Last month we discussed PAINT BRUSHES. As promised, this month we’ll discuss ROLLERS. Achieving good results in a painting project depends largely on the applicators you choose. Most of us use a roller for large surfaces like ceilings and walls. They are also great for getting better coverage on textured stucco or concrete. A roller is a roller, right? Nope. Not exactly. A standard roller length is nine inches but for small areas, you can buy miniature versions. Here’s a breakdown of your options…
Pile Depth – You have to select both the length of the nap on your cover and what it’s made of. We will outline both. Nap is available in various lengths, so use the one recommended for the surface you’re painting. In general, the longer the nap, the more paint it will hold. Use the following as a general guideline.
- 1/4-inch nap for smooth and fine surfaces, such as new walls, ceilings, wood doors, and trim
- 3/8-inch nap for smooth – lightly textured walls
- 1/2-inch nap for most walls and medium rough surfaces, such as textured plaster, and concrete
- 3/4-inch nap for rough surfaces, such as textured walls and ceilings, textured plaster, and concrete
- 3/8- or 1/2-inch nap is a good general-purpose roller cover.
The roller cage is what holds the roller cover so make sure your cage matches your cover in length. Roller nap is made from natural, synthetic or blended fibers.
Synthetic covers are ideal for applying latex paints and are usually made of nylon and/or polyester. They resist matting and they hold their shape better creating a smoother finish.
Natural fiber rollers made from mohair & lambs wool are ideal for oil-based coatings.
Blended covers: Rollers made from a blend of natural & synthetic fibers are multipurpose and can be used with all paints.
Roller Quality
As with brushes, the initial extra investment in higher quality rollers and covers will pay off in the final look and ease of application. Lesser quality roller covers may leave streaks or nap fibers on the painted surface. If you have questions, please ask one of our Long Bros specialists!
Paint hacks: #1 Wall prep made easy. Use your Swiffer to clean up cobwebs and other debris prior to painting using the dry disposable pad. It makes the higher parts easier to reach and allows you to finish in half the time! #2 If you are working around detailed hardware that’s almost too delicate to tape off, paint on Vaseline to protect it from the paint.
Roller hack: Wrap masking tape around your entire roller cover and then remove. This will help to remove any small particles of roller fuzz that sometimes like to stick to your wall when you first start painting!
Clean up: Afterward, get the paint off your hands by using our popular Gojo cleaner. We sell it in THREE sizes and it works for so many things! It’s available in “Smooth” – which gently cleans hands or “Pumice” with added grit to cut into grease, dirt or paint!
Next month we will discuss fencing projects, so stay tuned! As always, the Long family would like to Thank You for your continued business and support. If you enjoyed this blog post, we would appreciate your comments and shares in social media. We look forward to seeing you for all of your painting needs. Keep your eyes peeled for DIY ideas sprinkled throughout 2015!
Next month we will discuss disaster preparedness so stay tuned! As always, the Long family would like to Thank You for your continued business and support. If you enjoyed this blog post, we would appreciate your comments and shares in social media. We look forward to seeing you for all of your painting needs. Keep your eyes peeled for DIY ideas sprinkled throughout 2015!