaning rollers.
Good video. Wish I had known all that earlier.
Thank you Sir. Awesome video :)
This is a good tutorial but I never use a comb just a steel brush. Also you should be able to go WAY faster and not splatter everywhere. I also don’t have the brush “floating” in the sink. I hold it at the bottom of the sink and intermittently apply pressure to spread the bristles of the brush apart. When I think I’m finished I hold the bristles in my hand and bend them at a 90 degree angle on both sides of the brush. If any paint or water with cloudiness comes out it’s not clean enough.
Love the opening:
"Welcome to Vancouver Carpenter! (sotto voce) ...drywaller, painter..."
Great advice!
As a girl I learn a lot 😁 thank you 😊
You went balls deep with that brush
Im a chef in a prof kitchen. Total same thing of work. Just another profession. thnx!
"...all over your customer's nice floor." I lost it. :)
Very cool. Thank you!
Great video, thanks!!
Good job keeping your stuff clean
woah accidentally stumbled upon the legendary skate youtuber teaching me how to clean a brush
Same
Great instructions.i ran out and took my brushes out the water it was in and cleaned them out.
And stop using my sink!!! LOL!
Dab your brush in water. Rinsing the outside is just nonsense. Dab it by bending it side ways without messing the bristles up. Most of the paint is near the ferrel. Also shake out the brush bu spinning it between hands, and let it dry before using. Dont want a damp brush, they're too soft and do not flag out correctly.
You should look into a brush and roller spinner for that excess water at the end
@4:47, you grab hair--squeezing it between thumb and fingers--and slide your fingers gripping as you go, to the end of the hair. This will curl the hair and shorten the life of the brush.
Love your channel. Thanks for the tips
A dish scrub pad scrubbing one way works to get that stubborn stuck on paint on bristles also everywhere else
I think it would be helpful to make a video about cleaning drywall tools. Is it safe to wash the extra mud down the drain, or is it going to clog it over time? Best way to wash the tools and get into the little crevasses? Is it bad for the public water? Is it safe to wash mud down the drain if you're on a septic tank?
Here’s how I clean oil paint off brushes. When I first use some paint thinner to clean a brush I pour the dirty solution into a big pickle jar. Over time the paint particles will settle with clean solvent on the top. This I drain off into another glass jar which I label “cleaned paint thinner”. Then I use this to clean another oil paint brush. The sludge will accumulate and I take it to the proper waste disposal facility with other like material. This saves money and is better for the environment.
Lol I normally watch your skate videos but I was needing to get my brushes cleaned properly lol
Up until maybe 7 years ago there was an amazing product called Polyclens. It was a pinkish liguid that totally dissolved paint of any kind. As it did it’s thing it turned milky white. It was great to use to clean your hands too and you would only need a drop or too. It was all water soluble so when you added a little soap and water, everything rinsed totally clean. It was super fantastic and I really miss it! I think it was made by Lepage. The government must have banned it. There is nothing quite the same or as good.
So my first concern is whether or not this is acceptable to the local water district. Second is the this good for the plumbing. A slop sink in a basement might be preferable? Third this is too much water use for me. I'd rather throw them away than use this much water. I live in Vegas. Still good techniques for cleaning brushes.
I wouldn't be to worried about that paint brush... I think it was meant to be a throw away
Right. Purdy xl junk
@@andrewelmer9266 up until about 9 months ago all I used was purdy Chinex. Something has changed and they are all garbage now.
Great video thanks George U.K.
I'd like to see how you cut in corners. I am not good at cutting in the transition between two different colors at the corner where ceiling meets wall. Any tips?
Tips number 1 thru 12: use a sash brush. A sash brush has the bristles cut at an angle and is designed to do exactly this sort of thing. Ten minutes practice with a good sash brush and you should be able to cut in lines at corners, edges, and on the flat between two colors with no problem at all.
Tip number 13: don't have so much paint on the brush that it is dripping. Dip the brush an inch or so into the paint, then wipe one side gently against the edge of the bucket/can/tray. Paint with the wiped side toward the side that you don't want to get paint on. Pull the brush toward the side that you didn't wipe. The idea is to have a reservoir of paint on one side of the brush and feed it under the bristles to the relatively dry side so you don't leave thick streaks and dribbles of paint on the surface you are painting.
Before you try to cut against another color on a wall you should practice on something else with an inside corner. Keep two things in mind:
1) Do not slide the entire brush edge along the wall, you only want a lead edge of a few bristles
2) Start away from the corner and push gently into it and let that lead edge hit the opposite wall, making a nice clean line.
Your goal isn't to make the colors meet exactly in the middle of the corner. That would be challenging even for most professional painters. So there will be a slight overlap on the other wall. Just pick which wall to overlap and make that overlap as small as you can. If this is for an accent wall then overlap on to that wall and it will look better. If it's a light color and a dark one overlap the light one.
Good luck!
I've always got the outside of my brush wet with a Lil bit of water & it's seem to help with the dried paint.
Really helpful, thanks.
I like to take a wet sanding sponge and give the handle and ferrel a scrub with a bit of soap.
I realize this is an older vid. I'd just shoot a couple of tips out there I've found helpful as well. It's a really good video and I'd like to piggy-back the curtails of someone else's success so to speak.
I've switched from metal to stiff nylon brushes for cleaning. They are just as effective removing caked paint. They last longer without deforming in shape. No rush. Less likely to fray the paint brush hairs.
It's advisable to dip one's brush in water and shake it out prior to applying any paint with it. The paint will flow better on the brush. The brush will last longer without caking latex on the upside of the bristles. It will be easier to clean later.
Note: The same is not true of oil based paints (natural or synthetic), do not pre-dip in oil or mineral spirits.
Tap, never wipe when painting with a brush. Nuff said.
A little soap and warm water work best. Never fold a brush over under the water in an attempt to squeeze paint out. That action will also force paint up higher into the ferrule, ultimately extending your clean time. Under the water, sift the bristle tips with you habd lightly. This will quickly disperse most of the paint. Repeat until the water doesn't change colour.
Use Flotrol (or similar agent) with your paint as required. Improved results.
Use the best brush you can afford. You will thank yourself later.
Keep fighting the good fight guys
A nit comb for lice works very well for removing paint from brushes
Superb, as always.
Please do “steps from start to finish”
Describing what to so first and last from new construction to move-in.
Great tip again Thank you
Can you do or do you have a video on how to mud a large section of drywall say full 4’ width when the rest is mud and painted already finished? I imagine once you tape it you have to go very far to make it disappear especially when the light hits?
Amazing you’re the man.👏👏👏