When painting with a roller, it is frustrating to have loose roller-cover fuzz ruin a nice finish. This is especially likely with cheaper roller covers, but even the best ones can leave behind fuzz. I have found that preemptively pulling out loose roller fuzz is easily done with a length of tape. Duct tape works great; packing tape is also good; masking tape is OK. With all of them, wider is better. Pull out 3 ft. or so, and hold the tape roll between your knees and the loose end in one hand. With your roller cover on its frame, use your free hand to roll the cover over the tape until fuzz stops collecting. Cheap roller covers might need a couple of sections of tape. You will be stunned by how much fuzz comes off in the first pass. This tip also can be used with disposable paintbrushes to get rid of the bristles that fall out quickly.
—David Hasenstab, Seattle, WA
Edited by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #237
