# Crappy roller = unwanted texture - how to fix it?



## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

A pole sander would probably be the way to go but if it's that bad then you may want to skim coat the wall with drywall joint compound. It it really that bad? Maybe you just used too shiny a paint (sheen) and it is showing every imperfection?


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

It is almost impossible to get perfectly smooth walls without spraying. Rollers leave a texture or stipple effect that looks like a orange peel. That said by using a small nap roller like 3/8" or smaller will make the stipple smaller. And by adding a product such as Flotrol or BIM extender it will also help to limit the effect.


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## sosee11 (Jan 15, 2013)

That is exactly how I would describe the texture - like an orange peel. My husband seems to think it needs a light sanding and then another coat of paint. I have heard about paint extenders and how they help eliminate brush strokes, so maybe that's an option too. 

Honestly, it is a little bit more texture than a normal wall would be after rolling with a quality roller, but it is really not much more. It seems like a trivial concern to me, but I understand that the texture can become more pronounced if we were to paint the room again at some point down the road.

Needless to say, I bought a bunch of very high quality (and with 3/8" nap) new rollers that we'll be using for the rest of the rooms.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

In my experience, it takes more than a light sanding to hide rough stipple. I mean, hand sanding and re coating can help, but to really smooth it back up again you have to get aggressive with the sanding. 

I like to use a random orbital or a vibrating sander with pretty fine paper (120-220) and go over the walls in quick passes, not stopping in one place for too long. 

Latex enamel paint really doesn't sand very well in any case, but it can be smoothed out some without resorting to skim coating with Sheetrock mud.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Hang curtains and tell your husband to have a beer. If you aren't bothered by it why should he be? You should not be breathing the dust that will be produced by sanding and the dust will get in your ductwork, and you have a baby on the way. He/she will be breathing the dust too. Tell him to get over it and go fishing.


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## sosee11 (Jan 15, 2013)

jagans said:


> Hang curtains and tell your husband to have a beer. If you aren't bothered by it why should he be? You should not be breathing the dust that will be produced by sanding and the dust will get in your ductwork, and you have a baby on the way. He/she will be breathing the dust too. Tell him to get over it and go fishing.


My thoughts exactly! Well, unfortunately we've been doing a lot of work on the house that has definitely produced a lot of dust, but since I work full-time I'm at least not around while it's flying through the air. We've had air purifiers running constantly in all the bedrooms. Hopefully the little one has been well protected thus far!

But yeah, I do think he needs to chill. He keeps says the walls are "ruined". I wish I could take a picture to show you how minimal the stippling is. Yes, it's there if you specifically look for it, but goodness it's nothing to cry about.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

I really wouldn't worry about it. It's not necessarily a cheap cover (although you would know if it is). Any 1/2" nap would leave more texture, for example. By combining a good quality 3/8" nap cover and either paint extender or a paint designed for smoothness (Sherwin Williams Cashmere for example), you will get smoother. But the sanding might not be worth the effort. Personal preference.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

How long was the nap on the original roller?


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

You will never get a perfectly smooth surface with ANY roller and or paint.:no:


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Question: How are the new microfiber rollers with stipple? More, less, or about the same. I have a couple but have not used them yet.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

ToolSeeker said:


> Question: How are the new microfiber rollers with stipple? More, less, or about the same. I have a couple but have not used them yet.



They are.... different. All brands aren't the same of course. The stipple pattern is larger, hard to explain. One local painter I'm friends with doesn't like them, she says they leave a 'funny looking finish'
But I do like them. To me the pattern they leave is more conducive to letting the paint flow out after application and I actually get the best finishes with them. 

They also hold way more paint, and splatter less than woven naps.


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## RWolff (Jan 27, 2013)

jagans said:


> Hang curtains and tell your husband to have a beer. If you aren't bothered by it why should he be?
> 
> Tell him to get over it and go fishing.



jagans and I think alike! it never fails to amaze me what people get obsessed with, the obsessive-compulsive disorders manifest in many ways I guess. 
I remember reading of some guy who didn't want to use his windshield wipers on his new car because he claimed they scratch the glass!
He sprayed some Rain-x or something on it and his wife or GF would be in the passenger seat white knuckling the whole time he was driving in the rain because he wouldnt use the wipers and it was difficult to see the road!
In the winter he wouldn't use a scraper on the ice- same reason, just looked out a small hole he made.

The wall is fine, you put some pictures and curtains up and it's done! In a month's time you won't even "see" the walls.

This is a big reason why I just TEXTURE my walls and let it go, you'll never get the paint smooth and perfect so either you have to learn how to live with defects or make it a TEXTURED wall.


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