Eliminate Brush and Lap Marks With Paint Extender

Eliminate Brush and Lap Marks With Paint Extender

The secret to a finish that’s free of lap and brush marks is mixing a paint extender (also called a paint conditioner), such as Floetrol, into the paint. This does two things. First, it slows down the paint drying time, giving you a longer window to overlap just-painted areas without getting ugly lap marks that happen when you paint over dried paint and darken the color. Second, paint extender levels out the paint so brush strokes are virtually eliminated (or at least much less obvious). Pros use extenders when painting drywall, woodwork, cabinets and doors. Manufacturer’s directions tell you how much extender to add per gallon of paint.