How to Eliminate Ugly Paint Brush Strokes When Painting Wood Trim - Spencer Colgan 

thank you so much! painted my trim using the additive, it was magic! took me a while to figure out the right amount of additive, and the first coat felt disappointing, still dragging and sticky with visible brushstroke marks. but the second coat was pure magic, it flew smoothly over the 1st coat like butter and just melted, I ended up with glass-like smooth trim surface (semi-gloss paint). You've upped my diy paint game tremendously!

My daughter was having such a problem with seeing the brush strokes on the baseboards. This is definitely the answer. What a difference. Thank you so much for posting this. She will be thrilled!

I just became a super at a high end building and I know how to paint but I want to do my Paint/touch-up with high quality finish I appreciate your enthusiasm and your time You just taught me something that I can use to make money and feed my family Thank you

If christopher walken was a painter

Awesome tip bro. I’m such a perfectionist and always hate my final coat. So much roping and brush strokes. I think I can live with this. That was amazing the difference.

This is a masterclass of how to paint trim. I followed the technique of “working the paint”. I applied more paint than I otherwise would have. My trim looks like it was sprayed. Thank you! (I also used the M1 extender. What a difference)

After 25 years of painting, I've just learned what "roping" is; I always called them "lines", haha. You never stop learning. Love the comparisons! And was that really wallpaper in the beginning??? It looks like the kind of faux finishes I do, piatto over metallic foil or metallic paint. Expensive! You gotta be good and bold to be applying $9K wallpaper. Thanks for sharing!

You, just made my painting go from good to unbelievable with the extender for latex and mineral spirits for Oil! Thank you!

Thank you for showing the difference in using the additive and not. I'll always use it now.

It surprises me how many people don't know to pull your final strokes in a straight line. As a graphic artist and career painter, it's a no Brainer for me. I just recently passed on the reason why to my new employee. He has experience and makes a great painter, just needs to learn a few things. We are banging out our 3rd house as a two man team. Thanks for the tip, this will definitely be used in the future.

Spencer’s video on paint extenders was extremely helpful. I was getting clumping and severe roping. I’m going to try the paint extender. Thanks Spencer!

I am so happy that people like you exist in this world to help and teach younger individuals like myself. You are a true craftsmen and genuine role model. I'm a 26 yesr old electrician but I can't help but support each and every hard working trade! Clearly this is your passion and just the fact that you will teach others is truly admorable. Thank you for teaching the youth!

Amazing. Never would have thought to use an extender. Phenomenal results Spencer. Thanks for sharing this pro tip. This is going to save me a LOT of headaches.

Wow! Amazing video! I want to learn how to paint my home with quality and you are a great teacher. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

I love his advice. He is a master painter and this is coming from a professional automotive painter

Hey. Finally caught one of your videos. Good job and good luck on your channel! I’ll subscribe.

trying to start my own company and you are helping so much, for free, thank you

As a builder, a GOOD painter is hard to find. This is the kind of thing that makes you a good painter. Too many people pick up a roller or brush and say they're a painter.

My Dad was a professional painter who's work was well admired by many. His hand was so steady that he could paint without tape, never getting a speck of paint where it didn't belong. He also used these tips as well and used the same brushes you do.

Great product M1 for latex or Floetrol by Flood.... paint thinner evaporates in oil based finish better to use Penetrol by Flood to get oil to lay down.... we use very little oil in California any more due to EPA regs

I came for the paint tutorial and stayed the see a paper hanging bonus that I also needed! New subscriber here. Thank you!!

you did not tell us what brand the brush is pls... great tips... finally my questions answered... I subscribed as you are definitely THE paint man.

For customer jobs i'll use the Owatrol for oil based and floetrol for water based,as for brushes i love using the Axus pro blue series,arroworthy finultras.

No idea this stuff existed. Always just used water, which just makes the paint less opaque and run more. In the UK acrylic and latex paints have been less popular than solvent based, I think due to the hideous brush lines you get with the stuff. But then with solvent, you get the yellowing instead after 12 months which looks almost as bad. I've literally just bought some extender after watching this (different brand, can't get M-1 easily here) and am looking forward to trying it out. Thanks for sharing!

Everything you stated is absolutely true but I was taught that the last stroke should always go back into your work or right to left not left to right and was also taught that a little linseed oil works in oil based products but it looks great well taught.

Excellent attention to detail. Amazing tip! Question: Would the paint extender help lap marks melt together better when rolling a wall? I've found that with a lot of the "quick drying" paints that you need to go relatively heavy and wet to get a good "melt" between adjacent laps -- especially on very tall walls with the final pull. Thanks!

Spencer Colgan. Yet another incredible video. Haven't checked out your videos as much as I used to but going forward I will again be a daily viewer. I could have used some of your expertise before now, lesson learned.

WOW there is a difference. Thanks for sharing.

