Poor Flow and Leveling

Failure of paint to dry to a smooth finish, resulting in unsightly brush and roller marks after the paint dries.

Possible Cause

• Use of lower quality paint.
• Application of additional paint to touch up partially dried painted areas.
• Re-brushing or re-rolling partially dried painted areas.
• Use of the wrong type of roller cover or poor quality brush.

Solution

Use premium quality water-based paints, which are generally formulated with ingredients that enhance paint flow. Brush and roller marks thus tend to "flow out" and form a smooth film. When using a roller, be sure to cover with the recommended nap length for the type of paint being used. Use of a high quality brush is important; a poor brush can result in bad flow and leveling.

Images courtesy of the Paint Quality Institute from Dow Coating Materials