[umcgirl]

We're painting wood cabinets with semi gloss enamel interior latex - valspar. We primed with Klitz. My husband is frustrated with the paint brush lines. Help, before we add another coat.

 

[Bob Mariani]

Too late. Used the wrong products and cabinet finishes are not something you use a brush on. Sand the poor paint job until smooth after you let it dry for at least 2 weeks since you used enamel paint. Some things to do to help...these will help, but short of using the correct finishing products and a sprayer you will not get a professional finish.

1) buy good paint...Valspar and Behr will always give a poor quality short lived job. Stick with SW and BM products
2) Buy a good brush if you must use one
3) Thin the first coats
4) use XIM to slow the drying so each stroke does not dry while you are finishing one section
5) Add penetrol to oil paint or floetrol to acrylic paint to let the paint flow better and adhere better.. (nothing for latex since this is not for cabinets)

 

[slickshift]

...semi gloss enamel interior latex - valspar. We primed with Klitz. My husband is frustrated with the paint brush lines. Help, before we add another coat.

After letting it dry and cure for a bit, sand it smooth (sand out any brush marks you can)
Then apply a premium quality waterborne* enamel, such as Ben Moore's Waterborne* Impervo, or Sherwin Williams Waterborne* ProClassic, using a premium quality brush and proper technique (not too thick and don't over brush)

You may see a few brush lines, but not nearly what you do now

And a brush is not a brush...so to speak
Use a good quality Purdy, Corona, or Wooster brush
Exactly which will depend on your particular technique and/or preference and/or product, but you may not have painted enough to figure that out....so anything in those lines should be OK for now

Although additives (such as Floetrol) should only be added if needed due to atmospheric conditions, they can add some "forgiveness" to the WB enamels for sometimes painters
But they are a tool...not a crutch
I'd suggest the premium WB enamels straight up if at all possible

Technique is something you have to do, be evaluated on, and work on
It can't be learned over the interweb, or even by doing a few paint projects

But, using proper quality tools and products, if it's still unacceptable, it's probably technique
.... or you want no brush lines at all...not possible w/o spraying (and proper prep, products, and technique)

In your case, it sounds as if you use proper prep (sanding), tools (premium), and product (premium), even with brushing, it will be at least acceptable, if not "whoo hoo! Look at that!"

*The word "enamel" can mean a cheap paint, but it's technically an enamel
Often cheap paints with sheen are technically (latex) enamels, but are miles away in quality from "waterborne" enamels (WB enamels are the water-based version of the old fashioned oil enamels)
Yes, it's splitting hairs name-wise...but there is a big difference
Many premium lines (Impervo, Pro Classic) have both WB and alkyd (oil) versions
Be sure to get the correct type

 

[umcgirl]

semi-gloss

Thanks, I was afraid of this. I know about Benjamin Moore paint and the best brush. Guess we'll go back to the drawing board. Thanks. umcgirl