Big box stores like Home Depot sell tools for applying latex house paint. Wetlander is not paint; it is a high-grade industrial coating. Cheap painting tools are not going to work very well for you. After much testing, we have found the very best tools for applying Wetlander.
Roller: The size of the roller, the nap density, and the nap material, are three very important components to a successful Wetlander application.
- Size: Our rollers are not too big, not too small. They are 4.5 inches long. 4.5 inch in this nap cannot be purchased retail. Most retail rollers and roller assemblies are either 3 inch or 9 inch. 4.5 inch is best for most boat applications.
- Nap density/length: ⅜ inch length and medium density nap is best for uniform layout and consistent thickness of coating.
- Nap material: Most smaller size rollers are either white woven fabric or foam. With white wovens, the weave is too tight. It soaks up a lot of material but lays out less, and in an inconsistent manner. It can also shed it’s fabric into the coating. Foam leaves air bubbles, resulting in a pimpled complexion once dry. Our rollers are made from a polyester blend that simply works the best. The size and nap is customized for best results with a Wetlander application.
Roller assembly: With Wetlander being a silicone-based coating, (which means ‘slippery’), basic paint rollers can slide off the roller handle, or they have trouble spinning. We have found the roller and assembly that works best and it is in the Application Kit.
Tape: Tape is one of the most important, but often overlooked, material choices to the quality of a successful coating application. When tape fails, it fails by tearing into annoying little slivers that take hours to remove. They also fail by allowing coating to seep under the edges and ruin your line. Some even rip when you try and remove it from the roll. After testing dozens of different brands of blue painter’s tape rolls from hardware stores, big box retailers and internet suppliers, we have found two that work best with Wetlander: Frog Tape and our tape. We provide you with the highest quality easy-release painters tape, that you cannot get at retail.
Our gloves are 5 mil latex, and sandpaper is high quality aluminum oxide.
If you went to a big box store and purchased similar high quality items, it would easily cost you 21-$26. Save yourself the time and trip to the store, and get the best suited application gear we use here at Wetlander, for $25, delivered directly to your door.