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The quality of your tools can make or break the finished look of your paint job. Ahead, learn the key considerations involved in choosing the right roller frame and cover for your next project.
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There are many do-it-yourself projects that allow for scrimping on costs without any negative effects on your results—painting, however, is not one of them. For a professional-looking paint job, you need to start with quality tools.
You’ll likely reach for a paintbrush when cutting in or painting trim, but covering the bulk of the wall or ceiling with paint becomes a much simpler, speedier job when you use a paint roller. Not only that, but the right roller-and-cover combination works to spreads paint smoothly and evenly, so you aren’t left with brushstrokes, patchy spots, or other imperfections.
Paint rollers and covers are simple and generally quite affordable tools, but there are many options to choose from. Ahead, our guide explains what to consider and what to look for, and it offers details on our top-favorite picks among the best paint roller and cover options available.
- BEST ROLLER FRAME:Wooster Brush 9-Inch Roller Frame
- BEST ROLLER COVER:Purdy Dove Cover
- BEST VALUE ROLLER COVER:True Blue Professional Paint Roller Covers
Finding the Right Paint Roller for the Job
1. Select an easy-to-grip roller frame.
A roller frame—the skeleton of this reusable painting tool—is basically a comfortable plastic handle connected to a roller cage (the part of the frame that slips inside the roller cover). Typically, roller cages have plastic caps at either end supporting the compression metal “ribs” that fit inside a cover and hold it securely in place, but you’ll also find roller frames with sturdy plastic cages.
Roller frames are sold in sets with covers for convenience, but you have more control over the quality of your supplies when you purchase it separately. When comparing frames, look for these optional features:
- Ergonomic handle. If you expect to spend a lot of time painting, even just more than one room, it’s worth paying a little more for an ergonomic handle that is shaped to reduce strain on your wrist.
- Ball bearings. Quality roller frames have ball bearings to provide smooth rolling movement and a more perfect paint finish.
- Threaded handle. While it comes on most roller frames, do check for threads or clips at the bottom of the handle so you can attach an extension pole for tackling ceilings or the tops of walls.
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2. Narrow down to your options for roller length.
Roller frames and covers come in several different lengths (and while most frames come in a fixed roller width, some of the large ones are adjustable in size, using small clips or prongs to secure the cover instead of a cage). You’ll need to match the lengths of your roller frame and cover if you want to do the job right.
- 9-inch rollers are the best size for the majority of projects tackled by DIYers. For starters, these paint rollers fit easily into a 5-gallon paint bucket. Plus, these are large enough to cover a good size swatch of wall in one roll yet not so long that they are difficult to control around trim and other details.
- 12-inch or longer rollers can be somewhat heavy and unwieldy and, therefore, are more often used by professionals than DIYers. If you really need to cover a stretch of wall in a hurry, however, you might want to choose one of these oversize rollers.
- 6- or 7-inch rollers are a good size for painting baseboard molding or small furnishings. These rollers are also useful for getting into corners or reaching behind the toilet to paint the wall.
- 4-inch mini rollers are great for touchups, small furnishings, tight spaces, or careful work around fixtures, windowsills, or other obstacles. They also come in handy for painting the insides of cabinets or bookcases.
3. Choose the right roller cover material based on your paint and project.
Covers come in five common material options, which vary in terms of what paint they work best with, how much they hold, and the texture they create.
- Wool or mohair roller covers, with natural fibers, are the best choices for applying oil-based paint, but they work well with any finish and cover a variety of surfaces smoothly. Wool picks up a lot of paint, and so provides excellent coverage with just one coat.
- Synthetic roller covers—including polyester, nylon, or Dacron—are the right choice for water-based latex paint because they resist matting. You can use a synthetic cover with any paint finish and on most surfaces. Though synthetics don’t pick up and hold as much paint as wool does, they are generally very durable.
- Roller covers that blend wool and polyester can be used with either type of paint and any paint finish, so are a great choice if you often switch between oil-based and water-based products. These versatile roller covers give the best of both worlds: They pick up a lot of paint and last a long time if cared for properly.
- Newer to the painting scene, microfiber roller covers (identifiable by the diagonal stripes on the plush cover) work with latex as well as oil-based paints with a matte, eggshell, or satin finish. These rollers provide a very smooth finish, almost as if sprayed on, and are suitable only on surfaces without much texture. However, there’s a bit of a learning curve to achieving an even finish with a microfiber roller because they pick up and release more paint than the average cover, so practice on cardboard or another throwaway surface before tackling your walls.
- Foam roller covers don’t last as long as the other options and, for that reason, are sometimes considered “single use” covers. They are best for rolling semi-gloss or high-gloss latex paint over smooth—not heavily textured—surfaces. Use them for quick touchups on trim, baseboards, furniture, or other small projects.
You’ll also want to consider the core of the roller cover; a good one is made from some type of resin or plastic. Cheap rollers have cardboard cores, which don’t hold well and often come apart after just a few uses.
4. Know what nap you need for your surface.
The nap of a roller cover refers to the length of its fibers—yet another important decision to make based on the project at hand. Different naps are good for different surfaces. As a general rule, the shorter the nap, the smoother the surface you’ll use it on. Using a long nap on a smooth surface tends to create a bumpy finish, while a short nap on a rough surface will often tear apart or shed fibers into the paint.
- 1/4-inch nap is best for very smooth walls, ceilings, cabinetry, and other surfaces without texture, including metal.
- 3/8-inch nap is good for lightly textured surfaces, including most interior walls.
