While finding a good paintbrush is likely one of the first things that springs to mind when thinking about a paint project, no painter would be without their trusty roller. They make covering a large area incredibly quick and easy, and assures a very professional looking result. If you're a beginner, you're definitely going to have questions about how to choose the best roller for your job, how to use it and also how to best look after it, so read on to get yourself acquainted with this essential painting tool.
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Roller sleeves may look similar, but they are not created equal. A high-quality sleeve will help you apply the correct amount of paint at the required spread rate and give you a top-notch finish. Also, as with any equipment that you invest in, if you look after it properly, it'll last for years.
A great starting point is to check the information on the Resene roller stand, or ask staff at your local Resene ColorShop or reseller ' they can recommend the best roller for the paint you are using and the surface you are painting. Resene and PAL (Paint Aids) have worked together to match rollers to specific Resene products and areas of use. A unique numbering system and in-store guides are designed to make it easier for you to select the right roller sleeve.
For DIYers, there are three main sleeve sizes to choose from, which have been designed for key home projects.
As well as the appropriate sleeve, you'll also need a roller handle, an extension pole, a roller tray, a cutting in brush ' and of course your choice of Resene paint.
An extension pole is ideal for painting large surfaces like walls and ceilings so you'll be able to avoid a ladder or too much stretching up and down ' which you'll likely feel in your muscles the following day! The more painting you have planned (including future projects) or the larger your current project, the better quality the extension handle you should select. A simple wooden handle will suffice for a small one-off project, however a quality extension handle will help you achieve a faster and more professional finish and last for many paint jobs.
If you already have roller sleeves and an extension pole at home, bring them in when you're buying your paint and the Resene ColorShop staff can check they are suitable for the paint you are using and the project you have in mind.
Yes, for a few reasons. By decanting your paint into your tray, you'll avoid contaminating all the rest of your paint with any dust, dirt or fibres from your roller sleeve. The proportions of the tray also help you load up your roller properly with paint for an even finish. Make sure the tray is clean before you begin and stir the paint well before pouring it in. Be careful not to overfill the tray, however, if you do, loading the roller is more difficult and spillages are more likely.
Rinse new rollers in water (when using waterborne paints) or turps (for solventborne paints) to remove any loose fibres or dust before use. If your roller handle has been used before, place a drop of oil on the roller handle bearings (the two plastic end caps) as it will make painting much easier.
When using waterborne paints, lightly dampen the roller sleeve before use. Make sure you remove all excess water. It should be slightly damp rather than wet to touch.
Use the ribbed section at the top of the paint tray to squeeze out the excess paint and ensure your roller gets an equal distribution of paint. Repeat this process several times to work the paint into the roller sleeve. This will make application easier and more consistent. Once loaded, the roller sleeve should look like a hotdog dipped in batter.
Before you pick up your roller, you'll need to use a paintbrush first to cut in. This is the process of painting the fiddly bits ' edges, corners, around light fittings ' that a roller can't quite manage. Start with the corner and bring the line of the paint out ' you can work either left to right or vice versa, depending on what is more comfortable. Begin each brushstroke about 100mm along from the end of the previous section, slightly away from the edge itself and work the paint back towards the paint's wet edge and then back along the edge.
Now you're ready to roll. With the roller loaded with paint, lay it carefully against the wall or ceiling. Roll in an upwards direction first, moving across the surface in a rough 'W' pattern. Aim to complete one square metre with each roller load, spreading the paint as evenly as possible. Then invert the roller and run it as close to the leading edge of the skirting board and corners as practical. Once you have covered approximately four square metres, you will need to lay-off the painted area to achieve an even consistent finish.
This is the process to ensure there are no messy streaks and that your paint surface is seamless. It involves rolling over the area you painted with a very light pressure to even out the finish and redistribute any remaining wet paint on the wall.
To lay off, make sure the roller sleeve is not fully loaded with paint. Going very lightly, lay the roller approximately 300mm above the skirting board and slowly roll up towards the scotia, getting as close as practical to it. Gently roll back towards the skirting board but pull the roller away from the wall about 200mm above the skirting board. Repeat the process, overlapping strokes by approximately a quarter to half the roller length. Adjust the roller angle to get as close as practical to the edges of corners and around door and window frames. In a room, you'd do this one wall at a time. Once this is all done, allow your paint to dry and then apply a second coat using the same techniques.
Make sure you stop painting at a natural end point in the wall like a corner ' or the end of a weatherboard if you're painting outside. If you intend to go back to painting soon, keep the roller wet by submerging the roller head in the remaining paint in your roller tray, then put a reusable plastic bag around the entire roller tray and tie the handles together or use masking tape to seal it shut. This will prevent your roller from drying out and will keep it ready for painting, saving you from unnecessarily washing your roller and tray.
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Once the job is done, hold the roller by its handle on an angle and use a roller cleaner or painter's multi tool to scrape the excess paint out of the roller sleeve and into a painting tray. Place the roller into a bucket of cold water and leave to soak for a few hours. Wash the roller under running water, pushing your fingers or the roller cleaner through the pile/nap of the roller sleeve. This process can take longer than you might think. ' keep rinsing the roller until it's completely clean. If in doubt, put it back in another bucket of clean water and leave to soak some more.
