Sleeves

Sleeves

Paint roller sleeves are the replaceable covers that slide onto a roller frame, and two things decide which one you want. Width comes first: 4 inch mini sleeves suit doors, cupboards, radiators and cutting in, 6 and 7 inch handle medium areas, 9 inch is the standard wall and ceiling size, and 12 inch covers large walls and long runs faster with fewer passes. Pile length comes second and matters more than most people expect. Short pile lays the smoothest finish on flat plaster and is right for silk and soft sheen. Medium pile is the general purpose choice for matt emulsion on ordinary walls. Long pile holds far more paint and reaches into the texture of pebbledash, render and rough masonry, which is why masonry sleeves are always long pile. Material then sets the finish: microfibre gives the least shedding and the flattest result, polyamide and fabric are hard wearing all-rounders, foam and sponge glossers lay gloss and satin on woodwork without leaving a stipple, and flock sleeves suit fine finishes on smooth surfaces. Multi packs of 2 and 10 are the economical way to buy the small sizes.

Fleetwood accounts for almost the whole range here. In 4 inch there are emulsion, fabric, flock and glosser sleeves in 2 and 10 packs, sponge glosser refills, a jumbo emulsion sleeve and the Flawless microfibre sleeve in 2 and 10 packs. In 9 inch there are short, medium and long pile sleeves, short and medium pile Endurance sleeves, microfibre in short and medium pile, polyamide in short and medium, corrugated, Mofab and dedicated masonry and long pile masonry sleeves. In 12 inch the Pelican range covers short and medium pile in standard and microfibre, alongside long pile and short and medium pile Endurance sleeves, with a 6 inch Flawless microfibre 10 pack and a 7 inch Mofab filling the middle sizes. Dosco supplies Master lint free sleeves in 9 inch long and short pile, and Petersons the Paragon 9 inch long pile masonry sleeve.