Have you ever considered what the different is between paint rollers? Each roller has its own nap, which in turn gives it its own texture while soaking in a different amount of paint. Each roller is also designed to apply paint to different types of surface better than the others. As determining which type of roller nap to use can be a little confusing, Jeff The Painter will share what the different types of roller naps are used for to ensure a quality paint job.
Rollers for Heavy Textures
Walls that have a heavy or super rough texture can be hard to paint unless you have the right nap. For surfaces such as brick, stucco, or rougher wood surfaces, you will want to use a roller with a thicker nap. When cleaning heavier textured surfaces, we recommend that you use a ¾ inch nap. It holds more paint which makes covering the texture so much easier.
Roller Nap for Knockdown or Other Medium Textures
When you are painting a medium texture, or even a lightly textured surface, which is very common in many residential homes, you want to find the right nap to ensure a clean coverage as well as one that won’t make a big mess with paint. Most people will assume that getting the thickest nap will get the painting job done faster. Not so. Instead, this will most likely result in more paint getting all over the ground and on you then what you get on the walls. For medium to light textured surfaces such as textured drywall and smooth wood, use either a ½ or 3/8 nap.
Paint Roller for Smooth Finish on Cabinets etc
Some surfaces are super smooth such as metal panels, glazed wood, or tile. When painting a smooth surface it can be a major challenge when using the wrong roller. Essentially, the smoother the surface, the thinner you want the nap. When painting smooth surfaces, never use anything higher than a 3/8 inch nap. However, for a prefect paint finish, we recommend either ¼ to 1/8 inch nap rollers. You will find a thinner roller will have a smoother finish and look much cleaner once the paint dries.
Faux Finish Sponge Roller
There are also rollers for creating a faux texture. Two of the most common faux finish rollers are the sponge and rag roller. Both sponge and rag rollers will mimic a plaster or color wash effect. Depending on the technique used, you can create different faux finishes. The sponge roller provides a tighter looking texture with a fine and more subtle finish. The rag roller provides a large texture which makes the finish look more dramatic. When using a faux texture roller, you must first paint a background color and use a slightly different color than the faux finish. When deciding to create a faux finish on your walls or ceiling, make sure to look up references to see what look you want to make sure you use the right roller as they provide two very different results.
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