Roller grid paint bucket, Digi Mart USA News: Painting a home is often less time-consuming than the preparation and cleanup that surround it. One way to reduce cleanup, according to a House Digest article, is to skip the paint tray and use a roller grid clipped to the rim of a paint bucket.
A roller grid gives you a surface to remove excess paint from your roller. Because no paint has to be poured out of the bucket, less paint is wasted.
When you finish for the day, you remove the grid and replace the lid to keep the remaining paint from drying out.
Roller grids are most commonly sold for 5-gallon buckets and are typically about 9 inches wide, while 4-inch and 6-inch versions are available for 1- or 2-gallon buckets with smaller rollers. The article says grids generally cost between $3 and $5 and can be reused for several projects.
To use the grid, slightly dip the roller into the paint, then work it against the grid to spread the paint evenly and remove the excess. The article advises avoiding full submersion of the roller to limit drips, applying pressure only in a downward motion to prevent splatters, and wiping up spills right away with a clean cloth.
After the job, the grid can be left to dry and stored if it is not heavily clogged, or washed along with roller covers and brushes. The article notes that a durable grid can be reused rather than thrown away.
