Choosing a paint roller

You can paint walls, floors, ceilings and other elements of a house or apartment with different paints and different tools. One of the most popular and commonly used paint application tools is the paint roller. Our story about him today.

There are quite a few types of rollers, and each of them has its own purpose and differs from others in appearance – the material and size of the fur coat.

Let’s immediately stipulate all the terms that we will have to use in the process of this story. A roller is a part of a tool, consisting of a plastic, wooden or aluminum cylinder with a soft coat put on it, which absorbs the paint and then, when rolling, applies it to the surface to be painted. The familiar design of a handle and a curved metal rod (clasp), on which the roller is put on, is called a machine or simply a handle.

Roller coats for simple jobs (left to right): Anlon, Elon, Foam plastic, perforated foam, Polyester, Perlon, Dilen, Polar

It is important, in addition to terminology, to know the generally accepted classification of rollers, so that when you buy the letters on the price tag, you do not seem to be a Jewish letter. Domestic rollers are divided into four groups, each of which has its own markings. The first letter is always B, which means roller. The second designates the material from which the fur coat is made, and if there is a third letter, then this is the area of ​​application.

The first three groups are intended for application on the surface of paints and varnishes.

VM – fur-coated rollers,
VMP – fur-coated rollers for painting floors,
VMU – the same rollers, but intended for painting concave corners.,
VP – These are rollers with a polyurethane (foam rubber) coating for working with water-based adhesives.

Materials of fur coats for paint rollers (from left to right): Rilon, Rilon, Sheepskin, Mohair with short pile, Terry cloth, Felt, Foam rubber

According to the rules, the fur cover for the roller should be made of sheepskin or a silk base covered with a pile of chemical threads.

Recently, a lot of imported rollers have appeared on sale. Their assortment is so great that the necessity of choosing sometimes puzzles even an experienced specialist. The complexity is also added by the fact that each country of the manufacturer has its own method of classification..

For example, manufacturers in Finland divide rollers into seven groups:

Mini – rollers are mainly used for painting small or hard-to-reach surfaces, including corners.

Midi – rollers are one of the most common types among amateur painters.
Difference between universal and professional rollers are rather arbitrary: the criterion for such a division is usually the quality of the coat and the diameter of the rod. Professional tools are characterized by a higher quality material, and the diameter of the rod from 9mm.

Facade rollers characterized by the presence of an internal intermediate packing and a more perfect bearing system. Thanks to it and the increased diameter, the roller spins more slowly than usual and when working with such a tool, paint is sprayed much less.

Frame rollers very convenient to work, as they easily bend around irregularities. In addition, they are 20- 35% cheaper than traditional rollers. The peculiarity of these rollers is indicated in their name: the fur coat is not put on a cylinder, like the others, but on a special frame made of wire or polymer. Unfortunately, they are still little known in our country..

Special rollers subdivided into rollers for flooring, corrugated surfaces, aggressive and structural materials, lamination and wallpaper rolling.

But one of the leading manufacturers of painting tools – the Swedish company ANZA uses a different classification. There are three groups in size: mini, midi, maxi-rollers.

And according to the application, there are five groups:

high quality PERFECTA;

for all types of repairs (floors, walls, ceilings);

for varnishes and enamels, when a very smooth surface is required;

special

for simple jobs

In addition to the size of the painting tool, you need to pay attention to the material from which his coat is made. Here the situation of choice is even more complicated and confused by the fact that for the name of the same material, each company uses its own symbols.

Here are the main groups of materials for fur coats and some of their names used by the Finnish company Sakeva.

group PE – polyester (polyester): foam rubber (moltoprene), vestan (artificial fur), yellow vestan (reinforced),

group N – natural materials: sheep, llama, goat fur, velor, mohair, felt, rubber

PC group – polyacryl: kanekarone, modacryl, meryl;

RA group – polyamide: perlon, nylon.

Even coats made from the same material may differ in other parameters. Here are some examples of this.

Mini rollers are made of several types of foam rubber: normal and vyskopolotny with a density of 30 and 60 kg / m3, respectively. Naturally denser roller lasts longer.

Foam rollers, used for high-quality painting of varnishes with water-dispersible paints, available in two colors: dark blue (of the highest quality) and deep yellow.

Polyacrylic rollers from a material called melir, imitating lamb fur, there are three colors (in order of increasing quality): blue, yellow and light green.

Perlon rollers (polyamide) are white, light yellow and light green.

When choosing a roller, in addition to the material of the fur coat itself, you need to pay attention to its compatibility with the paint and varnish material that you are going to use.

The resistance of a coat to paint can be judged by the stripes applied to it – the more there are, the more resistant the material is to aggressive substances. In addition, the strips can be used to determine the manufacturing method and replaceability. If the stripes on the fur coat run along the roller, then it is sewn and can be replaced. If they are located across or obliquely, then the coat is glued and cannot be replaced.

Most fur coats for mini and midi rolls are glued. They are not very durable, as paints and varnishes quickly destroy the glue. But there are also pluses. The process of their manufacture is quite simple, and therefore – these rollers are cheaper than the others..

Fur coats for universal, professional, facade and special rollers, as a rule, are sewn. They last longer and, if necessary, are replaced with new ones.

Separately, in our opinion, it is worth mentioning the so-called textured rollers (for creating textured surfaces). There are quite a few varieties of them, each of which is designed for a certain type of work with textured finishing materials, and many other options.

To be sure. that you are purchasing a quality tool, be guided by the international quality certificate ISO9001.

In conclusion, let us note some of the features of machines (handles) for rollers. They differ not only in the size of the yoke, but also in the overall length. There are short ones – 30 cm, medium ones – 35 – 45 cm and long ones – from 50 cm. If what you need to paint is far away, then it makes sense to purchase a special handle – an extension cord. Available in lengths from 0.7 to 4 m.

There are a few more elements that are designed to make your work with the roller more convenient and quality. Many firms produce special pallets, kits consisting of a roller with a pallet, roller supports and scrapers for cleaning it. The pallet provides a place where paint is poured and a surface on which the roller can be rolled to achieve uniform impregnation.

In a word, before you start using paint to turn your apartment into a palace, do not be lazy to spend time and choose the right tool, and then the work will give you pleasure..

Based on materials from the “Ideas for your home” magazine