What Roller Do I Use
It is very important to not only choose a quality roller but to also choose the RIGHT quality roller for the right surface you are painting.
Each roller has a different thickness of fabric or “nap”, specifically designed for different surfaces around the home. The thicker the nap or length of fabric, the more paint a roller will hold. The thicker the nap, the rougher the surface the roller is designed for. The smoother the finish you want the lower the nap of roller you should use.
5mm NAP
A thinner nap provides a smooth quality finish using water-based or oil-based gloss or semi-gloss paints. They are designed to hold a small amount of paint, which also helps in gaining that ultra-smooth finish. These are to be used mainly for painting doors or cupboards.
9mm NAP
Helps to achieve a very smooth finish. They are designed for painting feature walls or walls where you want to get a really smooth finish with less “roller stipple than 12mm rollers”. You can actually use an “All Purpose roller” on all surfaces in your home, although you will always get a better finish by using the special nap roller designed for a specific surface and purpose
The most commonly used roller nap is 12mm. Designed for obtaining a quality finish when painting walls and ceilings.
12mm NAP
The most commonly used roller for painting all walls and ceilings around the home. They are designed to hold a fair amount of paint, usually for applying flat or low-sheen paints. Quality 12mm nap rollers will apply an even paint film to your walls and ceilings and give you a great finish, without splattering paint all over you and the floor. Professional painters actually use 20mm nap rollers on ceilings, and 12mm nap rollers on walls.
20mm nap
The most commonly used roller for painting all walls and ceilings around the home. They are designed to hold a fair amount of paint, usually for applying flat or low-sheen paints. Quality 12mm nap rollers will apply an even paint film to your walls and ceilings and give you a great finish, without splattering paint all over you and the floor. Professional painters actually use 20mm nap rollers on ceilings, and 12mm nap rollers on walls.
