nap length

boman47k

When do you pros use nap shorter than 3/8?

YourWayPainting

I don't ever use anything shorter that 3/4" ... but I don't know what you are painting. I use a foam roller for doors, but I'm assuming you mean for walls or exterior.
The length of your nap will decide how much paint you are able to pick up and roll out ... and one that short will require a lot of dipping ... unless you are spraying and rolling. Then you would base your nap on what kind of light texture you want on the wall.

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boman47k

The reason I ask is I normally use at least 3/8 for interior walls. A few years ago I used the shorter nap on the my kitchen and backroom. Did real well and used very little paint. Recently I did mt bath. Looked really good til I put my readers on. Not near as smooth as the kitchen. Actually, I had taken so long with the bath, I think I got in a hurry and reapainted over the first coat too soon. After removing the wallpaper, shower surround, skimming, etc wife was getting a little antsy about it taking so long.

slickshift

Never

boman47k

I expected a lot of answers like that. I think I will have to agree. While working with someone else I used the shorter nap on a door. I wound up going over it with a brush.

joewho

About an hour.

First, is there a shorter nap? Yes, 1/4 nap can be had on a 9" roller.

I just did an accent wall with 3/8 nap, because the wall was super smooth and not prone to absorbing the moisture. A purple/red color, went on in 2 coats.

Doors should not be a problem with a shorter nap, I like to use something more substantial so there isn't so much brush work around the panels. If it's a flat door, short nap should also do well. With the right paint and a short nap, or foam, it should look smooth as spray, almost.

boman47k

1/4 is what I thoink i used on my kitchen walls a few years ago. Not sure what kind of paint I used, but it surprised me at the little amount of paint I used. This was gut out, so it was new rock. Want to say I used 3/16? with some BM All Purpose primer and Bm paint ( not sure of the line now) on some cabinet doors. did not get the smooth finished I wanted and was very disappointed. The kitchen was years before the cabinet doors, and I know it was not BM.

Hamilton

I'm going to try 1/4" on the job tomorrow.

I am getting away from rolling, then brushing off fascia and instead I'm gonna try a small nap weenie. It's gotta be much faster and the slight texture looks natural on the boards, especially after the paint tightens up.

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Hamilton

Got to try the 1/4" weenie today.

I cut my corner in, then dipped the weenie to load it, then proceeded across the fascia. I got about 3 feet, then got down off the ladder, walked over to a trash can and threw that thing in there as hard as I could.

The rest of the day went pretty good.

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boman47k

Only time I used those little slim rollers is in hard to reach places. Around toilets, water heaters, lav's ,etc.

AAPaint

I almost always use a good quality 50/50 3/4" roller. A 1/2" isn't too bad, but 3/8" is too thin unless you are spraying and backrolling. It just won't hold enough paint to roll up and down an 8' wall in one stroke, and all taller walls you will be scrubbing paint out of a dry roller to roll from top to bottom in one dip. This is probably the reason you are seeing it's not so smooth as before. It was probably not a nice even application.

That is also a possibility as to why it took so long to paint. If you are spreading or scrubbing out paint with a nap that is too short instead of applying paint and smoothing it out easily with the right size nap it will take WAY longer.

boman47k

AA may be right, but the jitchen turned out real weel with the short nap. And it did not take long to paint my bath. Preparation was waht took the time. Stripped paper, prim, skim, prime and paint. Not to mention removingthe tub surround. It does seem like it looks better now than it did.

slickshift

No it doesn't

Yeah, there is a time and place for the weenie rollers