Overall, hiding imperfections on walls doesn't have to be a big scary task. Take your roller and put it in the paint pan to put paint on the roller. In this guide, our decorating experts offer top tips to help you get the best out of your roller and produce top-notch results. Take the roller to the wall using a pole, making sure the roller is parallel to the surface. Below we provide some important information that can help you paint walls efficiently using roller brushes. At the top, turn the roller sideways, then zigzag it back down. Similarly, when you move upward, make sure you stop a few inches away from the ceiling. It's that easy. Step 4. Fill nail holes if there were pictures on the wall, and sand off old paint lumps or wallpaper residue before you begin painting. How to Paint a Wall with a Roller – More Painting Tips. The best touch-up paintbrush or paint roller is just large enough for the job to avoid spreading paint too far into unaffected areas. When you’re painting a ceiling with a roller, keep the end of the roller facing the side of the surface that you have already cut in. Painting With a Roller “A roller is the best applicator to use for the vast majority of common household paint projects,” says Nicole Gibbons, founder of Clare. Paint the wall using either a W or M technique, starting a roller's width out from the edge of the wall, and rolling from mid-height towards the ceiling, and then down towards the skirting. Makes sure not to put too much paint on the roller or it will drip when you use it. Snag the handle from the broom. Fill a paint tray with the texture material or texture paint. To get a similar finish on the new paint area, use the same type of applicator as you did on the first layer, whether that's a brush or a roller. Apply paint to your walls with this roller as you would with any roller, but slightly adjust the rubber bands periodically as you work to renew the texture. Pressing too hard will also make your paint thick at the edges of the stroke. 3pm: Put the kettle on while the paint is drying. Working your way back across that “w,” without lifting the roller, fill in empty patches until that section of wall is fully covered. Painting walls with a roller is still the fastest and most efficient method of application, giving you the best, most consistent results – you’re simply not going to find a paintbrush that will equal it. For an even and successful application, work in small areas of an average of 1 m by 1 m. Always start from the top of the wall, going downwards, and ideally in the direction of the light, for example, from the window. One of the best painting tips to avoid roller marks includes starting with a smooth wall. How to Avoid Roller Marks when Painting Walls. Tap each side of the roller on the sides of the paint tray to remove any excess paint. Start painting with your roller. A paint roller allows you to paint textured surfaces without having to apply larger amounts of paint to the surface. Load it up with paint just short of it's dripping point. Lay the paint on the wall with a sweeping stroke. In your mind, divide the surface up into areas about 1 metre square, start in the middle of a 'square' at the top corner nearest the window of a wall - when painting a ceiling, start at a corner nearest the window - and roll the loaded roller over the surface in a rough 'M' pattern without lifting the roller off the surface. Load roller evenly with paint by working it up and down paint tray. If your roller doesn’t spin evenly, the paint is uneven and you need to load up again. Load the roller by dipping it in the paint. Once you’ve finished cutting in, start painting with the roller. Paint about 1m² at a time. Buy quality paint - it … Buy quality paint. He suggests looking for the label "shedless" when it comes to rollers. Using a paint roller is not difficult, but, there are certain tips and tricks that will help you create a better finish. For textured or rough wall surfaces, you may want to use a nap size of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Don't press too hard on the roller, as the fibers of the roller cover will get matted—let the paint do most of the work. An ordinary roller cover will produce a texture, but there are also special roller covers available that are designed for stippling. Make sure you have an even cover of paint around the roller sleeve before you begin. If any mould is present, use a bleach solution to remove it from walls. Before you wash it scrape excess paint in the roller. Start painting in random, light brush strokes focusing on one section of the wall. A paint roller is simply a must-have tool if you are painting walls, ceilings, fences, and any large area. Quality 12mm nap rollers will apply an even paint film to your walls and ceilings and give you a great finish, without splattering paint all over you and the floor. Carefully apply the bleach solution to walls using a sponge and leave to soak for 15 minutes. When you go ahead with this technique, make sure you lay the paint about a foot from the floor or the bottom. Paint a stripe up the wall, bottom to top. Rinse until the water runs clear the roller cover. Attach the roller to the extension pole and dip the roller into the paint. Step by Step Instructions. 