Leave the sleeve to dry by standing it vertically on its end. If it's going to be a long time before you reuse your roller, once it's dry, you may want to wrap your roller sleeve in cling film or a plastic bag to prevent dust or dirt getting into the fibres. It's important to keep roller sleeves clean, because dirty paintbrushes and rollers can contaminate paints by introducing bacteria which can cause paint to go off.
Paint rollers allow higher quantities of paint to be applied as smoothly as possible to a surfaces, especially when compared to a paint brush. Having the right tools for the job is the first step in any decorating project. Contrary to what many DIY'ers believe, not all decorating supplies are the same and they can't all achieve the same finish. What we always say to DIY'ers is to buy the most expensive decorating tools you can afford, as they offer more durability, will achieve a much better finish and long-term offers much better value for money than a cheap decorating tool that you will use once and bin.
All manufacturers of paint roller sleeves offer varying roller sleeves for a range of jobs that are made out of different materials, such as foam and polyamide. These sleeves come in levels of 'nap', otherwise known as 'pile', which refers to the length of the fibres the sleeve is made out of.
Not only do rollers come in different materials, but they also vary in width.
Having the best tool for the job is the first step towards achieving a perfect finish. We are going to breakdown some of the various circumstances you will need a particular roller and give our recommendations for the best paint roller for the job at hand.
Smooth surfaces such as interior doors, radiators and other woodwork and metal require a short-pile nap roller that will achieve an ultra-smooth finish. This is why paint brands have a wide variety of mini-rollers on offer to provide the characterise required for its application. For example, Wooster offer three mini-roller sleeves; the Wooster Jumbo-Koter Red Feather 4.5", the Wooster Jumbo-Koter Big Green 4.5" & the Wooster Jumbo-Koter Pro/Zoo-Z 4.5". The Wooster Jumbo-Koter Red Feather 4.5" in particular is what we would recommend for use on smooth surfaces as it has a perfectly smooth finish and is ideal for use on doors, cabinets & metal, which covers just about any interior smooth surface you will need to paint.
An alternative choice to a 1/4 Nap roller such the Red Feather would be to use a foam roller, which has no nap at all. These are very effective for achieving a spray-like finish on smooth surfaces, with excellent example being the 9" Hamilton Performance Foam Roller for a 9" roller and the Wooster Jumbo-Koter Big Green as a 4.5" roller. Foam rollers have a few advantages, such as the fact they absorb large amounts of paint for great pickup, they do not shed and they cover well, especially when applying thin coats due to their ability to hold paint. Foam rollers aren't suitable if you are using an oil-based paint as these paints tend to be thicker and therefore don't work quite as well with the foam roller sleeve. Lastly foam rollers are not as durable than other fibres, so you may not get as much lifetime value from them.
A general-purpose medium-pile roller is perfect for walls & ceilings as it provides added paint pickup while still maintaining a smooth finish. When it comes to medium-pile rollers, look no further than the Perfection range from Hamilton that comes in 4", 9", 12" and 15" forms. The microfibres used by Hamilton reduce paint splatter, plus being a Hamilton product, it is made to the highest possible standards.
Hamilton have developed a 4" mini roller version of their medium-pile roller to provide a solution to the framing effect. This is caused when a paint brush and roller are used on the same wall, causing a noticeable difference in finish when they dry. To prevent this, cut in using a brush as normal, then using the 4" mini roller apply the paint as closely to the edge of the wall as you can. This ensures that the same roller is used on the full wall, achieving the most even finish possible.
Yes, you can wash out paint rollers and reuse them multiple times, especially if you buy a good quality paint roller that has much more durability than a cheap roller sleeve.
If you are painting just one room in one colour, then you will only need a singular paint roller to finish the job. If you are using multiple colours, we would recommend you get two roller sleeves as this will mean you do not have to fully clean and dry the sleeve before moving on to the other colour. You will not need to get two roller sleeves as these can be very easily cleaned and dried using a paper towel.
There are a number of ways to prevent your paint roller from splattering paint on surfaces that you do not want painting. Firstly, a good quality roller will help minimise paint splatter, which is always a good place to start. Secondly, try not to apply to much pressure to the paint roller. Slow and gentle motions will apply to paint evenly, and if your roller has a good pick-up, it will not require much pressure to apply to paint. Lastly, move the roller in straight motions as when you use a zig zag motion, the paint will gather in corners on the roller and will splatter more often.
The cleaning process will differ depending on if you are using a water-based paint or an oil-based paint. If you have been using a water-based paint, firstly remove the sleeve from the frame and use a scraper or painters tool to scrape out any excess paint back into the paint tin. Once you have done this, you can simply rinse the roller under a tap of warm water until the water runs clear. If you have been using an oil-based paint, you must use a solvent to clean it such as white spirit. Remove the excess paint by scraping it back in the tin and then by rolling as much paint as possible onto a surface you can throw away, such as some paper. This removes as much paint as possible to make the next process as easy as it can be. Fill a tub with white spirit or turps and place the roller sleeve in, making sure it is submerged. Leave the sleeve for 5 minutes and remove it, repeating the process until all paint has been removed. If you keep them container with a lid on it for a few days, the paint will sink to the bottom and the white spirit can be decanted back into the bottle.
Once you have cleaned your paint rollers, store them in a sealed plastic bag until you come to use them again. Avoid getting them dirty as this will mean you will have to clean them again before use.
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