paint roller cages

[Stephen]

Hello,

I had forgotten just how much I hate painting; ceilings especially.

I have bought various bits and pieces by Harris; I thought they were supposed to be a good brand?

The first time I bought some nine inches roller cages and an extension pole for the ceiling from Screwfix:

cages were fine for use in the hand but they were a push fit onto the pole and did not stay secure. I can't remember but I think I gave up with the pole last time.

So this time I bought a screw on cage:

I haven't had much luck with this either. I keep getting tram-lines from the edges of the roller. The sleeve keeps sliding off the cage and the plastic end leaves a line in the paint.

I found that taking the cage off the pole and using the roller by hand off a stepladder reduced the sleeve from sliding as much. Perhaps the sliding force is greater when at the end of a pole (moment and all that?)

If I ever do a ceiling again, should I go for a 12 inch cage that holds the sleeve at both ends; at least then the sleeve can't slide anywhere?!

all the sleeves were the Harris ones on the same screwfix pages.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

[The Medway Handyman]

Trying to find an easy way to paint seilings - there isn't one :-)

[fred]

In article , Stephen writes

Walking sleeves are normal but get worse when you push harder (in frustration), just push the sleeve back on regularly when you reload the roller (or in between) and try to keep the pressure light and even.

Reload the roller little and often, it will reduce the tendency to push surplus paint to the edges, leaving stripes. If you get stripes, just go over the striped area with light strokes.

If your roller handle is a sloppy fit of your extension pole then wrap some duct tape round the end of the pole to take up the slack.

Always work in a manner to leave overlapping wet edges, the paint will blend better.

I've not used 12in cages, let us know how you get on.

[Usenet Nutter]

Even using a single ended cage I have never had a sleeve slide off the cage .They are usually a very tight fit. I normally use a double ended sheepskin roller that I bought years ago from a decorators place so that can't happen anyway .

As for the push-fit handles swivelling on the pole... that I have had happen on the odd occasion but I just hammer the pole in tighter .

As for the tramlines I don't think I have had that ...if the plastic is causing it does that not suggest the roller material is too thin or the roller is being over rollered until there is no paint left on it .

[Stephen]

Sorry for the late reply, I have been busy painting it and the rest of the room. Thanks for the reassurance that they are supposed to be that hard and that I wasn't doing anything stupid.

[Stephen]

Hello. Sorry for the late reply. I am sure heavy handedness played a part in my problem. I guess my instinct was to press [too] hard to fight gravity and keep the roller on the ceiling.

I bought a 12 inch cage to do the ceiling. All of the ones I have seen are supported at both ends, which should stop the sleeves creeping off. It didn't slide off when I used it but may be by then I had taken your advice on board and wasn't pressing so hard.

I suppose one advantage is that it covers a wider width in one stroke than a nine inch roller but OTOH the trays are too big to fit into the sink to wash them afterwards.

For the walls I found the "traditional" nine inch rollers were satisfactory. I don't know whether a 12 inch roller would have been too bulky to handle?