Painting With Rollers Isn’t as Easy as it Looks

Every painter, whether amateur or professional, knows that the set of tools you choose for your project can make it or break it. The quality of your rollers and brushes can make the difference between smooth, evenly painted walls and walls with lumps, bubbles, and stuck-in bristles. Usually, it’s easier to paint large areas with rollers and take care of the trim with a brush to avoid the streakiness, but a lot of the result lies in your technique, as well.

If you’re starting on a project with a roller, you may find that your walls aren’t drying as smoothly as you’d hoped. That’s because painting with rollers isn’t necessarily a walk in the park. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when you paint with rollers:

• Load your roller evenly before you touch your wall. Overloading your roller will cause drips; on the other hand, underloading it will cause streaks and require additional coats, which may make your color apply unevenly. To make sure you get an even layer of paint, roll your roller into your tray several times to make sure the entire cover is coated. Use firm pressure while rolling to squeeze out the excess paint.

• Use W-shaped patterns to roll your paint on. Many homeowners make the mistake of rolling straight up and down as they start their project, but doing so concentrates too much paint in a small area all at once. Applying your paint in a W-shaped pattern will help spread the initial dose of paint over a wide area. For each section, shift your pattern to the side, continuing to fill in empty spaces.

• Reload your paint often rather than pressing down harder on your roller. Your paint should be evenly applied to your wall without you adding too much pressure. Pressing down hard on your roller will create ridges on either end of your roller. It’s better to reload your roller often and continue getting that same even coating of paint.

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll have a clean, even coat of paint on your walls in no time. Want to leave the hard work to the professionals? Find an Orlando interior painter at New Ceilings. Call 407-378-6040 to schedule your free consultation with our color consultation team.