Microfiber—Holds up to three times more paint than a standard roller cover and provides the smoothest finish; works with all paints, enamel and
Ceilings and Drywall - Medium 3/8″ roller covers work best. Walls, Wood, and Metal - Small 1/4″ roller covers or foam rollers will produce the smoothest finish. Light to Medium Textured Surfaces - Microfiber rollers are best. Smooth Surfaces - Use a white woven short nap roller for an ultra fine finish.
If your walls are smooth and looking for a level 5 finish (very smooth), we'd recommend a Microfibre 5mm as it will provide you with a satisfying spray-like finish to match the surface. Rooms that often have walls with smoother surfaces include bathrooms and toilets with enamel paints.
The two best paint rollers for a smooth finish is a High Density Foam Roller with a Rounded Edge and a Lint Free Low Nap Roller, but I will say that even though both of these are good rollers one wins the prize for the smoothest finish.
If you want your paint to have a smooth finish, the technique you use is very important. Keep your brush at a 90-degree angle while applying the paint and feather as you go. Between coats, sand the wall lightly using a very high grit sand sponge of at least 220 grit.
Microfiber—Holds up to three times more paint than a standard roller cover and provides the smoothest finish; works with all paints, enamel and sheens, and best with semi-gloss and high-gloss finishes like ADVANCE®, an interior paint that's perfect for doors, trim and cabinetry.
You'll apply primer first with a brush to “cut in” those hard-to-reach crevices and edges, then go back over the surface with a roller. After your primer is dry, sand everything gently with 220-grit sandpaper. Remove dust with a tack cloth or compressed air, and get ready to paint.
Mohair - This fabric is perfect for applying oil based and water based gloss & semi-gloss paints. Foam - This nap provides a fine, blemish free finish. Perfect for high gloss finishes.
More often than not, roller marks occur when you fail to load your roller with enough paint, or have exhausted the paint in your roller and are trying to cover more area than you should.
Best Paint Roller For Smooth Surfaces
The Wooster Jumbo-Koter Red Feather 4.5" in particular is what we would recommend for use on smooth surfaces as it has a perfectly smooth finish and is ideal for use on doors, cabinets & metal, which covers just about any interior smooth surface you will need to paint.
The porous surface of the roller holds much more paint than a brush and distributes an even layer of paint much faster. Different finishes can be achieved with different rollers: Rollers with a smooth surface will produce a smooth finish. Rollers with a thick or fluffy surface will create a more textured finish.
Long Nap (at least 1 inch): Long nap rollers are ideal for smoothing out rough or textured surfaces such as stucco or textured ceilings. They have higher paint capacity and can reach into crevices.
White China—These natural bristle brushes are best used with oil-based paints, especially enamels and varnishes. Ideal for woodwork, enamels, or marine applications, White China bristles virtually eliminate brush marks.
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.
SAND IN BETWEEN COATS
Sanding in between paint coats will smooth out any imperfections like dirt or loose fluff that may have stuck to the paint as it dried. It will also even out any brushstrokes/roller marks. But not with any sandpaper...you want a superfine sanding pad.
Short pile rollers are high density and provide good paint pick up. They are designed for use on very smooth surfaces like new walls or ceilings, smooth furniture or cabinetry as they leave a very silky smooth finish.
For those looking for paint rollers for a smooth finish, high-density foam rollers should be your first stop. While high-density foam rollers are great, they are not the only option. Lint-free short nap rollers are another excellent choice for achieving a smooth finish.
Always sand between coats with 320 grit sandpaper to get a smooth finish. Wipe off the dust with a tack rag before applying the second coat. If adding a third layer of finish or more, be sure to sand and clean off saw dust in between coats.
The most likely reason your painted cabinets feel rough is that they didn't get the full sanding they needed before the lacquer went on. A few rough patches here and there can be lightly sanded with 220-grit sandpaper and painted over for a quick fix.
If you're painting a smooth surface, use a White China Bristle for a super-smooth finish. When painting a textured surface, a Black China Bristle will work best because it's slightly stiffer, more durable, and is excellent for high-productivity applications.
As the name suggests, the smooth drum of these rollers provides excellent compaction power for a range of different soils. Smooth drum rollers are typically used for coarse fill, granular materials and other mixed soils. Smooth rollers work by vibrating coarse particles such as gravel into the ground.
Woven rollers are made from various synthetic fabrics, including polyester and microfibre. They come in several pile depths, so you can find the right tools for your decorating project. Woven rollers are ideal for applying water-based gloss paint.