How to Paint a Wall With a Roller

A roller is a handy way to apply paint to interior walls. The roller may be used to cover the walls with an interior wall primer before the paint is applied. Paint rollers work best when you find one that is not too light or too heavy for your comfort level. When buying a roller hold it in your hand to see how it feels. Keep in mind that the paint will add some weight. Remove nail, tacks and hooks from the walls before starting. Repair, sand and prime all walls. Add a second coat of primer if needed. Let the primer dry completely before painting the walls.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drop cloths
• 5-in-1 painter's tool
• Paint tray
• Paint brush handle extension
• One roller per color
• Cardboard
• Paint brush
• Ladder
• Mixing stick or ruler

1. Stir the paint with a stick. Even if the paint was just purchased from the store, some settling will occur. The paint will go on better if it is stirred. Pour the paint into a paint tray. A hard plastic or metal tray works better than flimsy plastic.

2. Push a clean roller brush onto the roller handle. You might have to bang it slightly to get it on all the way. If the roller brush is not on the rolling holder all the way, you risk loading the roller unevenly with paint.

3. 
   Photo by scol22/Sxc.hu

   Edge out the walls with a paintbrush before you paint them with the roller. Start with one wall. Use the paint brush to carefully paint a horizontal line where the wall meets the ceiling. Use a ladder to reach the top of the wall. Continue along the top of the wall until you reach the next corner or wall break. Paint a vertical line down any corners of that wall. While the paint is still wet, start painting the wall.

4. 
   Photo by Topfer/Sxc.hu

   Roll the paint roller into the pool of paint. Roll the excess off the roller using the inclined portion of the roller tray. Paint the wall in front of you, starting in one corner. Make the letter "w" with paint. Continue painting the wall, painting from the "w" to the top of the wall, and then from the "w" back down. It's also possible to paint a straight line down from ceiling to the floor. Slightly overlap each vertical row of paint to eliminate paint lines.

5. Reload the paintbrush with paint when it stops rolling smoothly. The roller should be doing the work, and it should not be hard to roll the paint on. If you are exerting a lot of effort or the paint looks spotty, it's probably time for more paint. If the roller becomes too heavy with a build up of paint near the cardboard center, use the 5-in-1 painter's tool to scrape the excess paint back into the tray.

6. Use the edging out method around doors, windows and any architectural details which will not be painted. Use a straight piece of cardboard on the floor when you are painting the lower part of the wall. The cardboard can also be placed between the brush and the edge of a window pane, or on top of a baseboard heater.

7. Repaint a second coat of paint with the roller, if needed. Let the paint dry completely before moving furniture back into the room and nailing holes back in the wall.

8. Remove excess paint from the roller when done, using the 5-in-1 painter's tool. If you want to keep the roller for a second coat or to paint other walls that color, thoroughly clean the paint from the roller. Run the roller under water and scrape the water and paint from the roller with the tool. The roller is clean when the water runs clear. Use a roller spinner or shake out the excess water.

Tips & Warnings

• Prime and paint ceilings first. Ventilate the room with a fan or open the windows, even when painting with a latex paint. Place newspapers or a drop cloth beneath the paint tray to reduce paint splatter when loading the roller with paint. Use a roller extension for hard to reach walls and ceilings.
• Do not paint with one thick layer of paint, as drips can occur. It's better to paint two thinner coats than one thick coat. Do not use the same roller for different colors, even if it looks like it is clean.