It’s imperative to spend your time and energy wisely when choosing the perfect paint for your project. An important aspect to any paint job that you may not have thought of is selecting the right kind of paint roller. A roller’s anatomy is simple: There’s a handle, a cylinder, and a cover for the cylinder. The handle should be made of steel; its grip should be plastic or wooden and able to accommodate an extension pole. The cover should be held firmly in place, but it should also be easy to remove.
Having a high-quality roller is a must for any painting project, as it leads to a better finish and quicker, easier clean-up. A good roller can even cut down on how much time you spend on a job, even by as much as several hours. Rollers range in width from narrow “slim jims,” often used to paint the wall behind a toilet, to 18 inches. This is vital for quality house painting Your typical roller is usually around 9 inches wide, however. Choosing your width depends on what the project needs.
Roller covers can be just as important as the rollers themselves. When you’re looking for a good roller cover, be on the lookout for seamless plastic or phenolic treated cardboard cores, because they’re able to resist moisture and are made with glue that holds up against paint solvents; this keeps the cover’s nap, or fabric, on its core. On covers with polypropylene cores, the nap can be affixed to the core via thermal fusion, also known as flame bonding – a particularly strong form of attachment. It’s a wise idea to use one core for oil paints and another one for latex paints.
Take heed and notice which rollers are the bad ones. Avoid foam rollers at all costs, because they leave behind a finish that looks “cratered,” due to air bubbles. Covers with untreated cardboard cores, which lose their shape after frequent moisture contact, should also be bypassed for a better quality roller. It’s also important to choose a cover that won’t leave roller marks or lint on the walls you’re painting.
The nature of a project should dictate your roller cover’s nap length – the length of the fiber ends on the fabric’s surface. Use a ¼ or 3/16 – inch nap when painting new drywall or an equally smooth surface with high-sheen paint – this will provide the smoothest finish. Are you using an eggshell or matte paint on drywall that’s already been painted in the past? A 5/16-inch or 3/8 nap can hold a good amount of paint while minimally stippling texturing the surface. A nap length of 3/8 inch is the most versatile; it works well with most walls and paint, providing the roller is high quality. On medium-textured plaster – or any textured, previously painted surface – a half-inch nap is effective. Finally, rough surfaces like concrete block demand a 3/4-inch nap or greater.
Another important nap quality is its density. The denser it is, the more paint it can carry without splattering, and the more evenly that paint will be spread. A slow, steady rolling action minimizes splatters, too, as does a roller shield. Lambswool and sheepskin covers are dense enough to hold a lot of paint and work well on textured walls. Lambswool does especially well with alkyd paints, but it doesn’t play nicely with latex. Microfiber or mohair covers, on the other hand, apply smooth paint evenly to a smooth surface. Oil-based paint loves natural-fiber covers, while artificial fibers can be used with any kind of coating, excluding epoxies or polyurethane.
If you’re planning to paint from ceiling to floor, an extension pole will help you put an even coat on the walls. Between coats, store roller covers by wrapping them in a plastic bag, sealing them in a second bag, and keeping them in a cool, dark place for several hours, or even overnight. Once a project is done, clean roller frames and covers with soap and water and save them for the next time you paint.
Speed and versatility are the biggest perks of using a roller. Most wall paints are actually formulated for roller application, so it makes sense to choose that method. Special rollers exist for painting round surfaces or getting into corners, and some new models even have a paint reservoir that makes the paint tray obsolete, at least in theory, though it doesn’t work very well with oil-based paint.
A cheap roller isn’t worth the price, since it makes a project more frustrating and time-consuming. Inexpensive rollers can leave a wall mottled and flecked with lint – no one’s definition of a job well done. Like most aspects of painting, picking a roller is trickier than it might initially appear. However, if you follow the above tricks of the trade, you’ll definitely find the right roller for your job.