# Back brushing



## Quaid? (Mar 13, 2009)

i have this debate with a lot of other painters. when i spray exterior, i back brush about 90% of the time. there are certain places where i dont, but not a lot. I feel you NEED to bacbrush most applications, otherwise the paint just seems to sit on top, doesnt fill anything. some people i talk to say they never bb, and why even spray if youre going to bb? BB does make it a little slower, but its still wicked fast. how do you feel on this topic?


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

I back ROLL or brush where it is not able to be be rolled. If you do this method.. which you and I do.. you will not "cover" the same, the film will ultimately be cut by a percentage and the ability for the paint to "build" will not be as much.. BUT we get a more uniform coverage by doing this.. AND more efficient (not using as much paint) as just spraying alone. That is my true to god feeling on it. I know that paint is supposed to somewhat penetrate, BUT you really need to be able to work it to the sub-straight and spraying alone won't do that IMHO.

cliff notes:

back rolling & back brushing is important
-it helps level the coating
-it helps save paint
-it helps work it into the sub-straight

It hurts:
-It hurts coating thickness
-you usually have to do another coat or feather a coating over the area just back rolled/brushed.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Over very dry porous materials its a good idea. Just got to know where to use it. When you brush over some materials you will actually thin out the paint film. On some paints you will have to be careful that you don't leave a different sheen or color appearance.


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## y.painting (Jul 19, 2009)

We ALWAYS back-roll. Have never back-brushed. That's how I learned it years ago and, I guess, never really questioned it since. Maybe it really isn't all that necessary, but I don't have data to back it up either way.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

I back brush & back roll almost everything, and add an additional “spray only” coat for coverage. Best of both worlds. :thumbsup:


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

on smooth metal there is no need to back brush/roll. On most other surface where its porous, it definitely helps adhesion and coating life. Think about how many little cracks, nail hole differences, etc there are in wood siding. If you dont work that coating into those cracks and crevices, youre not gonna get a good bond or seal. 

When I back brush/roll, unless its smooth metal, I will always do it on prime or first coat, to seal everything up. Additional coats I may just spray out, depending on the surface.

Same with interiors. You got new drywall, that stuff is porous if you take a look at it. It needs to get worked in for a good seal. I guess I don't spray too much int., do mostly repaints.


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## One Coat Coverage (Oct 4, 2009)

Hardly ever back brush, do a good prep job i.e. sanding and priming, and you should be able to spray without brushing or rolling. I will back brush around high traffic areas if needed.


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## Capt-sheetrock (Feb 10, 2008)

AllurePainting said:


> Hardly ever back brush, do a good prep job i.e. sanding and priming, and you should be able to spray without brushing or rolling. I will back brush around high traffic areas if needed.


 
Please see the above post


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## WisePainter (Dec 27, 2008)

I don't like to smear the paint after I skillfully apply the appropriate 4~5 mils. required on smooth surfaces with mah "magicky gun". 
However if the surface is rough, or the material is absorbing unevenly into the substrate I *will* back brush for complete coverage and an even appearance.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

Old wood siding yes I will back brush. If for no other reason the Paint can seal down crack in the old paint. Metal NO way in hell. 
David


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Just use it if you need to, thats about it, it's not like you have to do it on every house. We have enought to do anyway, why make work harder?


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## APC (Sep 25, 2007)

I do backbrush, roll the first coat to push it into the cracks and for bonding. I figure the second coat will bond and fill to the first coat. No backroll on metal, figure it looks funky and would not be necessary.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I backbrush what I spray. But if a house just got resided with factory primed clapboards - and after nail hole filling, caulking, and a real good re-prime by hand with a quality primer. I'd say you could probably spray that surface without backbrushing and not worry about penetration. The only thing you have to worry about - you can't ever touch up an area with a brush now, it will look different and even have a seemingly different color. 

We should always analyze what we do - if backbrushing was synonymous with quality - how come quality paint jobs on cars aren't backbrushed? Every situation is different. On most older repaints - you really need a bristles to stab the paint around and work it in. If you filled a surface with those primers from XIM or Maddog and built up like a 20 mil coating like they suggest - you could probably just spray on top of that and not worry about backbrushing either. Unless you have an absolute gem of an airless sprayer - you are just going to get squirts and slag here and there, so it's real hard to get a flawless job from spraying.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Back brushing/rolling creates stipple....stipple is crucial for touch-ups. How do you touch up a job with a perfectly smooth finish? Trim and doors are one thing sure, but walls or smooth siding? Im not knocking anybodys technique, if it works for you, great.....but back rolling is a good idea incase there ever is a problem and you need to touch up with a brush or roller.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

plainpainter said:


> The only thing you have to worry about - you can't ever touch up an area with a brush now, it will look different and even have a seemingly different color. .


:thumbsup: Nice pointing that out. What I tell all my customers to do is : Spray any repaining paint into an empty can/bucket for touch up later. Spraying WILL change the color of the paint, slightly in some, drastic in others, it all depends on the product, color and finish. They all act differently when sprayed. Its a good habit to get into, and can help prevent problems in the future.


I looked at a house this year on a contractor complaint about the paint not touching up. He sprayed, and backrolled. Touched up the house....and you could see every spot. He had the paint on the job, soI asked him to set up his sprayer. I shot some paint into an empty five, stuck a roller in it, rolled out spot, and it just about disappeared when dry.


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