Rolling Walls & Ceilings
Rolling is the fast part — but technique matters. Even coverage, no roller lines, no drips. The secret: don't overload, maintain a wet edge, and work in W-patterns. Two coats minimum for a professional finish.
Covers loading, patterns, and avoiding common mistakes.
Use a 9-inch medium-pile roller sleeve for emulsion on smooth walls. Short pile for smooth ceilings. Long pile for textured surfaces like Artex.
Load the roller in the tray, then roll off the excess on the ramp. It should be evenly loaded, not dripping.
Work in W or M patterns — this distributes paint evenly before you smooth it out with straight passes. Avoids lap marks.
Paint the ceiling FIRST, then the walls. Any drips from the ceiling get covered when you do the walls.
Pour paint into a roller tray. Load the roller, rolling back and forth on the tray ramp to distribute evenly
CEILING FIRST: Start near the window and work away from the light (hides any imperfections)
Roll in W or M patterns to distribute paint, then smooth out with straight parallel passes
Maintain a wet edge — don't let a section dry before blending the next section into it
WALLS: Start at the top corner near the window. Work in vertical sections about 600mm wide
Roll from top to bottom, overlapping each pass by about 50%
Reload frequently — a dry roller drags and leaves an orange-peel texture
Let first coat dry fully (2-4 hours for emulsion). Apply second coat. Two coats minimum
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