FAQ

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How to Paint a room?
  • For surface protection drop cloths and tape are recommended. Masking tape, blue painters tape, and a variety of Washi tapes can be used with painting jobs. Pre-taped drop sheets like ROLLINGDOG #80348 and #80350 work great for taping up sheets of plastic or paper film over trim, floors and furniture etc. Drop cloths are needed to cover floors, stairs and larger furniture that cannot be removed from area. They come in thin plastic, multi layer composite material, thick paper or canvas. Drop cloths like ROLLINGDOG’s Blue Defender™ and Canvas-Guard™ are reusable and offer the best protection.
  • A 2 1/2” (63mm) angled sash brush like ROLLINGDOG #10241 or #10180 is recommended for painting the areas around trim and wall and ceiling corners where the roller cannot paint, referred to as “cutting in”. Natural bristles are best for painting with oil based paints and synthetic filament brushes are best for water based paints. For inexperienced painters it is best to tape and cover all trim and edges to get the best lines before cutting in.
  • A heavy duty paint tray or bucket with loading grid will be needed to dip and load your roller, it also helps to have a handy paint cup for cutting in.
  • A 9” roller cover made of synthetic fibers like ROLLINGDOG’s Smooth-Pro™ or Super-Micro™ are the best choice when using latex or water based paint. With oil based paint natural fiber like ROLLINGDOG’s Wooly-Pro™ or mohair covers are best. Nap length refers to the length of hairs on the roller cover. Shorter naps are for smooth surfaces and will leave a higher sheen, or shinier paint finish, longer naps are for rough surfaces and will leave a more flat or dull paint finish. For most interior walls a 3/8” (10mm) nap is suggested, for smooth to semi smooth walls like drywall.
  • It is also important to get a quality roller frame that holds covers on well. Be sure to check which style rollers are used in your area (cage frame or single rod style). This will not only affect the roller covers used but also the extension pole connection style used (threaded or tapered end). An extension pole may not be necessary for a room with standard height ceilings, but is recommended as it will make rolling the wall easier and faster.
  • Move all furniture out of the room or to the center, if cannot be removed from area cover with drop cloth.
  • For small rooms cover whole floor with drop cloth if possible. Make sure to have drop cloth covering floor at least 3 feet out from wall being painted in larger rooms.
  • Remove hardware from walls (door hinges, electrical outlets, electrical switch covers, smoke detectors, etc). Tape around all edges and trim
  • Make sure walls are clean and free of dust, spider webs etc.
  • Priming is necessary if you are painting over any non-paint surface such as drywall, unpainted wood, metal, spackle, putty, or even walls with marks from ink, crayons, or mold stains. If the previous coating was oil based and you are using water based even though it is a pre painted surface this will also need to be primed.
  • Do your cutting in first. Since rollers cannot get to tight edges, it is recommended to be use a 2.5” brush to paint along the ceiling, inside corners, moldings, trim, and around outlets and light switches. Mini rollers are also becoming a more popular method for cutting in.
  • Be sure to mix your paint or primer thoroughly with a stir bar, and then add it to a small tray or cup. ROLLINGDOG paint cups like #20009 work with mini rollers and brushes, designed for ergonomic carry and effective brush and mini roller loading. You may also just use a plastic throw away cup as you go around the room cutting in with brush.
  • Painting with roller: Put your roller cover on the cage. Stir your paint thoroughly, and pour about ½ and inch into the tray’s well.
  • Dampen the roller cover: Prepping your roller ensures faster painting — and saves paint. For latex paint, dampen your roller cover with water from your spray bottle or the faucet. For oil-based paints, roll the alkyd-appropriate roller cover in the tray of paint thinner. Scrape off excess moisture with your 5-in-1 tool.
  • Roll the roller down into the paint tray.
  • Roll down the slope of the rake in to the paint well. Properly loading the roller cuts down on spatter and drips and improves coverage.
