Paint Rollers Overview

Paint rollers are simple tools with just three primary parts: a handle, a frame, and a cover. The frame, also known as the cage, is either a metal frame or a birdcage frame (birdcage frames are better for use with fast-drying paints) that supports the cover. The roller cover, or sleeve, slips over the frame and is the surface that picks up the paint and then dispenses it onto the wall. The sleeve is covered with the nap, or pile, which is the set of fibers that acts like the bristles on a paintbrush. You can purchase rollers as well as replacement sleeves at any hardware store and most general retailers, and once you have a paint roller, a can of paint, and a paint tray, you are, quite literally, ready to roll.

Paint rollers, like paint brushes, are relatively inexpensive tools, often selling for less than ten dollars. Also like paint brushes, however, there are a wide variety of paint rollers on the market, so you will need to navigate through the choices. There are two basic types of paint rollers: natural-fiber and synthetic-fiber. Paint rollers with natural-fiber (often mohair or lambswool) sleeves only work with oil-based paints while synthetic paint rollers (made of nylon, polyester, or both) work with both oil-based and water-based (latex) paints, though they are better with water-based paints. In addition, some manufacturers produce a blended roller cover, which is made from polyester and wool and works with all kinds of paints. The kind of paint roller you should purchase, then, depends on the kind of paint you will use.

In addition to the type of fibers in the nap, paint rollers differ in two size dimensions, and the size of the paint roller you should purchase depends on what type of project you have in mind:

• Pile Depth/Nap Length: The nap is the roller’s painting surface, and the length of the fibers in the nap varies from 1/16” to 1 ½.” The smoother the surface you are painting, the shorter nap fibers you should use. For example, use the shortest pile depth for metal doors and smooth plaster, but use nap of 3/4” or more for stucco, and even thicker nap for wire fencing and brick.

• Roller Width: Rollers vary in width from four to eighteen inches. Use the narrowest rollers for trim and small areas, and the widest rollers to paint broad areas quickly. You can easily paint most walls and ceilings with a nine-inch roller.

In addition to these standard rollers, you may also come across a few non-traditional rollers. Cone-shaped rollers work well on corners while doughnut-style rollers work on moldings and other detail work. Power rollers save you time by pumping paint directly into the roller, but be careful in using a power roller, as they are more complicated, and consequently, more likely to have problems.