PROFESSIONAL PAINTING & DECORATING TIPS AND TRICKS FOR USING A ROLLER

There are tips and tricks to getting a consistent and even paint finish every time. With the correct approach, there are ways to save time doing this job as well.

The first tip is of course to buy the best tools for the task. It can be tempting to buy cheap, throwaway products when purchasing decorating equipment but spending a little more and getting a good quality tool will usually save money and time in the longer run and of course be reusable for the next time.

To paint a room, using good quality rollers will give you the best and most consistent result in the quickest time. Choose the correct pile for the surface to be painted and purchase a regular-roller along with a mini-roller for the edges. An extension handle is essential so that all or most of the walls can be painted without the use of a step ladder which will speed the job up. Another must-buy item is a paint bucket for rollers with a textured side. These hold much more paint than a DIY tray, cutting down on the number of stops needed to refill, and they are also more difficult to tip over by accident.

Prepping the room before rolling on the paint

Rollers will not neatly apply paint into the corners and edges of the room, so the first thing to do is the cutting in. Using a smaller paintbrush, around 25mm wide, apply a layer of paint roughly 5cm wide down each corner of the room, along the skirting boards and around the door and window frames. The next step will prevent a noticeable difference in texture where the cutting in has been done. Using a mini-roller of the same pile and material as the main roller, paint over the cutting in as closely as possible to the corner or edge. This is a professional painting and decorating tip that will make the end result more even.

Tip on applying paint using rollers

Finally it is time to apply paint to the main part of the wall. With the extension pole attached, fully submerge the roller into the paint and then run it along the textured part of the bucket or tray to evenly distribute the paint. The tools should be fully loaded with paint, but not dripping. Starting at about chest height, apply the paint to the wall and work it in above and below. Keep rolling up and down making sure everything is even and any lines are worked over until they disappear. It is important to keep a wet edge to the paint at all times to ensure even blending. This also applies to the work completed with the mini-roller, so keep going until a whole wall or area is completed before you take a break.

If you want to take a break before you have finished, wrap rollers and brushes with a generous layer of cling film to prevent them drying out and creating hard edges on your tools.