A Guide to Painting with a Roller Brush

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Painting your walls just got a whole lot easier

Co-authored by Jeff Baldwin and Mason Martinez, BA

Last Updated: March 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to update the interior and exterior walls of your home, it’s time to leave the paintbrushes or spray cans in the past. Paint rollers can cover large surface areas more effectively and equally—if you know how to choose the right one and roll it correctly. Grab a roller, some paint, and this guide to transform your space in a day!

Things You Should Know

Fill a paint tray with one inch of paint, then load the paint roller by rolling it back and forth several times until it's fully saturated.
Roll the paint onto the wall using a slightly angled, upward stroke. You can apply paint using a W or N shape to coat the wall evenly.
Keep a wet edge by overlapping each paint section for the best results. This will help avoid streaks or brush marks.

1

Paint the perimeter of the room before using a roller.

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Paint long, horizontal strokes with an angled dash brush. ^{[1]
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Research source} The thickness of a painter roller can make it difficult to get into tough corners or tight spaces, which is why you’ll use a paintbrush to get the job done.^{[2]
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2

Load the roller with paint.

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Pour 1 inch of paint into the well of a paint tray and roll the nap through it. Naps are a paint roller’s cover or sleeve, each one has a different thickness of fabric for various surfaces. Roll the nap 5 or 6 times using the ridges on the paint tray to distribute the paint evenly.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Jeff Baldwin
Residential Painter

Expert Interview. 26 February 2021}
- You can also use a 5-gallon bucket fashioned with a roller screen. Fill the bucket with 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) of paint before rolling the nap.
- If you’re painting large areas, attach a 48-inch extension pole into the handle of the roller frame. This will save you time from scaling up and down a step ladder.

3

Roll with a slightly angled, upwards stroke.

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Work in a narrow V-shape at the center of your painting area. Apply very light pressure, allowing the roller and the paint to do most of the work. For the best coverage, work in 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) wide sections or divide other smaller areas into thirds. Then, work within a single section with 1 load of paint before moving on to the next section with a new load of paint.^{[4]
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- You can also roll using a W or N shape.^{[5]
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4

Roll up and down.

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Spread the paint by sweeping the roller up and down. Use continuous motions that move up and down like a vertical zigzag to blend the areas you cut with the paintbrush. Continue this motion until the applied paint is evenly spread using gentle pressure. Forceful motions or too much pressure can put streaks in the paint or create paint buildup on the nap.^{[6]
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- If the paint roller begins to stick to the wall and won’t spread the paint, do not add pressure. This means the roller needs to be loaded with more paint.^{[7]
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5

Overlap paint strokes.

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Connect the separate paint sections with overlapping strokes. Use the same up-and-down zigzag motions you used to spread the paint. Overlap the previous paint stroke by 30 to 40% for smoother coverage as you fill in the gaps. Continue moving one section at a time until the entire wall is painted.^{[8]
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- You do not have to clean or get a fresh roller cover after the wall is finished. If you’re doing a second coat, the paint residue on the roller will help blend the wet paint on the wall without oversaturating it.^{[9]
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- Use a horizontal stroke to smooth the paint near the ceiling and floor.

6

Reload the roller when it stops spreading paint.

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Roll the nap through the paint in the tray several more times to load it. Be sure to touch the paint's surface in the tray rather than fully submerging it. Do short strokes and slowly move the roller around until it's fully covered.^{[10]
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- If you wind up with excess paint, roll up the tray, using the ridges to press out any excess.

7

Keep a wet edge.

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Instead of waiting for paint to dry, keep a “wet edge” by working on top of wet paint to avoid lap marks. When spreading paint, work a short distance from the section you previously worked on. This will also help maximize the paint you use, so you don’t have to continuously apply more paint onto the nap.^{[11]
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8

Allow the paint to dry.

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Apply a second coat of paint once the first coat has dried if needed. Examine the painted area during the day and see if the color pigment is even. Most light paint colors will require 2 coats to adequately cover a wall. Some darker paints may require 3 coats.^{[12]
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- For oil-based paints, you can apply a second coat after it has dried for 24 hours. Latex paint dries quickly, so you should be able to apply a second coat after 4 hours of drying.^{[13]
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9

Clean the roller.

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Soak the roller in warm water and 1 tablespoon of dish soap. To clean a painter roller, rinse the roller nap with warm water. Put on gloves to wash off excess paint. Allow the nap to sit in the cleaning solution for a few minutes before running it under fresh water again. Pat dry the roller when all the paint is removed.
- You can also purchase a roller scraper and run it across the nap lengthways. Then, rinse the nap with water.^{[14]
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  Jeff Baldwin
  Residential Painter
  
  Expert Interview. 26 February 2021}
- Use a putty knife if you don’t have a roller scraper.
- If your paint job takes multiple days, leave the roller submerged in the paint, wrap it in cling wrap, or a large zip-lock.

How Can I Clean a Paint Roller?

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Question

Should I wet a paint roller before using it?

Jeff Baldwin
Residential Painter
Jeff Baldwin is a Residential Painter and the Owner of Baldwin Custom Painting, based in San Francisco, CA. With two decades of painting experience, Jeff specializes in high-end residential and small commercial painting projects. Dedicated to quality craftsmanship, Jeff and Baldwin Custom Painting provide bonded/insured, licensed, and lead-safe certified services in residential painting, light commercial painting, and wood refinishing.

Jeff Baldwin

Residential Painter

Expert Answer

Getting the roller damp before using it helps you apply paint smoothly.

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Question

How do I get a smooth finish with a paint roller?

Jeff Baldwin
Residential Painter
Jeff Baldwin is a Residential Painter and the Owner of Baldwin Custom Painting, based in San Francisco, CA. With two decades of painting experience, Jeff specializes in high-end residential and small commercial painting projects. Dedicated to quality craftsmanship, Jeff and Baldwin Custom Painting provide bonded/insured, licensed, and lead-safe certified services in residential painting, light commercial painting, and wood refinishing.

Jeff Baldwin

Residential Painter

Expert Answer

The length of the nap determines how smooth of a finish you'll have. If you want a smooth finish, then go for roller sleeves with short nap.

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Question

How do I paint a ceiling?

Donagan

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If you're using a roller, paint it as you would a wall. Cover the floor with a tarp. If it's a different color than the walls, mask off the top of the walls.

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