Ever wonder what makes up a product? What exactly does a company do when developing a product line? Or, how they go about getting results? For example, the testing that’s involved, the measurements, and the metrics?
On a typical day at my job, I get to focus on these very tasks. I conduct two tests for our mini rollers and regular sized rollers: The Efficiency test will tell you how much paint a roller can hold and a Lint test shows how much lint will inevitably appear on your wall. The reason we do this is to make sure the company stays competitive with our competitors.
The interesting thing that a consumer may or may not have noticed is the amount of lint that gets stuck to your wall while painting. Ideally, you want a wall that shows limited to no lint because you want a wall that’s aesthetically pleasing, right? And this is where your quality levels may differ. The example I’m going to use is the levels I personally get to work with: Economy, Good, Better, Best and Premium.
Starting with an “Economy” roller. This is going to be your cheapest option and will also shed the most lint. We’re looking at 220 pieces of lint and potentially higher. However, if it’s made of a knit fabric, it’s going to hold more paint than a roller that is made with a woven fabric or another material.
The “Good” level rollers are around the same as the “Economy” rollers so ultimately, if you had to pick between the two…you’re probably better off going with the cheaper version. It’s not going to make that much of a difference.
The “Better” level rollers are, as the title says, “Better”. You’re going to be looking at a product that sheds around 150 pieces of lint.
The “Best” roller is going to give a very nice finish with around 70 pieces of lint.
The “Premium” Roller is going to be your top rank roller. This is the roller you choose if you don’t want to see lint on your wall and generally if the product says “Lint-Free“, it’s practically going to be that unless you travel with a microscope.
Why does this matter? When it comes to the quality of your roller and what you’re looking for when painting your walls, this guide is going to help you in the decision process. Then, you have the additional choices of different materials such as knit, woven, microfiber and many more options that will be available to you in the marketplace. These choices are going to alter how many times you’re going to be dipping your roller back into the paint tray. Material is very important because certain materials offer different benefits.
Samantha Joyce Boneck 