I bought some satin finish paint for my walls (Sherwin Super Paint) (for the color I wanted, my only other choice was flat, and I didn't want a flat finish). The problem is that because I used a roller for the big surfaces, and a paint brush for the edge work around casings, it's very easy to notice the sheen difference when the light catches the wall at certain angles.
I thought I had feathered out the paint sufficiently, but that seems to have made it worse. I did the edge work with the brush after the roller work had dried.
What technique should I use to ensure I end up with an even sheen on the wall, even right up to the casing?
Best Answer
Putting on paint with a roller adds a texture to the paint as you may have noticed. This is controllable to some extent by the choice of roller used.
Cutting in around windows and ceiling corners almost always wants to be done before doing the roller work. (The professional painters I have seen painting at the place I work always do it that way too). After the cut in painting has dried then you do the roller work and allow the roller to come up as close to the corners as you can without getting too close. This allows the roller texture to cover over the cut in painting.
Using a pad painter or foam brush as recommended in another answer here has good merit toward reducing the brush marks. However a brush, especially one with a beveled angle edge, gives a lot more control over the painting in corners and along ceilings than you can get with a typical foam brush. I have found that planning for multiple coats of the cut in painting and the putting on each coat in a light manner will greatly reduce brush marks as opposed to getting over exuberant with the paint.