Paint a long room using a long nap roller to reduce lines and shadows where you stop and start. You should always get a better-quality roller cover when doing a quality paint job. They will hold more paint and will not splatter like an inexpensive one. A cheepo cover will be thinner and can make quality paint look like crud.
If you are a working person, you should be able to handle a half-inch nap roller cover. When you fill it with paint it will feel as though it weighs about five pounds, especially at the end of the job. One of the features of a heavy nap cover is you will not be going back to the paint pan every two seconds. A half-inch nap roller cover is rather long and it may product too much texture for a smooth wall. However it holds enough paint to help reduce roller lines when painting a large area.
To get even coverage without roller lines start by painting a three-foot wide “w” pattern on the top half of the wall. Then roll the ‘ out until the top half of the wall has been evenly coated. If you have too much paint on the wall, roll the area wider until the roller starts to run out of paint. As soon as you have to push to get paint out of the roller, stop. You now know how far a full roller of paint will go per dip.
Refill the cover and repeat the process on the lower half of the wall. Then roll the upper and lover areas together to blend and even the paint out. You are now on a roll (sorry) painting with consistency and speed.
When brushing the corners and areas next to trim, many amateurs do not get enough paint on the wall. Do not run your brush too thin when cutting corners or a shadow will show from lack of paint. Apply more paint than you think and smooth the paint with a good quality brush. Inexpensive tools will make your job and the paint look like garbage. Your time and the job should be worth $15 for a good brush and roller cover.
Tip 321: do not drag the paint off the brush after dipping it in the paint. Use a paint pail (about two quarts) filled half full or less with paint. This will allow you to lightly tap the brush on the sides of the pail after dipping in the paint. Your brush will usually not drip and yet it will be holding twice the paint a brush that was tipped on the edge of a can.
Tip 322: Cutting in with an angle sash brush. Dip about 1/3 of the brush in the paint and tap it on the sides of the paint pail. Now draw a line about a half-inch inch away from the surface you are painting up to. Then go back with the brush angled so it picks up the heavy line of paint you just applied and direct it towards the edge you are cutting up to. Do not worry about getting the edge perfect yet. Go back a third time and cut the paint to the edge as close as you can. With a little practice, you will be able to paint with more speed you ever thought possible.
Tip 323: Use a wider sash brush than you think, about two inches or wider. It will hold more paint and is easier to ‘drive’ in a straight line.