Question about painting trim with a brush vs. a small roller

For years I'd only use a 2-inch angled brush for all my interior trim work, taking forever to get a smooth coat. Last fall, a guy at the hardware store in Tacoma suggested trying a 4-inch foam roller for the flat sections and just tipping off with the brush, and it cut my time in half. Has anyone else made that switch and found a specific roller nap that works best for semi-gloss?

3 comments

3 Comments

cooper.viola3mo ago

Didn't my buddy try that and get a ton of tiny bubbles?

hugow303mo ago

My cousin had that bubble problem with a cheap foam roller. He switched to a microfiber sleeve meant for smooth surfaces, the kind with the tiny little loops. It holds less paint so you don't get that orange peel or foam texture. He still uses his brush for the corners and to smooth it out, but the roller does the heavy lifting. Made a world of difference on his baseboards.

fiona33225d ago

Cooper.viola, that bubble thing happens when you load the foam roller too heavy or press too hard, but a microfiber sleeve really does fix it since it lays the paint down thinner and more even with no trapped air. My neighbor swears by the 4-inch microfiber from Wooster with a 3/16 nap for semi-gloss trim, and he hasn't touched a brush for the flat parts in years.