Why Do Painters Leave Rollers In Paint Cans?

If you have recently hired a painter to spruce up your home then you may have observed some of his or her techniques and the way that they work. Something that a lot of homeowners notice is that the painter may leave a roller in a can of paint. This might be done halfway through a job when the painter is going to return the following day or in paint that has been left behind for touch ups. But why do painters leave rollers in paint cans?

There are two main reasons that a painter might leave a roller in a paint can. Part way through the job, they’ll leave it in the paint to keep it from drying out. Some painters might also leave it in the can and leave it behind for the homeowners when they need to touch up. However, this isn’t considered to be good practice.

In this guide, we will be explaining the reasons that a painter would leave a roller in a paint can and giving you some tips on how to correctly store your painting tools between uses. 

Leaving A Roller In A Paint Can Partway Through The Job

Depending on the size of the project you’re having, your painter could be in your home for a number of days. If he or she heads home for the day but will need to pick up where they left off then they’ll need to make sure their tools are ready to go the following day.

The problem is that leaving a roller exposed to air and warmth could see it drying out very quickly. This is one of the main reasons that a painter might leave the roller sleeve in the can of paint. Suspending it here will ensure that it does not dry out and can be quickly and easily refitted to the handle the next day, albeit messily. 

Not only does this ensure that the roller doesn’t go dry but it also saves time at the end of the day because there is no need to wash the roller. It can simply be reused; provided, of course, that the same paint will be used next time. 

Leaving A Roller In A Paint Can When The Job Is Done

When your painter has finished working in your home, they will typically leave the paint behind. This is so that you can touch up the work should it chip or become damaged over time. However, there are some painters who will leave the roller sleeve inside this paint. 

This is not something that the best painters would recommend as it can make things difficult for the client. Moreover, there are issues associated with leaving a roller in the paint can. 

Problems With Leaving A Roller In The Paint Can

One of the most obvious issues with leaving the roller sleeve inside a can of paint is that when it comes to putting the roller back onto the frame, it’s going to be quite messy as it’ll be dripping with paint. 

Much more importantly than this is that the roller could contaminate the paint. As you roll it across the walls, the roller will pick up things like dust, fine particles, hair and anything else that might be in the environment. Even if you’ve meticulously prepped the wall beforehand, there’s always going to be dust flying around. 

Leaving the roller in the can will transfer these foreign objects into the paint and potentially affect its quality. 

When a painter is finished with the job, you would expect them to clean their roller sleeves and dispose of them safely. If they’re going to put them into your bin, they would usually ask permission out of courtesy. 

How To Correctly Store A Roller

If you need to store rollers between painting sessions but don’t want to wash them out, then there are other ways to store them which might be less messy. For example, many people wrap the roller in cling film or some other waterproof, airtight material. 

There are also paint brush and roller covers available and while they are an added expense, they’re usually worth it for professionals who want to avoid having to replace their tools because they’ve dried out. 

This is a good method for water based paints. However, if you are working with oil based paints, it may not be as effective as these can still dry out even when they aren’t exposed to air. 

For oil based paint, you should leave your roller or brushes in water if you’re going to call it quits for the day. Make sure that you find a container large enough that you can fully submerge the roller and fill it with plenty of clean, fresh water. Then simply pop the roller inside and you’re good to go. 

The great thing about this is that the rollers and brushes will remain in a usable condition indefinitely. So if you’re a painter who is downing tools for the weekend then you’ll be able to use this and not worry about coming back to dried out brushes and rollers. 

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Conclusion

You may have noticed painters leaving their rollers in a can of paint. This is not unusual and something that a lot of people do to stop their tools from drying out between painting sessions. That said, a professional painter should not leave your can of touch up paint with anything inside it. 

There are other methods for storing rollers and paint brushes between uses such as wrapping them in clingfilm. These are usually much less messy and convenient.