1. Choose A Quality Roller

All-purpose rollers won’t distribute paint evenly. They’ll put too much paint on smooth surfaces and not enough on rough surfaces. That means you’ll get a poor surface finish.

A good quality roller will save you money in the long run and ensure a better quality finish—

They’re thicker and fluffier, so they hold more paint and allow you to avoid dripping and spattering.
They help the paint go on smoother and thicker.
They won’t crack.
They’ll hold their shape better.
They won’t shed fibres, and
They’re reusable.

2. Look For A Roller With A "Phenolic Core"

A ‘phenolic core’ refers to the inside tube (or ‘core’) of your roller. When the core is ‘phenolic’, it’s been reinforced so that it’s nice and hard. That means your roller keeps its perfect cylindrical shape– it won’t go soggy in water or in paint solvents. So it won’t need replacing as quickly as cheaper rollers.

All PAL® Masterflow® roller sleeves are made with phenolic cores.

3. Match The ‘Nap Length’ To The Job

Not to be confused with the size of the actual roller, the ‘nap length’ refers to the length of the fabric around the roller core.

Roller Illustration

The length of the nap is designed to suit-

a. The type of paint you’re using, and
b. The type of surface you’re painting.

But rather than confusing you with lots of details on which nap to use when, we’ve developed the PAL® Masterflow® Roller System (below). Just match a PAL® roller No.1- 6 to your paint and surface type, and feel secure that your nap length will suit your job.

4. Select the right size Masterflow roller

Using the right size roller will give you far better results as well as saving you valuable time and effort. As a general rule of thumb - the bigger the roller = the more paint it will load = the faster the paint job.

Use the PAL® Roller System below to help determine which roller you’ll need.

Choosing the Right Roller with the PAL® Masterflow® Roller System

Whatever paint you’re using, and whatever surface you’re painting, the PAL® Masterflow® 1 to 6 Roller System has just the right sleeve:

Paint Type	Surface/Substrate	Roller Type	Roller Sizes Available
Acrylic / Water Based	Smooth Surfaces – including walls, ceilings, hardboard, plaster board, particle board, custom wood, etc.	PAL No. 1	75mm 100mm 180mm 230mm
Acrylic / Water Based	Textured surfaces – including textured wallpaper, fibrolite, cement render, rough sawn timber, fences, concrete, etc.	PAL No. 2	100mm 180mm 230mm
Acrylic / Water Based	Rough Surfaces – including, brickwork, stucco, block work, rough concrete, trellis, lattice, woodwork etc.	PAL No. 3	100mm 230mm
Acrylic / Enamel Based	Smooth Surfaces	PAL No. 4	75mm 100mm 180mm 230mm
Turps / Oil Solvent Based	Smooth Surfaces	PAL No. 5	75mm 100mm 180mm 230mm
Turps / Oil Solvent Based	Fine Finishing Smooth Surfaces – including doors, cupboards, boat hulls etc.	PAL No. 6	75mm 100mm 180mm 230mm

Roller Related Tools

Roller Handles

When choosing your paint roller handle you should-

Select the right size roller handle. PAL® Masterflow® roller handles are made to match your roller; either 75mm, 100mm, 180mm or 230mm.
Check that the frame of the handle is strong and not easily bent.
Look for a handle that spins on roller bearings. Roller bearings help maintain a “friction free roll” which rolls nice and smoothly. This means the roller will provide an even disbursement of paint onto the surface.
Check that the handle does not rotate on the rod.
Ensure that the handle is a comfortable grip in your hand.
Make sure the handle can be used with an extension pole. Extension poles make painting large areas easier.
Look at how the poles connect into the handle. You want a handle that holds the roller nice and steady. So look for roller handles that have a deep internal thread connection for the most stable support and even pressure at the roller sleeve. This is vital for achieving the best paint finish, and it makes rolling for extended periods a lot more comfortable.

Paint Trays

The importance of a strong, self-supporting paint tray can’t be over-emphasised. So remember two things when shopping for a paint tray-

Trays that are too flexible make handling difficult and can cause spillages.
A paint tray with a deep reservoir holds more paint and doesn’t need to be refilled as often as low profile trays. That’ll save you a lot of time and energy in refilling!.

Paint Sander

Save yourself the backbreaking work of sanding! A pole sander which fits extension handles makes the sanding of walls and ceilings so much easier. You can use pole sanders with conventional sandpaper.

Cutter/Angle Brush

A standard 50mm paint brush will often suffice for trim work, but a cutter/angle brush is especially designed for it (the angle of the bristles make cutting in a lot neater and easier).

You can also use the Masterflow® Angle Trimmer 25mm brush and Masterflow® 12mm detail brush in tight areas.

Want more paint roller tips?

See How to Paint with a Roller
Check out our Project Planner for advice about using your roller on particular projects.