Rollers come in all different shapes and sizes, some are great all rounders and some are ideal for specific finishes. Before you choose the roller sleeve for you, ask these questions:

  • What surface am I painting on? Rough? Smooth?
  • What size do I need?
  • What roller fits my frame?
  • What finish am I going for? Textured? Smooth?
  • Do I need a clean new roller just for glazing?

It goes without saying but if you do not clean your roller thoroughly then it wont last long. Crusty paint will limit its effectiveness. Generally it will last overnight in a plastic bag but not for much longer.

Roller sleeves come in sizes 6″ and 9″ for single armed roller frames and 12″ and 15″ for double armed frames.

Hotdog roller sleeves come in 4″.

Short Pile

Ideal for:

  • primers,
  • undercoat &
  • eggshell on flat surfaces

Medium Pile

Ideal for:

  • Priming and painting smooth an textured surfaces
  • For emulsion and water bourne floor glazes on smooth and textured surfaces.

Available from Flints here

Long Pile

Ideal for:

  • For emulsion on rough surfaces.

Available from Flints here

Foam Rollers

Ideal for:

  • Tight budgets, they are very cheap but the finish reflects the price.
  • They can also be cut into and torn away to add texture and depth to flat painted areas

Available from Flints here

4″ Foam Roller

Ideal for:

  • For use with lacquers, primers, gloss paints and acrylic paints.
  • Foam rollers have zero fibre loss.
  • The foam can be cut away for scenic effects.

Pack of 10 available from Flints here.

4″ Medium Pile

Ideal for:

  • 1/2” nylon nap ideal for use with waterbased paints [also suitable for oil based paints] on slightly textured surfaces
  • Textured mark marking that can more natural than foam rollers

Pack of 10 available from Flints here

4″ Long Pile

Ideal for:

  • Use on rougher surfaces.

Available from Flints here.

Frames, poles and trays

Hamilton make an excellent quality 9″ roller frame at a good price that you can find here

If you are looking for double armed frames flints have 12″ and 15″ sizes found here

You can find poles here

You can find trays and scuttles here