Choosing The Correct Paint Roller
Which Paint Roller to Use
Choosing the correct roller for your decorating project can be a little confusing which is why we’ve pulled together a brief review of what roller is best for what surface or project.
Roller Lengths
There are 4 main lengths of roller, short, medium, long and extra long pile. The length of the pile refers to how long the fibres are and correlates directly with the finish each length of pile will create.
- Short pile rollers are high density and provide good paint pick up. They are designed for use on very smooth surfaces like new walls or ceilings, smooth furniture or cabinetry as they leave a very silky smooth finish.
- Medium pile rollers have slightly longer fibre but are still high density. They are designed for smooth or very slightly textured walls or ceilings, this is the most commonly used roller for interior projects.
- Long pile rollers are fluffy to the touch thanks to their longer fibres. They pick up a lot of paint and are designed to be used on textured or rough surfaces as their longer fibres carry more paint to cover the textured surface without having to go over the surface repeatedly.
- Extra long pile rollers are the most fluffy to touch, the fibres are extra long as the name suggests and they’re designed to be used on rough masonry surfaces such as roughcast, brickwork or breeze block. They carry the most amount of paint and the long fibres work into the textured surface ensuring even coverage.
What are the best rollers for ceilings?
If you’re painting a smooth ceiling, we’d recommend a medium pile roller like the Axus Blue Pro-Finish Roller or the Hamilton Perfection Medium Pile Roller.
If you’re painting an artex ceiling, we’d suggest a long pile roller like the Axus Blue Pro-Finish Long Pile Roller.
What are the best rollers for masonry or exterior walls?
We’d recommend a long or extra long pile roller like the Axus Captain Chunk roller which provides excellent coverage.
What is the best roller for furniture?
If you’re painting smooth furniture like glossy cabinets we’d suggest a mini roller like the Prodec Gloss Finish rollers which can be used with any finish of paint, not just gloss, to create a pristine smooth finish.
What is the best roller for woodwork?
Painting woodwork is best carried out with a 4 inch mini roller in a short pile or a mini microfibre sleeve. Avoid using a foam roller on fast-drying paints as you could see small air bubbles start to form.
Roller Frames
We offer a range of roller frames that fit most standard roller sleeves, from small 4 inch frames to standard 9 inch frames and an adjustable Captain Chunk frame for exteriior work.
Roller Kits
We also offer a range of roller kits that contain everything you need to get started on your next project including a frame, roller sleeve and roller tray.