Paint Rollers - Cut Any Room Down To Size

When you stare at a wall in a big room, armed only with a paint brush, you probably feel seriously overwhelmed. Luckily, there is a tool that makes the task much less terrifying - the versatile, amazing paint roller. Paint rollers allow people to drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to paint a large, flat surface, like a wall with few windows or a ceiling.

Most people don't realize that there are any options beside the cheap DIY grade paint roller handles that can be found in almost any big box store. They apply paint to the wall just fine, especially if the DIYer springs for the nicer roller covers. However, cutting in around windows and getting paint into corners is just plain impossible with these rollers. Still there are ways around this problem. You can cut in with a brush first and then go back and roll the rest of the walls.

Recently, I discovered a trick the pros use - a professional paint roller. Those little plastic end caps that keep the rollers from getting into the corners are missing on these rollers. That means that you need to do less cutting in and you can avoid using the brush to paint corners all together. However, you'll still need to paint the area where the wall connects to the ceiling and crevices that are too tight for the roller to get into by hand. If your baseboard trim is already installed, you may also want to cut in around the baseboard with a brush, too.

When you shop for a paint roller handle and covers, you should start by thinking about the job you are buying them for. The traditional short roller is fine for normal walls. If you are doing a cathedral ceiling, though, you may want to look for a rod extension. This extension screws into the handle and makes it much easier to reach higher spots.

Next, think about the texture on the walls. There are covers that work better with different wall surfaces. For instance, popcorn finishes need a roller that can handle that rough, uneven surface without falling apart and there are special roller covers for this type of wall.

You can also find covers that create a pattern. These covers make certain faux painting techniques much easier, since rolling is so much quicker than stenciling or freehand painting a design.

About Author:
Niall Roche - Painting a huge wall in any home can be a scary task. Painting rollers make that scary task a thing of the past. Click on over to PaintSplashes.com for more interior painting tips and ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

WallDreams Paint Ideas!

Paint Rollers and Covers 101
Cheapie covers are made with a cardboard roll inside and usually spatter paint profusely, while quality covers have a plastic roll.
A paint roller is the frame and handle that holds the roller cover. The most common size is the 9" and quality rollers are worth their investment. Some will easily release the cover by tapping the frame which is quite convenient.
3" to 4" trim roller - good for narrow areas.
Nap or pile - the length of fiber on the cover.
Synthetic covers - oil-base paint and primers.
Lamb's wool covers - water-base paint and primers.
Mohair covers - smooth surfaces, oil-base enamels, all paint types, varnish.
1/8" to 1/4" Short Nap: very smooth surfaces, enamels, gloss
3/8" to 1/2" Medium Nap: semi rough surfaces, latex, flat paints
3/4" to 1-1/4" Long Nap: rough surfaces, stucco, brick, block

Specialty roller covers:
Stippling - unique marking of paint and textured paint
Foam - smooth and textured available.
Fabric - good for rag rolling faux technique.
Stenciled - foam or rubber patterns, double roller available for blending two colors at once.

Roller cover prep - before using, roll the cover across tape to remove loose fibers.

Til we paint again,
Donna of WallDreams

Pattern Paint Rollers For An Amazing Finish

You love the way wallpaper looks, but you know you can't handle those huge strips of paste covered paper. Besides, if you decide you don't want to keep the wallpaper once you put it up, it is so time consuming and messy to remove. So, do you just settle for painting the walls a solid color? Before you decide to give up on your dream for beautifully patterned walls, you may want to take a look at pattern paint rollers.

There are quite a few different patterned paint rollers available, with patterns ranging from simple geometric designs to ivy vines. Some of them are better suited to creating borders, while others are perfect for painting entire rooms. People also use these rollers to make interesting designs on large pieces of furniture, such as armoires or bed headboards.

The Rollerwall Design Painting and Decorating System allows you to create the look of wallpaper patterns with your desired paint color and the patterned roller. If the pattern doesn't look right, you can wipe it off before the paint dries. When you decide you are tired of that pattern, you can just paint over the walls with a fresh coat of paint and create a whole new effect with a different patterned roller and paint color.

If you've used stencils or standard patterned rollers before, you're probably thinking that there is no way the job is that easy. What about those globs of unevenly applied paint that make the pattern blurry? However, the Rollerwall products are designed to keep the paint from being too thick or thin. A traditional roller cover is rolled in the paint. Then the patterned roller is snapped in front of the paint filled roller. As you roll the wall, the paint filled roller applies paint to the patterned roller in an even, blotch free layer, which is transferred to the wall's surface.

Another thing you may be wondering is whether matching up the pattern is as hard as matching patterns along wallpaper seams. It actually is easier, because the wallpaper is so awkward to move into place when it is such a long, sticky strip. The Rollerwall roller is designed so that you can match the new strip of paint with the previous one by using a special guide on the roller. All you need to do is make sure that your first pass with the roller goes straight up and down so that the next strip can line up easily.

Do you dread using wallpaper to decorate a room? It looks great but can be such a pain to remove once it's up. You have another option - patterned painting rollers. These give you the design you want without the headache of paper and paint. Click on over to PaintSplashes.com for more interior painting ideas.

About Author: Niall Roche
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Niall_Roche

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