Thinking of painting some walls in your home or business and not sure what equipment is needed? We’ve been there ourselves! Trying to find the right stuff to get a painting job done can be stressful and overwhelming, so today we’re bringing you some handy tips on finding the right equipment to paint some walls – particularly one of the most important bits (other than paint); paint rollers!
Wall Paint Rollers Come in Many Varieties
At Two Fussy Blokes, we specialise in high-quality paint rollers but we don’t just stock one standard paint roller and instead have many to choose from depending on the situation. Not every paint roller will work for every situation and we know all too well what can happen if you don’t use the right equipment: an undesirable look, finish, a messy or longer process that can make painting walls a real chore. No one wants that!
To help you out, we’ve put together a quick guide on finding the best roller for painting walls to make your job as easy and effortless as possible.
What kind of surface will you be painting?
The first thing you need to take into account when choosing a paint roller is the surface of what you want to paint. Although they might look it, not all walls are the same when it comes to their surfaces. Take, for example, new plasterboard walls versus an old concrete wall – they would require two very different types of paint rollers to get the job done efficiently.
Smooth Walls
If your walls are smooth and looking for a level 5 finish (very smooth), we’d recommend a Microfibre 5mm as it will provide you with a satisfying spray-like finish to match the surface. Rooms that often have walls with smoother surfaces include bathrooms and toilets with enamel paints.
Standard Walls
For generic walls and ceilings, bedroom and living room walls that don’t have much texture either, we’d recommend a Microfiber 10mm paint roller to use for topcoats as they’ll easily paint the surface and provide the perfect finish with whatever water-based paint you’d like. However, we don’t recommend this one for wallboard sealers on brand new gib boards as they don’t apply sealer very well. This is because primers are heavier than your standard water-based paint and this microfibre paint roller won’t distribute enough to seal the surfaces properly.
Textured Walls
If your walls are texture then we’d highly recommend a Microfibre 15mm paint roller as it’s great for applying paint to wallpaper, render, tongue and groove timber in particular.
Why Microfibre?
Microfibre paint rollers are one of the wall paint rollers we specialise in, not only because they’re high-quality synthetic rollers that will last your entire project and more, but they make painting much easier with a lot less mess. They also don’t shed or leave as much lint or air bubbles behind as natural-fibre rollers or foam rollers do. Don’t forget to rinse and spin before you begin!
Dacron is also a great option!
Another paint roller type that’s available and that we specialise in is Dacron rollers. These paint rollers are great for water-based paints that have great coverage for colours that are a bit more difficult to ensure you get the opacity we all love and need for a great paint job. These are perfect for wallboard sealers on brand new gib boards and will ensure fantastic colour coverage for whatever water-based paint you want to be shown off on your walls.
What about Roller Sizes / Lengths?
The next thing you need to consider is what length of roller will be best for the task at hand. This all comes down to personal preference and how big of a surface you’ll be painting. Most people tend to go for 230mm (9 inches) roller lengths for smaller walls and ceilings and go up to 270mm (11 inches) for larger surfaces.
If you’ve got a big commercial project for even larger surfaces, you can find roller lengths of 360mm (14 inches) and we also have 455mm (18 inches) as well, but we’ve found that most people tend to go for a shorter roller when painting walls as it’s easier to control and it certainly won’t be as heavy or challenging to use for a long time as a bigger roller while getting the job done.
If you’re looking for the next high-quality wall paint rollers to use in your next project, look no further than Two Fussy Blokes where you can find all the paint tools and accessories necessary, loved by even the fussiest of painters worldwide.