Anchor the Tape and Roll: A Steadier Way to De-Lint a New Roller

The Problem

Spending more on a premium roller cover doesn't exempt you from lint — a wallpaper-and-painting pro opens a top-shelf half-inch-nap cover on camera and pulls a visible crop of loose fibers off it. New covers shed, whatever they cost, and whatever sheds ends up in the wall.

The Technique

His version of the tape pass:

1. Stick a length of tape — any tape — to something fixed and stationary, sticky side out.
2. Hold the roller on its frame and roll the cover up and down the tape, covering the full nap.
3. Look at the tape: the fibers stuck to it are the ones that were headed for your paint.

Anchoring the tape instead of holding it is a different technique with the same outcome — use whichever is more comfortable for you.