2) Use a handle on the paint roller. Dip the roller into the paint and roll it backwards and forwards over the flat section for even coverage. Step One: When you roll paint onto a wall, it should be done in a sweeping stroke. Spread evenly on wall, starting a little away from a cut-in edge at a slight angle and working back to it. They are designed to hold a fair amount of paint, usually for applying flat or low sheen paints. Step 4 Fluff up the nap with a comb if it becomes too flattened to give you a good texture. Using a paint roller is an effective way to apply paint but knowing how to avoid roller marks is all about using the right painting techniques. Dark shades, such as navy, may need three for full coverage. Rinse thoroughly and again, allow them to dry completely. Browse our wide selection of Do It Yourself paints. Place the paint tray on the floor, directly in front of you, about 4" from the wall. It doesn’t hold as much paint but it delivers a smoother finish. At the end of the day, drop the grid into the bucket and snap on the lid It's that easy. Step Two: Start a few centimetres from the bottom of the wall and a couple of centimetres from the corner. Start painting . Assess the walls for any damage or surface lumps and bumps. When applying paint with the roller, use long strokes in a W pattern for ample coverage (and to avoid those pesky roller marks). Final Thoughts On Choosing A Paint Roller For Hiding Imperfections. Even the best painter can’t avoid bumps and marks if the wall isn’t flat and smooth. Pour some paint into the roller tray until it reaches the bottom of the grate. A medium or all-purpose roller - 8-12mm thick- can be used with any paint and produces a soft clean finish on smooth and semi smooth surfaces. Painting a wall using rollers is much quicker than using paintbrushes, but rollers pose their own set of challenges. When you notice holidays after the paint has dried, you can usually make them disappear by applying another coat after sanding lightly—if necessary—to remove drips and humps. 5. Practice first - the trick is to get only a little bit of paint on the roller, then roll it out a few times in the tray. Work in small sections, keeping a wet edge and use a paint roller for larger coverage areas (we used a nap roller measuring 1/4 to 3/8 inch). 3 Clean your walls. This will make sure that the roller’s metal frame doesn’t damage your walls. This allows the other decorative elements mounted to the wall to pop and stand out more. Pull it up the grate two or three times until the roller is evenly coated with paint. Using a roller helps to push the paint deep into the render surface and gets a really even finish overall. Be careful not to paint too quickly or you’ll create a mist of paint spray. A paint and roller brush tool that is whirling, offered at paint and hardware shops for about $8, simplifies the cleaning job. In terms of the paint, for an exterior rendered wall you will need a product designed for outdoor use, and low sheen/matt is the finish most homeowners are looking for. For all types of rooms, most experts recommend two coats, no matter what the paint label says. Continue, adding more paint to the roller as needed, until the whole wall is painted. Previous Next. Roller marks, which painters sometimes call "holidays," are a routine hazard when painting with a roller, and there are many ways to avoid them. Each painted area should be moved in three criss-crossing movements, to allow the paint to soak in without forming … Move on to the next section. How to paint with a roller. Sherwin-Williams has all the DIY paint and DIY paint supplies homeowners need to make their project a success. Dip the roller sleeve into the paint, and roll it against the grid to remove excess paint. Once the wall is dry to the touch, it's ready for a second coat. Before you start painting you will also need a stiff brush to clean or prep the wall. Repeat these steps across the length of the wall, with each new stripe overlapping a three-inch portion of the area already painted. The most commonly used roller for painting all walls and ceilings around the home. The invention of the paint roller changed the wall painting world. Start rolling in an M pattern moving from one side of the wall to the other.