The primary difference between thinning water base paint with water or an extender is how they each effect the paint they are added too. Water is 100% evaporative whereas extender is not. Results is the extender permits a longer drying time, fewer brush marks and more even application of coating. Paint extended with water causes paint surface to dry too thin.

Paint conditioner is the only way to go. M1 makes 2 types, green label as in this video, is for latex, red is for oil. Don't mix them up. I will add a capful of M1 to a cut pot, and then add about a quart of paint, then adjust from there.

my friend, you are the bomb, thanks for the additional tips and advice. The wife and I, well, (Me) are putting up peel and stick wall paper, (I left you a message on that video you posted) and I feel that I also need to post comment on this one as well. After we ( I ) complete that task, I need to paint a molding that's going across the same wall as the peel and stick, so this video was also very helpful, so thank you again my friend. PS 9,000.00 Wallpaper !!, PFFT, I'll take a dozen rolls, and that's just for my closet...... :-)

I just recently painted a rental property and hated the fact that you can see the brush strokes on the baseboards. I wish I would have known about this.

can you elaborate pls on not using PVA primer over fresh sheetrock. What do you recommend? I thought all primer has poly vinyl acetate in it as part of the core formula. your help and insight is appreciated.

Wow Thx for sharing that! What a difference!!!

Crazy idea! how about adding this to paint even when rolling the walls to get that perfect smooth finish even when there could be slight texture to the wall even after sanding?

Stunning work......greetings from Ottawa Canada 🇨🇦

In my area it's called flo atrol for latex paint and pen atrol for oil base all the product does is retard the the drying time and allows the paint to level out also good when you are paint large walls and ceilings

First thing to do is give it a clean wipe ( little soap)... otherwise you sand and embed the dirt into the base layer. The paint I use I can’t use a latex extender. This is just how I do the prep. Your painting a low sheen?

I miss the days I used to wallpaper with my dad as a teenager...!!!!!

Spencer, In this video, you were very clear why you used the brush in one direction when applying the grey that included extender. My question is why starting about 8 minuets into the video, you began applying the grey without the extender by using brush in both directions. Wasn't just once, but multiple brush strokes were in both directions when not using extender. Now this method did reinforce the rope effect that is caused without extender and negated with extender. Was this intentional or unintentional?

It also helps if u don't use a stiff Purdy to paint trim

I like the high gloss look

Same as adding water I do it all the time without the extra cost. This is why we invest in airless sprayers. Mask primer and spray for a factory finish.

For the past ten and a half minutes / the first ~10:30 of this video , I have been trying to place it: the voice. It's an unusual version of an over-used vocal impression. It'l a non-exaggerated, _normal_ Christopher Walken. Honestly, probably more "normal" sounding than Walken himself, from everything I've heard various acquaintances say of him. But there's something else to it, that kept me from placing exactly who our man's voice most reminded me of. For reasons I haven't yet placed, I've become adept at recognizing the specific celebrities doing voice-overs for TV commercials... I realized I was stumped, which was a pleasant surprise. Anyway, I figured it out! In addition to the above description, I hear a little bit of the low, composed, smooth growl, from Joe Mantegna's loooong-recurring _Simpsons_ side character, "Fat Tony" D'Amico. Anyway, the video was actually really helpful and well-made, and I hope my comments are taken in the humorous manner they were written. (I hope someone else lets me know that they, too, had a light-bulb moment as they hear the same thing I did 😁)

What is the best way to fix roping on trim?

Hey try using a soft bristle brush next time you brush trim Wooster silver tips are great and come in a 4 in block like your using there my go to for trim.

Learned a lot, this is great information.

You’re using a different product than floetrol .. are they the same or is the product you are using superior

Very helpful info. Thnx so much.

I'm sure Bob Ross uses these techniques!👍👍👍

Spencer, are Loxon and 123 the same type product? I have never used Loxon. Remember that Drywall mud itself is a chalky surface, that's why these two products work so well as wallpaper Primer.

Need more cowbell !!!

..do you find that the mix ratio that is recommended by the extender manufacturer to be accurate?

If you are using the extender in your paint, why do you need to do the final wipe in the same direction? Doesn't the extender cause all of the brush strokes to go away? Seems to me you would be more efficient to fore go the final swipe it's unnecessary. Whats your thoughts? Mineral spirits is not the comparable product for oil based paints. Penetrol is the comparable product if you use mineral spirits and do not mix thoroughly, the mineral spirits will evaporate and cause flashing, essentially the same thing as adding water.

SCL makes a latex paint thinner. Its worked well as an extender and to condition brush before painting with latex Best brushing water-borne is Ben Moore Advance which is a soap and water clean, modified alkyd and, ironically, you can’t use extenders or thinners (latex or oil) in it. Little clean warm water, maybe But the paint is thinner than most latexes and has a relatively long open time It’s definitely a two coat finish, finish paint. But the easiest to work by hand

I read the comments. You do sound like Christopher. Thanks for sharing.

