Tried painting my bathroom with a 4-inch roller instead of a brush

I got tired of brush strokes on my bathroom walls near the sink so I grabbed a small roller from the hardware store down the street. Turns out it left this weird stippled texture that catches the light funny and looks worse than the brush marks. Has anyone else had luck smoothing out stipple without sanding the whole room?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninaross7d ago

Ditched the brush and tried one of those foam rollers once for a similar stipple problem. It made the texture look like a bad orange peel finish that drove me crazy every time I walked in there. Ended up using a damp sponge to lightly dab over the whole section while the paint was still tacky, which actually blended the texture out a lot better than I expected. It wasn't perfect but it softened the edges so the light didn't catch it as harshly. You could also try a thicker nap roller next time, like a 3/8 inch, it lays down a smoother coat without that weird stippling thing. Just be careful not to press too hard or it leaves lines anyway.

troy_owens6d ago

Take a damp microfiber cloth and very lightly go over the stippled spots while the paint is still a little tacky. That knocks down the high points just enough without dragging the finish around. If it's fully dry already, you're stuck with a light sanding or just living with it until the next coat.