Paint rollers. How to choose a roller for your type of paint

Painting walls with a brush is not only time-consuming and bulky, but it also leaves an uneven layer of paint. A paint roller is a different matter. But how to choose its type, so that the final effect will delight?

Wall paint roller is a very diverse product – in every DIY store you will find types divided by material, bristle length, thickness. Not only each of them works better for painting different surfaces (ceiling, wall), but also blends better with a particular type of paint

A roller or a brush?

Of course, it’s best to purchase both before you start painting. A paint roller is best for covering even, large areas with paint – such as walls or ceilings. You can also buy a special handle that will allow you to paint high surfaces without a ladder. The rotating head will allow you to cover all the walls with color quickly and accurately. A paintbrush is useful for minor touch-ups, e.g. touching up the paint on the wall near the skirting board

It is worth remembering that buying a paint roller saves a lot of money – you will use much less paint to paint a piece of wall than to paint it with a brush.

Paint roller and types of paint

The choice of a paint roller also depends largely on the type of paint you decide on. The golden rule is to use synthetic rollers for water-diluted paints and natural rollers for solvents

• Latex paints – both a fur roller and all types of synthetic bristle rollers will work great for applying latex paint. If you are painting an uneven and rough surface with latex paint, use a string or velour roller – it should cover the painted wall evenly. Latex paints work well in rooms with high humidity, so they are dense and difficult to spread;

• acrylic paints – microfiber rollers are best for water-thinned acrylic paints. Rollers with plastic lining (e.g. polyester) will also work well. It is worth remembering that a roller for acrylic paint should have thin bristles, so as to leave an even coverage;
• oil paints – they are best applied on the surface of a wall or ceiling with the use of absorbent sponge rollers

• solvent paints – the best are those made of microfiber and velour, but with thin bristles or small pores. On the market, there are also special rollers for solvent paints, which have protective Teflon particles in their structure.

How to take care of a paint roller?

As a general rule, a paint roller should be replaced every time it loses its properties – that is, provides inadequate coverage. This does not mean, however, that this is the case after every painting. If you have to divide the work into several days, just wrap it with foil or a plastic bag to cut off the access of fresh air. The next day it should be ready to go

When you are done painting, rinse it thoroughly in lukewarm water and spin it off. Unless you painted with thick emulsions, it should be reusable

Main photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/pexels.com