Took me three coats of paint to realize the roller nap was the issue

I was painting my hallway in Denver with a 3/8 inch roller and kept getting this weird stipple texture no matter how careful I was with the finish. After three coats and a lot of cussing, the guy at the paint desk pointed out that my cheap roller had a nap made for flat ceilings, not satin walls. Anyone else ever fight a tool for way too long before asking the obvious question?

2 comments

2 Comments

barnes.kai10d ago

the 3/8 nap thing is such a trap, lmao. @finleybutler nailed it though, microfiber 1/2 inch just lays satin down flat. my first paint job had those same little orange peel bumps and i thought i was going crazy. ended up burning a whole afternoon sanding before i even thought to look at the roller.

finleybutler11d ago

Exactly same thing happened to me with a cheaper 3/8 nap on a wall with eggshell. Switched to a 1/2 inch microfiber and it was like a whole new paint job, no more weird texture. That paint desk guy probably saved me a fourth coat too.