What is the term used for the thickness of a roller cover?

• A. Pile
• B. Density
• C. Nap
• D. Stretch

Answer: (C)

Nap is the term that describes the thickness of a roller cover—the length of the fibers protruding from the roller core. This fiber length, or nap, determines how much paint the roller can hold and how smoothly it lays color on a surface. Shorter naps give a very smooth finish on flat, smooth surfaces, while longer naps hold more paint and are better for rough or textured surfaces. Pile is a related idea sometimes used to describe fiber length, but nap is the standard term for thickness. Density refers to how many fibers there are per inch (not their length), and stretch isn’t a term used to describe roller thickness.