  • Roller painting technique
  • Hold the roller properly to improve your control: Hold it in your dominant hand. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your roller directly in front of you. If you’re using an extension pole, place your dominant hand toward the bottom for control and your non-dominant hand at the middle position for leverage and pressure.
  • Paint a diagonal upward stroke.
  • Use a long, slow, upward diagonal stroke to unload the first part of the “M” pattern.
  • Make a diagonal downward stroke.
  • In a continuing motion, follow the first upward stroke with a long, slow stroke downward at a diagonal.
  • Continue by finishing the “M” pattern.
  • In a continuing motion, use another long, slow, upward diagonal stroke and another long, slow downward diagonal stroke to finish the “M” pattern.
  • Cross the “M” with horizontal strokes. Paint a series of horizontal strokes working from the bottom of the “M” to the top.
  • Smooth out the section.
  • Smooth the section by making a series of downward strokes from top to bottom.
  • Repeat steps to complete the wall.
  • Repeat the process of loading and painting. Working in small sections, move from dry areas to wet ones, overlapping the wet edge each time.
  • Remove tape from walls.
  • Reinstall hardware.
  • Clean brushes/rollers/trays immediately after job completion to ensure long life of tools.
  • When you are sure paint is completely dry remove drop cloths and drop sheets and replace furniture.
Cleaning your Painting tools
  • One of the least liked parts of taking on a home painting renovation is the part where you need to clean your tools. There are lots of one time use tools you can just throw away after one use, and maybe that’s the right choice for you.
  • But, chances are if you are doing a paint renovation it is in your house, and as we all know house renovations don’t ever stop, they just change location.
  • A quality painting tool will come in handy and save you money, rather than continually running to the store to buy and then throw away single use brushes and rollers.
  • Ask any professional painter why they use high quality painting tools and you will find out its not just because they will be using it again, but because it provides the highest quality application of paint.
  • When done correctly, a quality brush like that available from ROLLINGDOG can last for years.
  • Wipe away and remove as much paint as you can from the brush with a rag or paper towel to prepare for cleaning.
  • If water based paint was used you should clean the brush with water.
  • Fill a container with warm, soapy water. Work the paint out of the brush head between your fingers. A brush cleaning tool like ROLLINGDOG’s #50019 with long spiked metal teeth can also be very helpful for cleaning. Once the majority of the paint has been removed you can begin to rinse the soapy water out of the brush.
  • If oil based paint was used you should clean the brush with the solvent recommended on paint can, such as mineral spirits. A good way to ensure the brush is properly cleaned is to add solvent to three different containers. Let the brush rest in solvent of first container while working the paint out. After about a minute you can move the next container and repeat the process again, and finally move to third container to repeat.
  • If your brush has natural bristles you can blot out excess solvent and hang to dry. If you brush has synthetic filament you should rinse the solvent from brush with warm water, then blot out water and hang to dry.
  • If brush came with a paper case, after brush has dried store it in case to keep clean and protected
  • -Another option would be using a brush/roller cleaner like ROLLINGDOG item #80609 can be very helpful to spin dry the brush
  • There are a few good reasons not to do this. The pressure on the brush can permanently misshape the bristles, bending them or spreading them out so they no longer come to a point. If they are left too long to rest on the bristles, most brushes will never regain their original shape.
CHOOSING A ROLLER
  • Material: to match paint
    Nap/ Pile height: to match surface
    Style: to match roller frame ( American or European style)
  • Knit or Woven construction: Knit holds more paint and also releases it faster, making for thicker coatings than woven rollers. Woven fabric creates higher sheen finishes and is usually more durable than knit. Materials include Polyester, Polyamide, Acrylic, Velour, high density foam, Mohair, Blended fabrics
  • Size    Width of roller is very important to best fit your job : 2” to 18” 5-46cmcm
    American and European Rollers have different style frame with different inner diameter sizes
    American style Rollers have a 1 ½ inch inner diameter to fit over the cage style frame and European style rollers have a 6mm or 8mm single wire frame that fits inside the roller cover. It is important to know which style frame you are using for purchasing future roller covers.