Home painting question

What are the typical knapp sizes that should be used when painting a room?

We have a textured ceiling and barely textured walls. The rollers that we had left over from another house were a 3/4" that we used on the ceiling and a 1/2" that we used on the walls. Afterward, we spent what seemed like eternity cleaning the paint from both. They were expensive rollers, so we did not want to throw them away. I understand the argument of disposables versus cleaning them, but would like to understand if we're using the right tools and/or what are some tips for cleaning.

Along the same lines, it just seems odd that when we used the 1/2" roller that we had to continually reload paint because it was not going on the wall but subsequently, it took a long time to clean all of the paint held in the roller aftward.

Any tips, advice, or links to read are appreciated.

TIA, Dave

Reply to
tom_sawyer70
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Use 100% lambs wool roller covers. $10 - $14 each. They will absorb paint quicker and release it better which also makes clean up easier. DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT 100% lambs wool or they will be a bitch to clean and will not work as well.

1/2" works well on most walls and 3/4" to 1 1/2" on heavily textured ceilings.

You might also invest in a brush/roller spinner to help clean up of your paint tools.

For paint brushes use Wooster or Purdy, all the rest are crap.

cm

Reply to
cm

If you're going to use the rollers with the same paint color, freeze them. Wrap them in the plastic they came in and stick them in the Freezer. Just remember when you want to use them make sure you take them out and give them enough time to thaw. Never had much luck getting all the paint out of them or trying to clean and reuse. I just keep them when I know the same paint color will be used. Usually have one for primer/sealer and one for primary color.

Reply to
evodawg

3/4 is good for most work, a scraper tool with a round cutout will remove alot of the paint back into a bucket, a roller spinner in a 5 gallon bucket of water cleans them fast. A roller spinner you slide on the sleve , a handle pulls out with a screw that when you push it in spins the roller real fast, you do it under water so you dont spray everything as the sleve spins
Reply to
ransley

"tom snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com" wrote in news:764753f1- snipped-for-privacy@j35g2000yqh.googlegroups.com:

On regular interior wall I use mid grade 3/8" nap.

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Lightly textured ceilings you could get away with 1/2" but for heavier textures or if you really want to get some paint on use 3/4".

Side note:

I had a lot of walls to do the same color including 2 rooms with 12-14 ft cathedral ceiling walls. I got a Wagner Roll Fast Power Roller.

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The special roller covers for them run about 6 bucks. I've only seen 3/8" and 3/4 at the Borg

When I did all the ceilings in the house with white ceiling paint, it was awesome.

You can really lay down some paint with it quick. No dipping to reloading roller, no up and down on high walls. Paint goes on a lot more even since you're not spreading it thinner towards the outer area of the "W" pattern used in rolling. Cleaning it is somewhat less painfull since you can hook a garden hose and flush but cleaning still sucks. Gotta be doing some decent area to make it worthwhile. For say a 9x12 room, I still just use the conventional pan and throw-away roller cover.

Should you ever consider one, the Borg frequently has rebates on Wagner products they cycle through.

Reply to
Red Green

evodawg wrote in news:gnagim$5ma$ snipped-for-privacy@news.motzarella.org:

It's unnecessary to freeze them. For latex, wrap in plain plastic food wrap and put in frig. I've had them in there for weeks. As long as it's encased in the wrap, it won't dry. Sort of easy to lay down a piece of wrap and just roll the wrap around it. No mess to take off roller frame since at that point it's mostly covered. Once removed from frame, finish wrapping ends and/or add a second layer for surety.

If the household can deal with it, the roller can be wrapped right on the frame. Great if you're going to use the next day or need to put it down for a few hours.

Oil based paints will still cake and dry in short time even if wrapped.

Reply to
Red Green

I've left them for weeks at a time like that with no problems. Sometimes I just leave them inside the five-gallon bucket if there's only an inch of paint left.

Reply to
SteveBell

I have wrapped rollers and brushes in foil, using alkyd paint, and left in freezer overnight and for a couple of days. Sealed up tight, it didn't dry at all.

I'm curious that so many have suggested longer nap rollers...I have never used longer than 1/4" for interior painting, even on a ceiling with combed texture swirls. Covers very easily and easy to wash out latex paint.

Last paint job was by a contractor. It was the first I had seen lambs wool roller. Good roller, lousy paint job by this particular contractor.

Reply to
norminn

Is the ceiling textured or smooth?

Great Scott! Why such a heavy nap? I can see 3/4" on a *textured* ceiling, but are your walls textured too??

For smooth surfaces, 1/4" or 3/8" nap works just fine. There's no reason at all to use a 1/2" roller on a wall.

That's what should be expected when you use a 3/4" nap roller.

How much is your time worth?

No. You're not using the right tools.

You're definitely not using the right roller covers for your walls. If your ceilings are not textured, you're not using the right roller covers for the ceilings.

And if you're not using one of these

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clean your roller covers, you're not using the right tool for that either.

Use a 1/4" or 3/8" roller cover for walls, and you won't have that problem.

Use roller covers more appropriate to the surface you're painting. The packaging tells what type of surface they should be used on: smooth, rough, textured, etc.

Reply to
Doug Miller

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