You wouldn't believe how many painters/customers in the hardware store have no idea what paint extender is for or what it is. And when I explained they say they don't do that. Update: I used the M-1 and a brand new Purdy brush and even with a light hand i still have brush strokes. I even tried using the "dry roller" method I saw in some other videos on another patch to see if that would give a smooth finish and got a hammered/foam roller look as a finish. Pretty very disappointed. Maybe it's the paint brand? I used Valspar Furniture and Cabinet on a desk.

Thank you for sharing, unfortunately we don't have this product where I live. Old timers ere able to avoid leaving brush marks on trims, even with high-gloss paint but I have no idea how they did it (they obviously didn't use such extenders).

A nice soft brush with minimal strokes works wonders.

Great tip! I’ve used floetrol. Have you tried it? How does it compare to M1?

Thank you, you helped me solve my problem!

So impressive! Excellent video. Do you happen to know what will work with Acrylic paint? I’m painting a wooden fish tank stand. I always have roping. Never used a acrylic but it dries harder and is more durable than latex so I figured I’d try it this time. Any tips with using acrylic on wood would be very appreciated. 💯🇺🇸✅

Why not just spray it before you laid wallpaper? You’re painting the ceilings.. just wondering why you choose to brush over spraying

Can the extender be used with BM Advance paint?

Why did you caulk that crown? With clear?

You s there a need for an extender with water based alkyd paint? I just picked up sherwin Williams water based alkyd and trying to paint trim with it. It is supposed to be self leveling

So with the new hybrid paints like benjamin moore advance that is a hybrid of oil and laytex. Do you use an oil based extender or a laytex extender??

Off topic but that wall paper looks like concrete.....is that a concrete finish wall paper?

What can you add to behr acrylic paint to extend it?

Cool Gumby Haircut homie😁

Great tip💯👍🇺🇸

This is amazing. Thank you for the info sir. It helps out us people who aren’t professional painters. I’ve got a question if you do t mind. I built a house recently and after I got my trim caulked and painted it ALL cracked (caulk did) on the top part. It looks terrible. Do you know what went wrong?

Do i need to use the extender when painting a metal door? Or should i just use a water/oil based paint and foam roller to minimize texture?

Would you also use an extender in your primer to avoid having to sand? Also would you say M1 is better than Flowtrol or same?

hi can you tell me what brand on the brush please and thx for the videos

Nice work!

What's the brand on the paint and what's the mix ratio with extender??

What is the exact brand of m-1 extender that’s being used here? It IS refreshing to watch a video without affiliate links but ha ha it’s also helpful to have a product written in the description lol. I’ve gone through this video a few times I keep missing the name! Yikes.

I’m painting latex and my paint isn’t leveling actually pastie on my brush. I’m painting over Valspar stainblocking primer. Have you had any issues with this happening not sure if i should spray a little water on my porch swing or try to thin the paint, suggestions?

when you use the extender can you give the trim 2 coats of paint prior to removing your tape or do you need to remove the tape after the first coat and re apply for the second coat?

Does it have to be that specific brand of paint extender?

Thanks for the info amigo.

How long does it take you to paint this crown molding off camera (including prep))? How long would you expect a beginner painter to take? Wonderful video which allowed me to achieve no roping, but i do have a handful of oopsies to fix because of sagging marks. Cheers. P.s. Any tips on how to fix sagging? Sand it off, and recoat the area? "The hurier i go the behinder i get."

Extender...brilliant! Do you have a close of how to do the prep work? I'm painting the trim around my wood floors, and I'm wondering how best to keep getting paint on the floors.

How much extender do you add to the paint?

How long do you wait for the caulking to dry before you can paint?

‘You’re painting my wall all wrong”

When you lay the paint down with the brush do you really have to brush over the same spot so many times? Thanks for your tip about using an extender.

Nice

What is the brush?

What paint to extender or mineral spirit ratio?

I just purchased the extender, what brush are you using or recommend?

What kind of paint brushes do you recommend using? You mentioned nice brushes in the video but I couldn't tell the brand or type.

Great video! Will this work even ehwn painting over primer? I'm planning to pain my oak wood trim! Also, can extender be used regardless of the paint type (semi-gloss/eggshell/satin/flat)? Thank you!

I'm having a hard time believing the difference! What should I do if I already have brush marks from old paint? Sand it?

Was brave and bought Dunn Edwards Aristoshield acrylic semi gloss enamel. I used some extender and still have brush marks. Is it the paint?

it happens when the temperature of the room is too warm so the paint dries almost instantly as it's brushed on.

Should you put extender in your primer and top coat? I’m using metallic paint.

I see on the container, the rate of M-1 is 2 to 6 oz. per gallon of paint. How much M-1 do you typically put into your painters cup? I tried a couple of cap fulls, and I still had roping. Maybe bump it up to 4 caps?

I still like high gloss paint on trim because of the light reflecting properties.