# What type of paint roller do I need?



## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

Basically, the rougher the surface you're painting, the thicker the nap you want on your roller.

For smooth walls, paint companies generally recommend 1/4 inch nap rollers. I generally use 10 mm, or about 3/8 inch nap roller for all the painting I do. I'd go with a thicker nap roller sleeve if I was painting concrete blocks or even stucco, but I never paint such rough surfaces.

There is a difference in quality in roller sleeves because the cheap ones will tend to shed fibers. I find that Nour and Simms make good products. Wooster and Purdy make more expensive painting products, but I wouldn't say that paint applied with a Purdy roller looks any better than paint applied with a Simms or Nour roller sleeve.

You can get very high quality wool nap roller sleeves with plastic cores. These are meant to be cleaned after each use so they'll last a long time if you look after them. I use less expensive roller sleeves with rayon (I think) nap cuz I haven't been dissatisfied with the paint appearance I get using those less expensive sleeves.


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

Thanks for your advice Nestor. It's a great help.


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

Well, last time I responded to a roller question, I got flamed but here goes again. My wife and I do all the painting at our place. We use the least expensive roller sleeves we can find and have never had a problem with them, like leaving fuzz on the wall. The key it to keep the roller charged with paint and not to roll them when they are out of paint. If we are not finished with a paint color when we are ready to quit for the day, we put the roller and tray in a plastic bag and stick it in the fridge until we start again. When we are finished, we toss the roller covers and the plastic liners we use in our roller trays.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

FLAME  FLAME  FLAME  FLAME  FLAME

You toss the plastic liners in your roller trays?!?!?!










Just let the paint dry up in them, and you can use 'em again. I only toss mine out when there's about 8 pounds of dried paint in them.

FLAME  FLAME  FLAME  FLAME  FLAME :laughing:


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

I have always heard that you need a really good brush and a good roller in order to get good end results. Of course, what might be a "good end result" is a matter of opinion.

I always thought that you should wash your brushes and rollers after you finish with them so that they are ready for the next time you use the?

I am not going to go with the cheapest brushes or rollers, as I have learned during this reno process that the better quality tools and products most definitely give you a better result.


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

Well, Nestor. Flame accepted. Good idea on keeping the old trays. Still refuse to wash an old paint roller sleeve though.

We do use high quality brushes though and wash them thoroughly when finished.


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## Rehabber (Dec 29, 2005)

Use a high quality lambswool roller and the job will go much faster. Buy a roller spinner to clean out all the old paint in the roller. Fast and easy clean up this way.:yes:


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Washing rollers, even with a tool, = 

If I'm going to take another wack at a painting project the next day, I wrap latex paint rollers with a plastic bag (I like two layers of grocery or produce bags). As soon as a roller starts giving a sub-par result (caking or dragging fibers) I pitch it.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

yummy mummy said:


> Is there a type of paint roller that would be best to use?


Many companies make many different quality sleeves, so I wouldn't simply mention a brand, as you still could get a sub-standard one
And mentioning a type (woven, etc.) can get confusing as they are not always labeled as such, and the differences are not easily detected
However, you can't go wrong with Purdy's White Dove, and they are available nearly everywhere


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## sirwired (Jun 22, 2007)

x2 on the Purdy White Dove. It's not too expensive, widely available and leaves a high-quality finish. I use the 3/8" for all my smooth-surface work. (higher capacity than the 1/4")

In addition to a high-quality cover, the second key to a quality job is good technique. Forget all the W/M/N-pattern stuff in DIY books; it just makes your arm sore, and exists solely to cover up poor technique.

Instead, load up the roller, squeeze out the drippy excess on a screen or tray, and do a single 8-10' stripe. Go back over it once or twice, and then re-roll the previous stripe once or twice. Then reload and move onto the next stripe.

The biggest mistake DIY-ers make is to "squeeze" paint out of the roller. Instead let the roller do the work; just "lay" the roller on the wall. When doing ceilings, provide only the pressure necessary to ensure even contact with the surface.

Combine all this with quality paint-store paint and it will ensure even, quality coverage, and no roller marks.

SirWired


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

bradnailer said:


> Well, Nestor. Flame accepted. Good idea on keeping the old trays. Still refuse to wash an old paint roller sleeve though.
> 
> We do use high quality brushes though and wash them thoroughly when finished.


I was just joking around with you, Bradnailer.
If you notice the last Smileyface in the post is a :laughing:
instead of a


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> I was just joking around with you, Bradnailer.
> If you notice the last Smileyface in the post is a :laughing:
> instead of a


Yep, I knew you were. No problem.


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

Part of the consideration is cost. What is the difference between a good roller and cheap roller.....about 2-3 bucks. For the money you spend on good paint (and time) you might as well spend a little more for a good roller. Especially if you are only painting a few rooms. I would also say the same goes for cleaning the roller. It is a pain in the ass. The time saved may be worth the few bucks to some to just toss a used roller and just use a new one.


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