Are you searching for the best tips on how to paint a wall with a roller? Indeed, faced with the costs of professional painters, many people prefer to use a roller.
However, painting a wall with a roller requires a good mastery of the technique, and the making of the right gestures. Discover our advice and obtain an optimal result!
How to Paint a Wall with a Roller
To paint your wall with a roller, you need:
- The roller
- A rechamping brush
- Paint
- Paint mixer
- A paint tray
- Spinning grid
- A protective plastic sheet, or old unfolded cardboard boxes
- Masking tape
- A protective suit
- Protective gloves (household type)
Prepare Your Site Well
Painting work requires careful preparation in order to avoid the risk of small accidents. For example, drops of paint often stick to the floor during application. To preserve your flooring and furniture, you should take great care to protect them.
To do this, leave as much space as possible around the furniture. On the other hand, empty the room of its furniture if you can, or protect all non-removable furniture with plastic sheeting.
Then, spread a tarp on the floor. Alternatively, if you can’t, unfold old cardboard boxes, and tape them together with adhesive tape to avoid holes. Also, remember to put on your protective clothing and gloves.
Furthermore, the surface must be clean, degreased and healthy. If it was covered with wallpaper, remove it completely with a wallpaper remover.
Then, wash your wall well, regardless of its covering, with hot water, which you should mix with a detergent. Finally, fill any holes and cracks you find in the wall with a suitable plaster. Then, let it dry, and then sand it lightly.
More Roller Painting Tips
We recommend that you apply an undercoat to your wall, especially if it is slightly porous. This suitable undercoat, which you should apply before painting, improves the setting and application of the paint.
For instance, it ensures a more harmonious, brighter, and longer-lasting result. Moreover, it also has the advantage of reducing the number of coats of paint you have to apply.
Once your wall is ready, turn off the power supply ,and remove the covers from switches and electrical outlets, or even radiators. This will give you a more attractive result, especially if you have to change equipment in the future.
If you don’t want to do this, protect the edges of the covers with masking tape, and the radiator with a protective sheet.
Further, do not forget to delimit the areas to paint by applying masking tape to your baseboards, and the edges of the ceiling.
How to Paint a Wall with a Roller
Your wall is now ready to paint. Proceed and open the paint can and mix it well with the appropriate mixer. This allows you to obtain a homogenous color for a more even application.
Then, pour a little paint into the tray and install the spinner on the sides. The paint job can begin!
Corner Clearance
Before painting your surfaces with a roller, you must clear the corners of the wall. To do this, you will need a paint brush. Soak half of its bristles and wring them out well. With delicacy and regularity, clear the corners of the wall by painting along all the edges, and along the masking tape.
For example, along the ceiling and baseboards, along adjacent walls, around electrical outlets, and switches and radiators. The paint border should measure between 5 and 10 cm on average.
Don’t overload your paint brush with paint, as this can lead to nasty drips. In addition, make sure you apply the paint evenly and in the correct dosage. Once you finish, remove the adhesive strips from the ceiling, adjacent walls and skirting boards.
Dip half of your roller into the paint tray, and spread it evenly over your tool, by rolling it against the spinning grid.
Avoid overloading your paint brush with paint, or you may get nasty drips. The coat you apply should be even and normally dosed. Once you finish, remove the adhesive strips from the ceiling, adjacent walls and baseboards.
Then, dip half of your roller into the paint tray, and spread it evenly over your tool, by rolling it against the spinning grid. Do not overload it with paint, your roller must not drip.
How to Paint a Wall with a Roller – More Painting Tips
For an even and successful application, work in small areas of an average of 1 m by 1 m. Always start from the top of the wall, going downwards, and ideally in the direction of the light, for example, from the window.
Each painted area should be moved in three criss-crossing movements, to allow the paint to soak in without forming holes or irregular spots:
A vertical pass: apply the paint with your roller in vertical bands back and forth. Do not press too hard on the roller so as not to leave streaks or drips.
Horizontal pass: when your roller no longer deposits paint vertically, make a horizontal pass without reloading it with paint. By squaring in this direction, you can spread the previously applied paint better and fill any gaps.
A vertical smoothing: finish by a final vertical smoothing, from bottom to top, without reloading the roller. This last step smoothes the painted area much better before moving on to the next one.
When a 1 m x 1 m area is painted, move on to the next one, and remember to overlap your application on the edge of the previous one. This will avoid the appearance of marks from repeats during drying. Continue in this way until you have covered your entire wall.
The Finishes
Your first coat of paint is applied. If a second coat is necessary, wait at least 12 hours, and then apply it in the same way.
Once the wall is finished, remove the last masking tape. It is preferable to do this while the paint is still wet to prevent the paint from flaking. Finally, once the wall is completely dry, put your outlets, switches and radiators back in place.
Conclusion
Remember to thoroughly clean your paint brush and roller, as soon as you complete the application. To do this, use the appropriate solvent for the type of paint chosen (water or white spirit). If the paint dries, you may have to throw away your equipment.
