Canadian painters almost always use pans/trays to roll from. I asked my buddy who manages a big Canadian Benjamin Moore store why this is. He did not know!
It’s because a Canadian roller frame and cover are not 9 inches. They are metric and come to about 9.5 inches. That size is a tiny bit too long to go to the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. So they use pans.
I tried to keep this secret to myself all those years, but now I’m heading into retirement and I’m letting the cat out of the bag. Oh, the cat couldn’t breathe in there? Ooops.
One solution: for Canadian painters–Use US sizes. Order only 9-inch frame and roller covers (these are our favorites as the last and last). Check that it is not more than 9 and also pick up the screen and bucket. Let’s roll. They may or may not have the American size in the .ca store, so check closely what you are getting.
Second solution: order a larger bucket. If you read the above, skip this, but a regular 5-gallon bucket from paint, drywall mud empties, or very inexpensive to order at Uline, will not work for a 9.5″ Canadian roller. Wierd huh?
