Paint Roller Best Practices
February 14, 2023
Painting can be such a transformative activity for the mood, personality, and overall aesthetics of any room in your home. It can take a dull and dated room and breathe new life into the space with some primer and a few gallons of paint.
One critical component of this transformation is to properly use the painting equipment to get the professional look you are hoping for. This may include various types of brushes, paint rollers, and safety equipment. In past blogs, we have discussed the proper way to use a paintbrush, especially when cutting in. Today, our focus lies on the best practices for using paint rollers.
Prep Your Roller
Lots of DIY painters don’t realize that not only does a room need preparation before painting but the equipment does as well.
In regards to the paint roller, most experts use tape to de-fuzz the roller prior to using it the first time. What this means is that in the manufacturing process of making different length naps for paint rollers extra nap, material, or “fuzz” (for lack of a better word,) can remain on the material part of the roller.
By taping a roller and pulling off the tape excess fuzz is removed that could otherwise end up clumping up the paint and causing blemishes and uneven paint during the painting process.
Bucket Screens and Rolling Trays
Before painting a room, homeowners should determine how much paint should be used to decide if they will need more than a gallon of paint. In the case that you calculate the need for more than one gallon, you will want to mix the two paints in a large 5-gallon bucket to ensure that the paints are of the same hue before applying them to the walls.
If using a bucket to then roll your paint roller use a screen to get all the excess paint off your roller. Globs of paint could adhere to the walls if there is too much paint on your roller.
The same goes for those who choose to use a paint tray for rolling. Roll your paint roller in the tray until all sides of the roller are coated, spinning the roller to remove excess. Make sure you roll off clumps and drips before applying them to the wall.
Rolling Techniques
While there are many different ways to roll a wall, many experts believe in the following techniques that will make the space look professional upon completion.
- Start from one side of the room and roll a large section before nearing the edges where you have ‘cut in’.
- Keep a wet edge so that you’re always lapping newly applied paint onto paint that’s still wet.
- Work on 3-4 foot sections of the wall at a time to avoid roller lines that occur when it dries unevenly.
- Work from the top of the room down.
- Back roll sections a second time while the first coat is still wet in order to fill in sections and deepen the color.
Don’t want to worry about your technique? Talk to our team today about scheduling your next paint project.
Categorised in: Interior painting, Jerry Enos, Painting Equipment