Painting walls and ceilings requires a lot of effort and deliberation or the finished job will be marred by paint roller marks or ridges caused by the paint roller. Every DIY homeowner knows that painting with a paint roller is an efficient way for applying paint to large areas such as walls and ceilings, but they can produce ridges which mar the evenness of the finished paintwork and cause an unsightly finish.

Ridges left behind when the paint dries can be rather annoying. Here are some painting tips on how to avoid paint roller ridge marks.

The first tip is to use good tools. Before you even start rolling out the paint, the best way to keep your paint roller from leaving marks is use good quality paint and the best paint roller. Good quality paint is not discount paint that is purchased at a paint discount store. Quality paint comes from the top of the line paint supply stores or home improvement supply centers. Only use a roller which is average to good quality. Cheap paint rollers will not do as well as a quality roller with a firm solid core. Purchase a roller with a beveled edge to keep the paint from streaking at the edges. Cheap rollers do not have beveled edge features, and their core is usually made from cardboard. The cardboard core will get saturated during painting and loose its shape which in turn will cause edge marks.

The second tip is to mix the paint well. Before starting to apply paint mix the paint thoroughly. Use a stir stick to get all the paint ingredients mixed together, particularly what settles on the bottom of the container. This will help you to avoid streaking and unevenness as the paint is rolled on the wall or ceiling. Paint that is not mixed properly has more chance of creating bad paint roller marks.

The third tip is to paint the edges first. When you are ready to start painting the wall or ceiling, use a paintbrush to paint the first two inches around the edge of your wall or ceiling first. This will help you to avoid marks caused by trying to force the roller into corners and mark the wall by painting along the edges after you have finished the rest of the painting.

The four tips is to apply the paint evenly. Begin by spreading a layer of paint out into the paint tray. Put the roller into the paint, and then roll it out in the tray until you have an even layer of coverage. You should try to avoid soaking the ends and the core with paint to avoid leaving roller marks. Place the paint roller onto the wall, and then roll it upwards and downwards using long even stokes. Paint at a slight angle, so that you are not leaving straight marks. Blend your next stroke into the old stroke, repeating the angled shape.

That is all there is to it. If you follow these painting tips you can avoid paint roller ridge marks.

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