- 1/2-inch nap is a good length for moderately textured walls, paneling, and painted brick or concrete.
- 3/4-inch nap is best for heavily textured surfaces such as bare brick or concrete or textured interior walls like popcorn-textured ceilings.
- 1-inch nap and above is useful for painting stucco, cinder blocks, or rough brick.
Our Top Picks
Painting a wall can be a nuisance sometimes. Dealing with all those paints and brushes sure take a lot of effort. But, do you know what can make things a whole lot easier?
Well, the answer would be a proper selection of brushes. However, it’s very easy to get lost into the huge varieties of these brushes. But, if you pay a closer look and sort them out depending on their types, the chances of getting the perfect one gets very high.
So, how far do you think you know about the types of paint brushes for walls. Don’t worry if you don’t know much. As you and I are going to dig deep into the topic and find the perfect brush to paint your beautiful wall.
7 Types of paint brushes for walls
Paint-brushes for walls are quite different from artistic ones. And why wouldn’t they be? After all, the purpose plays the prime role here.
Therefore, there are a lot of varieties of paint-brushes out there. Each of them is used for different purposes. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common ones that are described below.
1. Wall Brush
If you are dealing with a wall then it is quite impossible to cover it out without a wall brush. Yes, that is right. Wall brushes are the most efficient ones when you want to cover a large area.
Although these brushes seem pretty much like ordinary household brushes if you look carefully, you’ll notice some major differences.
The bristles are long and the handle gets a good grip. More than household brushes of course. The long bristles help you to grab more paint at a time which makes the job easier.
Wall brushes come in different sizes. Among them, there are 3 inches, 4 inches, and 6 inches. However, the 3 inches one is more preferable for painting walls.
2. Trim Brush
If you are one of them who always seem to miss the tiny bits and complicated edges while painting, then trim brushes can be your savior.
The design of the brush is also unique. It is light and fluffy and the most interesting part is that the handle of the brush is very short.
Good Paint Brushes For Art
Therefore, the handle allows the user to paint precisely. Of you take a look at the other brushes, the handles are quite large. As a result, it will put more pressure onto your muscles and you will get tired very quickly.
Thus, the trim brushes save you from this fatigue and increase your accuracy. Although it comes in several sizes, I will highly recommend you to use the 2 inch one. Welcome!teach to be happy. Also, use these brushes before covering the entire wall.
3. Household Brush
You have seen this one in your backyard, haven’t you? That’s right. These are the large multipurpose brushes that every household tans to have.
Although they are mostly used to paint furniture or ceilings, they are exceptionally good at painting walls as well.
The basic idea of this brush is to grab the maximum amount of paint at a time. The bristles are very good at holding the paint. Therefore, these brushes will provide you with maximum protection from spills.
While painting a wall with a household brush, your prime concern should be to cover a large area with it. Therefore, it is better to collect a large one for maximum coverage.
4. Finishing Brush
Tired of those marks form brush strokes? Well, there’s a solution to this. Finishing brushes are specially designed to smoothen out the brush strokes. Epic combo reduxbuddhist games.
If you take a closer look, you will understand the reason. Regular brushes are quite harsh and on the wall, as they have harder bristles.
On the other hand, finishing brushes have lighter bristles and they are softer on the walls. These bristles are generally made of ox hair and have a delicate texture.
Therefore, after covering the entire wall dip your finishing brush into the paint and give your wall another smooth coating. Trust me, you are going to love the results.
5. Flagged Bristle
Flagged bristles are capable of holding a huge amount of paint. If you are painting a wall, these brushes can give you impressive coverage.
Not just that, if you take a look at other squares-cut brushes, you will notice their harsh straight line cut bristles. These are the reason behind the stroke marks on your wall.
On the contrary, the flagged bristles brushes have a fuzzy line that smoothens outs the paint. This way, you won’t even need to go through the entire wall again with a finishing brush.
Although small size brushes give you more precise results, I will recommend you to try the 4 or 6 inches flagged bristle brush for better results.
6. Round Sash
Unlike the square-cut brushes, rounded sash brushes give you a more delicate result. The brush is a fluffy one with a rounded tip.
The handle of the brush gives you a better grip and firm control over your strokes. However, it is not a large brush in general.
Most round sash brushes come in 20 to 40 mm bristle sizes. Depending on the purpose, you can select any of them.
Therefore, next time you are painting a wall with a door or a window, try to have around a sash brush with you so that you can use it to paint those areas that are difficult to reach with a larger brush.
7. Angled Sash
What Are The Best Paint Brushes For Walls
What can you guess from the name of this brush? Yes, you guessed it right. They come in an angular-cut shape. The unique design of the brush makes it different than the rest of the brushes.
These brushes are specifically designed to cover up complicated surfaces. For example, it can easily cover the corners and edges of your door.
The angle of the bristles will help you to reach the corners very easily. Again, the tip is also fuzzy. Therefore, the results are quite smooth.
There are a lot of different sizes available in the market. But, the 2 inches and the 2 ½ inches brushes are mostly seen to paint a wall.
Keep in mind that you should always fill in the corners and edges before covering up the entire wall. This gives your wall an even look. Best tax software for small business in 2017.
Verdict
As you saw, there are many varieties out there to choose from. Some are good at covering a larger space whereas others are great with smaller corners. So, have you found the one you’ve been looking for?
Of course, it is not like that a single type of brush can do the entire job with excellent accuracy. Therefore, I highly recommend you to grab a bunch you like and make a combination of your own.