How to Buff Out Acrylic Paint Brush Marks

It happens to novices and professional decorators alike: the unwelcome outbreak of brush marks on a newly painted wall. Cheap paint or brushes or a poor application technique might have caused the problem, which you can remedy the next time around. At the moment, however, you must buff out the acrylic paint brush marks so you can start with a fresh, smooth slate. For this job, you will achieve better results with a hand sander, which will give you greater control over the sanding movements than either a power sander or simply holding a piece of sandpaper in your hand.

Dropcloth
Bright work light
Hand sander
Medium-grit sandpaper (80- to 120-grit)
Cotton rags

Instructions

- 1
  Cover the floor area with a dropcloth.
- 2
  Set up and plug in a bright work light on the wall and direct it squarely on your work area. Move the light around so that it always shines on the area you are sanding.
- 3
  
  Invest in quality paint supplies; they go a long way in preventing unwelcome brush marks.
  
  Insert a piece of medium-grit sandpaper into the hand sander. Do not use fine-grit – which may quickly clog and disintegrate under pressure – or coarse-grit – which can create gouges in the wall.
- 4
  Begin sanding the wall with a light touch, applying even pressure and a slight push and pull movement. Sand the wall in small circular motions, not up-and-down motions that may scrape the wall.
- 5
  Wipe the wall with an old cotton rag and inspect your work. If the paint and brush marks are gone, move on to the next step. If not, continue sanding.
- 6
  Buff out tricky areas – such as around electrical and cable outlets – with a piece of hand-held sandpaper. Work very gently around these areas, and move the sandpaper in small, circular motions until the brush marks are gone.
- 7
  
  Properly loading a roller will help prevent imperfections.
  
  Wipe the wall again with a rag to remove large deposits of dust.

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