just a quick one - paint rollers..

[benpost]

i was just wondering whether you get what you pay for with paint rollers.

i just thought a roller was a roller, but i've not been impressed with the homebase own make one i bought for 3.99. the material on it seems very thin and the results on a newly plastered wall are poor. it applys very patchily.

so i'm asking is it a good idea (like most things ) to pay more for a better roller? and if so which one should i go for? i'm guessing one with a thicker pile might help?

cheers guys

[Phil L]

You can buy a thicker pile type for about 4 or 5 quid but they aren't a patch on genuine sheepskin ones - just the sleeve is around a tenner for a

9inch version but they are easily a hundred times better quality than the fiver imitations.

They pay for themselves in no time because:

1) there's less splashback, resulting in less wastage and far less cleaning up. 2) they are easier to clean because unlike the fakes, they aren't like a sponge and therefore, you lose less paint 3) they last longer, provided they are kept clean and dry between use.

[benpost]

oh thanks for the info, thought as much. the homebase standard ones are useless.

i find if i let the roller dry even after rinsing it for ages it will still contain paint and dry hard.

with a sheepskin roller is it possible then to rinse it without leaving any paint, so you can leave it to dry and re use?

i have been leaving it rinsed but damp and tying up a carrier bag around it so it doesnt dry out.

[Phil L]

With the sheepskin ones, they rinse out very quickly, meaning that you can get all of the paint out of it, EG, I've used one in a deep maroon colour, rinsed it for around 4-5 minutes and used it in white immediately with no sign of red or pink coming through. Once rinsed, they require rolling out, IE, spin them very fast and they are almost dry to the touch, just barely damp really

[Mary Fisher]

What a good idea! I don't need to throw out the skins lying around in the drive. Thanks.

Mary

[<me9]

I bung mine in the washing machine[*], after an initial clean. It works well. [*] An old machine, with the paddles integral with the drum, not separate bolt on plastic bits, a spare machine{**}, but also used regularly for clothes.

{**} I wouldn't dare use the new machine if SWMBO was about!

[John]

I use real sheepskin ones

part No. 79403 ( £3.38 each) fantastic! I put them in the washing machine on a rinse and spin cycle, uses less water than a running tap and they are just about dry when taken out.

HTH

John

P.S. DON'T tell SWMBO

[Andy Dingley]

Yes. Wider is good - you get more done, more quickly.

A fat inner core on the frame and thin-wall roller sleeves (the "professional" grade rollers) gives a roller that's more about surface and less about being a sponge to squirt runs of paint everywhere.

Foam vs. shagpile are more a question of paint and surface. You should have both, but use the right sort for the job.

Crown trade shops (most cities) are a good place to shop.

[The Medway Handyman]

Sorry to highjack your thread, but on the subject of rollers & paint...

Used some Dulux Once last week on a ceiling - won't use anything else - fantastic stuff.

The oblong container had a plastic grid inside, so you could load a roller direct from the container.

Clever design, it remained just below the surface of the paint all the time, no need to use a tray & it seemed to load the roller much more evenly.

What a good idea.

[benpost]

thanks for the advice everyone. dave - the dulux paint sounds great, no trays! that must be nice... i will try it.

so a decent roller... which doesnt splatter and cleans easily, and decent paint, and you're laughing!

seems like in everything you buy you get what you pay for...

[benpost]

oh i'm totally fed up with this painting....

i decided to give the homebase own roller one more go as it came with

2 sleeves, so i binned the first one and used the 2nd.

i dont know if its me or the roller but we are not getting on very well. for one it doesnt 'roll' its like when it turns on the wall it feels like its triangle shape or something. the rolling action isnt smooth, its like knock, knock as it turns. next thing, the sleeve starts to come off the frame and in no time is half off and i have to keep pushing it back on.

the way it applies paint is just rubbish. it either doesnt seem to want to apply any or it will apply too much. a straight roll results in a patch off paint and a patch of nothing. so this makes me want to put pressure on the wall as the paint isnt coming out, but that just makes it worse.

now i'm using homebase own kitchen and bathroom paint so maybe its the paint which isnt up to it? its sure irritating my eyes, or is that just the bright white of it ??

i've ended up with a finish that from a distance looks ok but when you look closer there are thick lines of paint in some places and then areas where more paint is still needed. i'm sure i'm not totally stupid. maybe if i had bought dulux paint and a proper roller everything would be fine??

[Broadback]

After reading this thread I went into Dulux to get a sheepskin one. I was put off by the assistant who told me the quality was poor. He claimed he used to get several years use out of them, now they don't last 12 months. Came away empty handed!