painting question

[Los_Lobos]

When using a roller do you put any pressure on the roller or just let the weight of the roller be enough? I seem to be getting a bunch of air bubbles and am wondering if it is because I am rolling to hard.

Thanks, Les

[Joe Lyddon]

I just roll the paint on... if it's still real thick & slides around, I just roll it onto other places... Yes, I think it takes a certain amount of pressure to the walls, etc. enough to make the roller roll instead of slide. ;D ;D

I'm no real expert... but that's the way I do it... I think... never gave it much thought... ;D

[Beamer]

I push a little ... but I think the secret is getting enough paint on yer roller ... I used that little washboard tray thing a little too much at first. Now I just use it to get the roller evenly covered. It's a finesse thing, though, too ... if there's too much, it slides all over heck, if there ain't enough, you have to push hard very soon ... right in the middle, tho, is the sweet spot and it's fantastic.

Practice makes perfect for rollin' paint, i think.

[TDHofstetter]

It doesn't take any HUGE pressure unless the roller's empty, but it takes a LITTLE. Your arm shouldn't get tired from pressing against the wall, even if you're rolling four walls in a shot - your arm SHOULD get tired from holding the roller in the air.

You should get (from my experience) about two good stripes ceiling-to-floor out of one loaded roller. Maybe two & a half. Less than that & you don't have enough paint on the roller. More & you're drooling off the ends.

[tomd]

Make sure your roller cover matches what you are painting, they come rough, medium and smooth. Also the new foam rollers do seem to make bubbles more.

[sawduster]

Keep the roller well loaded and don't slow down your strokes. Give the paint time to transfer from the roller to the wall.

[fredbelknap]

I don't know anything about painting, I just show my wife what to do then I go do something else. ;D

[CajunRider]

The key thing is to get the right nap height for the surface. You'll have to put some pressure otherwise it will not be even. Most people try to roll too fast. What commonly is perceived as bubbles are actually void not filled because the roller goes by faster than the paint can flow to fill the holes.