Cutting in with a paint brush

Before you use the paint roller you need to ‘cut in’, or in other words paint the edges. Do this with a standard paint brush and use the largest one you are able to handle accurately. If you are also painting adjacent areas accuracy is not so important. Paint a strip around the edge of the area you are painting, as well as around things like light switches, electrical sockets and other areas that cannot be painted with the roller.

Roller tray

The next step is to pour some of your paint into a roller tray before loading the roller by rolling it in the paint. Before you transfer the roller to the surface you are painting, roll it on the roller tray grid so that the paint is spread evenly on the roller.

Painting with the roller

Transfer the paint-loaded roller to the surface to be painted and while keeping it in full contact with the surface do a ‘W’ motion. Then without reloading the roller repeat this process but at right angles to the original ‘W’ in order to spread the paint out evenly. Finally roll over all of this paint with a straight back and forth motion. Keep this same final direction over the whole surface. Aim to cover about one square metre at a time.

Reload the roller as described above and move onto the next section to be painted. Start at a fresh section of wall or ceiling and roll towards any completed sections to gradually blend them together.

Awkward spots

For narrower strips of wall and awkward spots behind radiators use a mini roller or radiator roller.

Items we recommend for decorating:

Stanley 9" Paint Roller Kit

Stanley Gloss Paint Roller

Stanley Mini Paint Roller

Stanley Radiator Roller Kit

Paint Brushes