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Rollers.

Rollers are a common way of applying paint, paste, wallpaper and special applications and finishes.
Paint rollers come in a wide variety of sizes and types of covering.
Wallpaper rollers comprise of seam rollers, felt rollers and paste application rollers.

Here are the more common rollers and roller-sleeves you are likely to encounter:-

Radiator (rad) roller.

Usually a small roller (3 to 4 inches wide) with a long wire handle, used to getting behind radiators, pipes and into awkward places. Normally the sleeve (head) is sheepskin or something similar but it can be anything which will carry and dispense paint.

Felt roller.

This is normally about 9 inches wide, and covered in felt or a lint-free cloth. Used to apply wallcoverings which can be easily smudged or damaged in contact with the hands.

Seam roller.

A small short handled roller with a wooden or plastic head about 2 inches wide. Very high quality ones have stainless steel heads. Used to smooth down the butt joins in wallpaper lengths.

Sheepskin roller.

This is normally a larger size roller, 9, 12 or 15 inches wide used to apply emulsion and latex paints to large areas such as walls. Sheepskin (and lambswool) sleeves hold paint better and are easier to wash out than synthetic varieties.

Mohair roller.

This type of roller has a very short nap (short-haired) and is used with oil paints. It holds only a slight amount of paint and is not suitable for emulsions/latex.

Sponge roller.

The cheapest type of roller and it comes in all sizes. A do-it-yourself tool, not normally used by professionals. Yet it has its professional uses; on flush doors and flat even surfaces it will produce a mirror-like gloss without the need of a paint brush.

Synthetic rollers

Most types of rollers are imitated synthetically, as this ensures a more affordable product for the majority of users. The biggest differences in price is noticed on the larger sizes of sheepskin, lambswool and mohair.