Foam rollers do leave a finish that looks like orange peel. Especially if you didn't let the roller sit and soak in the paint, you'll get tiny air bubbles with the foam. A China white bristle brush (important: without any backbrushing) is the best way, I think. I only used the foam brush for primer coats that would be sanded lightly anyway, or in places that wouldn't really show.

Oh...Just did a little research and see that the natural brush like I recommended is preferable for oil base, but if you're using the acrylic base Satin Impervo, a nylon or polyester brush may be recommended...Just get a good quality.

Use plenty of paint--without being enough to drip-- but so you don't have to go over what you've already brushed. Maybe practice on something first?

Thank You, I took your advise on brushing and it turned out nice, but i think it's going to be ALOT of work to brush all the cabinets and drawers. I have decided to switch paints and roll it on then back brush. The Impervo is just really hard to work with. Thanks Again.

3" foam and Purdy brush, yea I get crap out of that combo too. The foam brush causes the peel look, and brushing right afterwards won't improve it, especially with the primer as it sets those bumps fast.

At least I experimented with my bathroom cabs before getting to the kitchen, so I learned fast to dump the foam brush. A lint free mini roller works way better, either the disposable ones of buying a 3" roller with covers - get the quailty covers, I paid about $3 each for some woster ones and they are nice (1/8" nap). You can wrap them in plastic to reuse them for future coats. I refuse to wash roller covers.

I am about ready to toss out all my Purdy brushes, the Wooster ones work so much better in getting a super smooth finish coat. I've got some I've only used a time or two, and a couple I've never used that I don't want to now.

BTW- I am about ready to start on my FOURTH gallon of Satin Impervo (waterborne) and I'm on my third gallon of primer. About 90% of that has gone on with a brush. Am I sick of painting? YES, but I'm not done yet.

I love working with the Satin Impervo, way better than any other trim paint I've used before from the big box stores. Not saying it's the best, but I like it better than anything else I've used and I've been painting trim for lots of years.

'Floetrol' is a latex paint additive that really improves how paint flows. It makes the paint level better--helping with the brush marks. It also gives you a little more open time, i.e., the paint doesn't dry quite so fast. It's made by the Flood company & is readily available. Most home improvement stores will have it.

Another thing to try is to increase the humidity in the area where you're working to slow down the paint drying.

Floetrol has a sister product called Penetrol. Penetrol is for oil based paints.

I've always hated foam brushes but am in the midst of painting something where I have to use a foam brush. Had a bunch of cheapies around that were crap. Anyway, long story short, if you have to use a foam brush, get some made by Jen Manufacturing. There is really a huge difference between Jen foam brushes and the others. I've gone from hating them to 'almost' liking them!

I have noticed that the ambient tempurature seems to have a big affect on Satin Impervo. The only time I've had any problems is when I'm painting upstairs and we got a good fire going and got the room over 80 (normally keep it around 65).

I've used it with floetrol, but decided for what I'm doing, it didn't make that much of a difference - I wasn't having problems. I did add some to the Behr trim paint I have (bought a few years ago and needed some touchup) and that made a very big difference in the end product.

I've done the bulk of my painting in the basement where we have no heat, and even in the winter the Dehumidfier runs pretty much non-stop.

Depending on how many peices I've had to paint at one time, I usually spread out all over the house.

I don't mind using foam brushes for many projects. I try to keep an assortment around just in case. But those foam rollers were something else. I thought I'd get a nice smooth coat from using them, and all I got was orange peel, even with about 25% floetrol added. It is another story why I got paint with that much mixed in . . .

"The foam brush causes the peel look, and brushing right afterwards won't improve it, especially with the primer as it sets those bumps fast. "

Not exactly. Perhaps you should learn better painting skills. Hint - it's all in the prep work, applying the paint is only about 10-15% of the job!

"Wooster ones work so much better in getting a super smooth finish coat" It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools, both brands make very good brushes. Choosing the correct type of brush for the job is critical. (see above comment) Foam rollers are fine to get lots of paint onto the surface quickly and fairly even. Smooth after with the brush. Rollers leave orange peel - period. If you don't want it you have to smooth down the orange peel.

+1 about Floetrol and Penetrol.

Most old timers won't touch Satin Impervo in waterbase, so all this applies to oil base and goes back to # it's all in the prep which includes choosing the correct product. It has a pretty long open time especially with Penetrol in it.

"but XIM Extender is usually preferred by the pros. "

perhaps in your neighborhood , but not on the jobs I go to, especially in the Southeast, especially with BenMoore paints. XIM makes some fantastic coatings, but they are not really known for their interior trim paints!

"I should have realized something was up "

Yep, you should have realized your paint guy wasn't as knowledgeable or as competent as you/he thought.

I have used Cabinet Coat on my Oak kitchen cabinets but learned to put on thin coats as thicker coats cause cracks in the crevices. I have also used Satin Impervo (not the oil) in other rooms and like the way it looks. It is softer looking than the Cabinet Coat. I filled the grain of the oak, two coats of primer, and two coats of paint. If I had it to do over, I would send the doors out to a professional paint shop and just paint the boxes myself.