How to Choose A Roller


It is very important to not only choose a quality roller, but to also choose the RIGHT quality roller for the right surface you are painting.

Thick or thin makes a big difference

Each roller has a different thickness of fabric or “nap”, specifically designed for different surfaces around the home. The thicker the nap or length of fabric, the more paint a roller will hold. The thicker the nap, the rougher the surface the roller is designed for. The smoother the finish you want the lower the nap of roller you should use.

Size and style

3-5mm NAP

3-5mm NAP

A thinner nap provides a smooth quality finish using water based or oil based gloss or semi-gloss paints. They are designed to hold a small amount of paint, which also helps in gaining that ultra smooth finish. These are to be used mainly for painting doors or cupboards.

7-9mm NAP

7-9mm NAP

Helps to achieve a very smooth finish. They are designed for painting feature walls or walls where you want to get a really smooth finish with less “roller stipple than 12mm rollers”. You can actually use an “All Purpose roller” on all surfaces in your home, although you will always get a better finish by using the special nap roller designed for a specific surface and purpose

10-15mm NAP

10-15mm NAP

The most commonly used roller for painting all walls and ceilings around the home. They are designed to hold a fair amount of paint, usually for applying flat or low sheen paints. Quality 12mm nap rollers will apply an even paint film to your walls and ceilings and give you a great finish, without splattering paint all over you and the floor. Professional painters actually use 20mm nap rollers on ceilings, and 12mm nap rollers on walls.

18-26mm NAP

18-26mm NAP

Rough and Textured Surface Rollers have a thick 20mm nap, and are specifically designed to paint rough surfaces like bagged brick, render or brickwork itself. They are also designed to hold large volumes of paint, as these surfaces are very thirsty to paint. The thick roller helps on these surfaces, not only to put on more paint, but also to “get into all the deep surfaces” that these rough surfaces have.

What roller material do I use?

Choose the most suitable roller material can help you make your painting job easier and faster, check out the Monarch roller materials in offer:

What Roller Width Do I Use

75 - 100mm Width

75 - 100mm Width

  • Interior Project
    • Cupboards
    • Door Trims
    • Windows
    • Furniture
  • Exterior Project
    • Fence Posts
    • Rails
130-180mm Width

130-180mm Width

  • Interior Project
    • Doors
    • Small Surfaces
    • Small Walls
    • Bench Tops
    • Stairs
  • Exterior Project
    • Eaves
    • Pergolas
230 - 270mm Width

230 - 270mm Width

  • Interior Project
    • Walls
    • Ceilings
    • Large Surfaces
  • Exterior Project
    • Fences
    • Concrete Floors
    • Brickwork

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