Going the DIY Route? Here's the Right Way to Use a Paint Roller
Ace your next paint job with these tips
Paint rollers are fairly easy to use, but there are different claims on how to use it properly. Some DIY painters say the direction of the strokes while painting doesn't matter as long as you’re using good quality paint, but for painter Jose "Mang Ading" Fuentes, who worked on one of Real Living's Ultimate Makeover, an up-down stroke can result in a fast and uniform finish. Here are tips on how he does it:
1. Dip the roller into the paint tray. Estimate the amount of paint needed to cover the wall from top to bottom.
2. Start from the middle of the wall. Move the roller upward until it is a few inches away from the top edge of the wall.
3. Move the roller downward until it is a few inches away from the bottom edge of the wall. When you roll down, expect the paint to scatter a bit.
READ: Repaint Your Home in 8 Simple Steps
4. Reverse the roller so that the side with less paint will touch the wall. Then roll it upwards, cleaning up the blobs of scattered paint along the way. Make sure that the coat is even.
5. Repeat the steps on the next vertical strip of wall. The edge of the next vertical paint strip should just touch the edge of the first strip. On the first coat, the edges of the strips might be visible, but these should disappear on the second coat.
This article originally appeared as “Organize a Paint Party!” in the March 2006 issue of Real Living Magazine.
