The cheap foam paintbrushes you get in 10-packs for $3... actually work better than the expensive ones

I needed to paint some baseboards in my rental and figured I'd just grab the dollar store brushes since I was only doing one room. Figured they'd leave bristles everywhere and I'd be picking them out of the paint for hours. But after 3 coats on those things, they laid down paint smoother than my $8 Purdy brush ever did. No shedding, no streaks, just clean lines even on the corners. I'm now a little suspicious of all the pro-grade tools I've been buying. Anyone else had a random cheap tool surprise them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim19115d agoTop Commenter

My buddy Dave bought a set of those cheap foam brushes from the hardware store for a quick fence paint job and ended up using them for his whole deck instead of his fancy roller. He said the foam just glided over the wood without any drips or mess, and he didn't have to clean a single brush since you just toss them. It made me wonder if I've wasted money on every paint tool I own.

stella_baker15d ago

Grabbed a pack of those foam brushes last spring thinking I'd use 'em for touch-ups, and @kim191, your buddy Dave might be onto something because I ended up painting my whole garden shed with them. Felt a little silly standing there with a 99-cent brush while my fancy roller sat in the tray, but the finish was actually smoother and zero drips. Of course, that's the same day I dropped my phone in the paint can, so take my advice with a pound of salt. Your mileage will definitely vary on this one, but toss-and-go is a solid argument for any project where you'd rather be done than look professional.

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