Paint Roller Marks

by Becky
(Garden Prairie, IL)

My walls have been painted several times with light blue and white. Now I'm trying a red-rust color and have roller marks - it looks horrible. What can I do?

Answer

In order to get rid of the roller marks you will have to repaint the wall or walls that are affected. Before you start reapplying the paint consider the basic causes of roller marks.

• Quality of the Paint – High quality paint is easier to apply and spreads or levels more evenly than cheap paint. Always buy the best you can afford.


• Sheen – Typically flat paints are a little harder to apply. Even a slight sheen, like eggshell, will slide on the surface a little easier. Think of it this way, flat paint will require a little more pressure on the roller cover when compared to paint with more sheen.


• Condition the Paint – To help the paint spread out on the wall, provide better leveling qualities and keep that all important wet edge (especially with dark paint colors) consider adding a paint conditioner. For water based paints I like Flotrol, available at your local paint store. As a general rule I add 1/2 gallon of Flotrol to 5 gallons of paint. More can be added if your paint is very thick to begin with.


• Quality Roller Frame and Roller Cover – Many paint problems are caused by cheap tools. We've all seen it at the hardware store, a roller pan (or bed pan), a cheap flimsy roller frame and a inadequate (junk) roller cover for a few bucks. You will work really hard and not achieve good results.


• Good painting tools, like what I use, cost just a little more. Consider purchasing a good rigid roller frame, high quality lamb's wool roller cover and a good roller pole (instead of a broom stick). Also consider using a 5 gallon bucket and roller screen, better than a "bed pan" any day. A good roller cover will require less pressure to distribute the paint and the rest will make your painting more enjoyable.


• Thickness of the Roller Cover – A roller cover that is too thick or too thin will leave roller marks. For smooth surfaces use 3/8 or 1/2 inch nap thickness, textured walls are best painted with a 3/4 inch thick cover.