Don’t forget about a second coat, too! For the best durability and coverage, you’ll want to apply a couple coats of paint. However, you might need additional coats, especially if you’re trying to cover a dark color with a lighter color. In this case, you’d want to use a primer as well. The differences in nap on roller covers are tailored to specific jobs:
3/16 and ¼ inch: Apply a perfect finish with gloss paints on smooth surfaces.3/8 inch: Roll flat and semigloss paint onto walls or ceilings with ease.½ and ¾ inch: Tackle tough surfaces such as concrete floors and textured walls.1 and 1¼ inch: Cover brick and stucco completely.
For smaller jobs, consider a paint pad ($8, Home Depot). This tool’s foam core holds three times more paint than a brush, has five times more surface area than a regular brush tip, and has bristles that are only ¼-inch long, so the paint won’t dry out. It splatters and drips less than a brush. Most pads even come with a plastic paint tray and airtight snap-on lid. 2-inch angled sash brush: Good for painting door and window frames, moldings, and other areas where you need a lot of control; hold it like a pencil. 3-inch trim brush: This workhorse brush is good for outlining walls and ceilings and for painting large areas. Look for a bare wood handle to get the best grip. Hold it between your thumb and fingers in a relaxed grip. Instead of spending hours masking off the glass, rub lip balm around the inside of each pane. When the paint dries, take a knife and score around the glass, then scrape the paint and wax away. If you still have wax on the glass, heat the glass with a hair dryer and buff clean. Use a 5-in-1 tool ($7, Home Depot), not a straight screwdriver, to pry up the can lid around its circumference. (A screwdriver will put crimps and dimples in the lid, compromising the seal and letting air in.) If the paint was mixed and shaken at the store within the past week, stir it lightly. You can use a flat wooden stirring paddle (usually free at the paint store), but one with holes will move through the paint without causing it to spill over the edge of the can. Carefully lift the paint can with one hand on either side (you get better control of the pour this way) and pour paint into your small bucket. Put about 2 or 3 inches in the bucket to reduce your chances of overloading the brush. (An overloaded brush keeps paint in the ferrule of the brush instead of applying it to the wall.) Dip a primed brush into the paint only one-third to one-half the length of the bristles. Work the paint into the brush by pressing the bristles against the sides of the container. Tap the brush lightly against the inside of the bucket and lift it clear. Do not scrape the sides of the brush against the top edge of the bucket. That removes paint that belongs on the surface you’re painting. When using more than one gallon of the same paint, mix all gallons together in a 5-gallon bucket. Called boxing, this procedure will ensure that the color is uniform throughout the application. This is particularly worthwhile if you’re using a custom-mixed color. Trying to figure out how much time it will take to tackle one room (and if you’ll need to take a break in between)? It depends on how big your space is, but it can take anywhere from two to three hours to put on the first coat. You’ll need to wait another two hours for the paint to dry before applying a second coat. In total, that’s anywhere from eight to twelve hours for a bedroom or medium-sized living room. The label provides general guidelines for the amount of additive needed, which varies with the type of paint and the application temperature. It takes some experimenting to get the feel of these products.
