Why has my paint dried with streak marks?

Question

There are three common causes of streak marks when painting with a paint roller.

Streaking can occur if your roller was not sufficiently cleaned and left loaded overnight with paint. Next time you use it, the paint will still be on the roller and cause streaking.

Improper loading of paint on the roller can also cause streak marks. Too much paint has been loaded on the sides of the roller creating a fencing streak and a shallow centre.

Another possible cause is paint between the roller and the steel axle. This causes the roller to get stuck as you roll it and causes intermittent streaks on your paint surface. - EricL

EricL · Answer

Hello @jacquif

I'm sorry to hear that your hallway painting project did not come out the way you wanted. All is not lost, I suggest sanding the wall again with 240grit sandpaper. Please make sure to sand away all the high spots and imperfections that you see on the wall. Clean the wall with a clean rag and brush away all the dust from the wall making sure that it is free of dirt and debris.

I recommend getting the best wall roller your can afford. These rollers will often have a tag in the middle saying that it is for low sheen or matt finish.  When loading your roller with paint remember to use the top part of the paint tray, rolling it on the textured surface of the paint tray will remove any excess paint that is on the roller.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to paint a room

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

jacquif · Answer

Hi

I have just painted the hallway. I'm not happy with it as it's left fence like appearance and I have a large bump in the build. I used low sheen it's a bright hallway so any it shows any inperfections. Could I use flat paint in this area

Thanks Jacqui