How do I prevent paint strokes from showing on really flat no texture indoor walls?

I have virtually no texture on my walls in my home. I use only premium paint from Behr, but I still get strokes showing when it dries and it is really frustrating. Is there anything I can to to make it all dry evenly?How do I prevent paint strokes from showing on really flat no texture indoor walls?
hey jay...





if your walls have no texture, they must be plaster and not drywall...if you want your behr premium (acrylic latex) paint to dry with absolutely no brush marks or the fine orange peel effect you get from rolling, you need to (a)work on your technique, (b) use the best quality brushes and roller covers and (c) slow down the drying time of the paint...(read on)...





a) technique - when working with water based materials, even the so-called ';premium'; products, avoid the temptation to overwork the paint with a brush or roller. when brushing around trim or along ceiling, load the paint brush with fresh paint to only 1/3 of the bristle...tap the brush on the side of the can to remove excess paint (do not scrape off excess)...apply paint to surface using the flat -or widest side of the brush...apply paint to surface with long - not short - strokes and don't brush through newly applied paint more than once or twice. reload your brush after painting approx. 3 feet along ceiing line even though the brush may seem to still have plenty of paint in it. then repeat the process all the way around the room.





b) use only the best quality brushes and rollers - it'll make an incredible difference. when working with acrylic (latex) paints, always use synthetic bristle such as polyester or nylon (i prefer polyester)..since you're probably buying your paint at home depot, they carry professional quality wooster and purdy brushes (i prefer wooster's ultra-pro 2 1/2'; angled) - never use natural bristle with water based paints (mohair, oxhair, china bristle, etc.) these products are for oil based only and you will destroy an expensive brush by using them with latex. next make sure your roller cover is also of high quality - both wooster's super-dooz or super-fab are non shedding high quality covers that'll do as good of a job as you can expect. for the smoothest finish, use a 3/8 inch nap. when rolling, fill your roller cover with paint and let stand in the tray for several minutes to allow paint to penetrate to the core...when applying paint to the wall, apply paint in a W pattern approximately 4' high by a couple of roller widths wide. after filling in the W on the top half of the wall, refill your roller cover (even though there appears to be plenty of paint still) then repeat the same pattern on the lower half of the wall. finish up this section by lightly rolling over both top and bottom, floor to ceiling, in long vertical strokes. work quickly, but not so fast as to create paint splatter... always roll into a wet edge.





c) slow down the drying time of your paint. if you live in a high climate area or your home is very warm, therein lies part of your problem. there are products you can add to slow down the drying time of latex paints to allow for better flow thereby eliminating or minimizing brush strokes and roller marks. flood products makes a product called floetrol (also available at home depot) - mix up to 1 pint per gallon of latex for best results - but be careful - runs and sags can occur if your technique isn't right (practice in a closet before painting the room)...





now, having said all that - be careful what you wish for. most manufacturer's actually create their flat wall products to dry a little mottled or textured. this is done for a couple of reasons. one reason is without any texture, even a flat wall paint will appear a little shiny (angular sheen) and any amount of sheen will highlight any imperfections in the wall such as tape joints or spackled areas. second, the (rheology) modifiers added to the product that creates texture actually is a control feature that keeps one from spreading the paint too thin. water based paints are designed for optimal performance (hide, washability, stain resistance) if they are applied at a theoretical spread rate not to exceed 400 square feet per gallon (that is a theoretical rate and you'll never actually get that much...more realistically 300-350 square feet per gallon) ...without these modifiers, water based products could actually be spread 500 square feet per gallon or more, but the film would be so thin that it wouldn't hide nor provide any protection to the wall when cured.





i hope this info is helpful to you and good luck on your project...





ricHow do I prevent paint strokes from showing on really flat no texture indoor walls?
Use a roller not a brush. Also put on more than 1 coat.
I found out that priming the wall before painting does wonders for hiding brush marks and also makes the coverage appear much more even. Hope this helps . :)
Number one if you did the whole wall use a roller and apply more then one coat also alot of paints put on by an inexpencive brush will leave marks and different types of paint if a good brush is not use.My ex husband was a painter and he used mohair brushes though I'm not sure what they are he always did great work. Peace out!!!!
are you using latex paint??? oil base will leave marks real bad...if you did use oil base, you need to prime it with several coats then use latex,and like the other person said,use a roller not a brush