How to Apply Paint on Walls With a Paint Roller

Learn to paint walls with a paint roller.

Paint rollers can help get a painting job done super quick, but if used the wrong way, they can leave bubbles, ridges and light patches on the paint job. The most important part of a successful paint roller job is to invest in a good quality roller--you can get a good wool/polyester blend for under $10 at most paint shops, so it's hardly a big investment, but it’s money well-spent.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Dusting cloths
• Small wedge paintbrush
• Paint
• Bucket
• Paint screen
• Roller
• Long roller handle/threaded broomstick

1. Dust off the entire wall to be painted before cutting in the edges of the wall with the small paintbrush--this means painting on around 3 inches of paint in the areas where a roller will not be able to paint: the wall edges, around skirting boards and molding, and around any light sockets or fixtures.

2. Put your paint into a bucket, and attach the paint screen--a metal grate that hangs vertically inside the bucket. This is a more professional and easier-to-use setup than a paint tray--plus you’re less likely to put your foot in it.

3. Dip the first 1/2 inch or so of your roller in the paint, then work the paint into the roller by running it over the paint screen. The first load-up of the roller will take around six or seven dips to get the roller fully loaded, subsequent loads take around two or three. Do not just dip the whole roller in, as this will leak paint into the inside of the roller sleeve, which will ooze out and cause ridges along the roller strokes.

4. Apply the paint around 6 inches in from the side, in a light, smooth stroke that goes up at a slight angle, and stops around 6 inches from the ceiling. Bring the roller straight down the wall, with the edges of the roller going over the first stroke. Work back toward the side of the wall to fill in the space, before continuing covering the bulk of the wall. By starting the painting at 6 inches in from the sides, it avoids applying too much paint close to the wall that cannot be thinned out.

5. Apply paint along the entire wall, using light strokes. You don’t need to push the roller into the wall, as this will cause the paint to bubble, streak and ridge. Without reloading your roller, go back over the seams of the paint strokes, to even out any ridges. This must be done while the paint is still wet, so if the paint is drying fast, go back and even out sections as you paint them.

6. Fill in the sections between the ceiling and floor and the cut-in paint using horizontal strokes of the roller. Do not use a dripping full roller for this part.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using a brand new roller with wool content, wrap masking tape over the roller and rip it off to pull off any loose hairs, and avoid those hairs getting in your paint job.

References

• The Family Handyman: Paint Roller Tips And Techniques