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House Painting Danville – Paint Roller Tips to Use


House Painting Danville – Paint Roller Tips to Use

Faster and more efficient house painting in Danville can be achieved by using a paint roller. Paint rollers are better at covering flat, wide surfaces such as ceilings and walls. Rollers can also be used on textured surfaces such as stucco; however, there is a slightly different approach when using rollers on such surfaces.

Here are some tips on how to make the most of your paint rollers when house painting in Danville:

1. Clean, prepare, and prime the surface

A good and smooth paint finish comes from proper cleaning and preparation of the surface. Your walls and ceilings need a good washing before you begin painting. Water, a specially made detergent, and a sponge can be used to wash these surfaces and remove all the dirt, dust, soot, and grease that may have accumulated. Rinse the surfaces thoroughly after washing. Allow the surfaces to dry. When you see peeling paint, scrape it off and then sand the surfaces where the paint was removed. If there are noticeable flaws such as cracks or holes, fix them with spackle or caulk. Allow the compound to dry, sand the surfaces to ensure a smooth area, and then rinse off the dust from sanding. You will also need to allow the surface to dry again thoroughly.

The point of cleaning and repairing the surfaces is that it will help the paint stick better. If the surface is dirty, don’t expect the paint to adhere to the surface well, because it certainly won’t.

Priming the surface may not be needed. However, applying primer to the surfaces will help the paint to adhere much better. It will also result in a smoother paint finish. When you have to prime the surface, buy a good quality primer, or paints that already have primer in them.

2. Use a bucket and a roller screen!

Chances are you have painted before but have used paint trays. Using trays can be an inconvenience. You may step on the pan, see dripping paint, or tire yourself by filling the pan with new paint over and over again. To eliminate this problem, throw away your paint tray and get a five-gallon bucket and a bucket screen instead.

Roller screens are also called paint grid screens and bucket screens. These wonderful tools can help improve your painting efficiency. A nine-inch roller screen is fine for a five-gallon bucket. These two things are all you need to minimize the chances of splattered or dripping paint.

First, get a five-gallon bucket and make sure it’s clean. Pour just two gallons of paint into your five-gallon bucket. The bucket shouldn’t be filled with too much paint for you have to leave enough room for the roller screen.

Insert the roller screen into your bucket. The screen comes with two hooks that latch onto the edge of the bucket. Dip a roller cover into the bucket of paint, and roll the cover against the grid to drain excess paint. Then you’re on your way to paint the surfaces more evenly and more smoothly.

3. Spreading the paint

When painting with a roller, use the right strokes — usually, an “N” or “M” shaped pattern on your initial coating of paint. After the first coat, go over it with a second coat applied in a straight bottom-to-top method. If there are some spots that you’ve missed or if there is any paint ridges to be smoothened out, use a paint brush. Do this very quickly after these ridges are formed, as they will definitely be more difficult to remove once they’re dried for a considerable amount of time. If you’ve missed out on the corners, use a paintbrush on them.

When you have to paint on ceilings, buy an extension pole or two, depending on the height of your ceiling. When buying extensions poles, you will want to choose a variety whose core is made of rigid metal. Don’t buy poles with plastic cores, as they have the tendency to bend, thus making your painting harder to control. You want to hold the pole as if you are painting to see how heavy it is, as well.

4. Store the rollers properly

If you decide to take a long break or you’re done painting for the day (but want to continue tomorrow or the other day), wrap your paint roller in a wet rag, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. If you’ve used a latex (water-based) paint, however, dip your roller in a bucket of water to help dissolve some of the paint. A properly stored roller will ensure a longer useful life, so take care of your paint rollers to make the most of your investment.

Additional tips: Buying the right rollers

When you buy painting tools, invest in good quality paint roller covers. You may want to buy a cheaper quality roller cover that you can throw away right after using. However, cheaper roller covers don’t hold as much as paint as good quality roller covers. The result is that it takes longer as you try to coat an entire surface. You may also not see the results you wanted.

The length of the nap is another thing to consider when choosing roller covers. Short-nap rollers are ideal for smooth surfaces, while long-nap rollers are OK for rough surfaces. There are nap roller sizes that are recommended for specific types of surface textures:

  • 1/4 inch nap for smooth surfaces
  • 3/8 inch nap for lightly textured walls
  • 1/2 inch nap for medium rough surfaces (such as concrete or textured plaster)
  • 3/4 inch nap for heavily textured surfaces
  • 3/8 inch nap – this is the most versatile as it can be used on any type of surface

Painting with rollers will indeed make house painting easier. If you know how to buy the right roller covers, and know the proper painting strokes on the surface, you will end up with a paint finish that you can be proud of. Of course, if house painting isn’t something you look forward to, you can also contact a painting contractor to do the house painting in Danville for you.

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