Painting with sheen paints requires a little different application method than painting with flat paint. The first thing you need to address is the length of the roller nap.
Roller Nap
With sheen paints you want to use a shorter nap length in order to get a more uniform sheen in the finish paint. I use a 3/8" nap or at most a 1/2" nap woven cover for
sheen paints.
Prepare the cover
Use a good roller cover (don't use the bargain covers - they will perpetually shed) and prepare it before using it. Wrap the cover with masking tape to remove loose fibers and pull the tape off. Do this two or three times, then follow up with a vacuuming. This should eliminate any fiber shedding that will show up in a sheen finish.
Cut in as you roll
Sheen paints should be cut in as you roll to avoid drying of the cut in brushed "bands" before you roll. You do this by cutting in 4 feet or so, then rolling that section and proceeding down the wall in that manner. With sheen paints if you cut the whole wall in and let it dry before rolling you will get what is known as "picture framing" where the sheen is higher at the cut in banding at the ceiling and base board (and end of walls). With sheen paints, where you overlap and double the thickness of the paint, the sheen will be higher.
Double rolling or double coating
With sheen paints you need to be concerned about sheen uniformity. The roller will leave high and low stipple. The high stipple will look shinier than the low stipple. The reason you use a short nap roller is to minimize the stipple highs and lows. Another way to even out the stipple is to "double roll" or to double coat. The highs and lows of two coats will tend to even out the overall film thickness and give you a more uniform sheen.
This "picture framing" will not be noticeable in some rooms, it depends on the lighting and the viewing angle. So you can get away with cutting in- in total, before rolling in some situations with a sheen paint - depending on the lighting and viewing angle. Picture framing is more noticeable with darker paints and clean colors than with whites, off whites and pastels, because you will also have better hide on the dried bands as well as a sheen difference on the overlapped bands
Painting With Sheen Paints
Using Satin and Semi-Gloss Wall Paints
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