Most homeowners can complete the do-it-yourself task of painting the walls of their homes, and it's far less expensive than hiring experts. Refreshing your walls has never been simpler thanks to the large selection of high-quality paint brands that are currently accessible. However, it's crucial to understand the fundamentals of the procedure before getting started. The secret to a perfect, polished finish is using the appropriate methods and equipment.

You shouldn't skip the first phase in the procedure, which is getting the walls ready. Although it could be tempting to start painting right once, excellent results depend on the wall being properly prepared. It's time to revamp your walls and give them a new, polished appearance, so get your supplies and tools ready!

Tools You'll Need:

• Paint rollers are ideal for swiftly and evenly coating large wall surfaces.
• 2-Inch Angled Paintbrush: Ideal for cutting in edges and painting corners precisely.
• Extension Pole: Attach to your roller to paint high walls or ceilings with ease.
• Ladder: Required for safely accessing elevated sites.

Materials to Have:

• Cellulose Sponge: Use this to clean your walls before painting.
• Dishwashing Liquid: Combine with water to remove dirt, grease, and grime from walls.
• Painter's tape is essential for masking off parts that you do not want to paint, such as trimmings or outlets.
• Primer provides a smooth, even base for paint and improves its adhesion.
• Paint: Select the appropriate color and finish to bring your concept to reality.
• Paint Tray: Holds paint for convenient access when using the roller.

How to Paint a Wall

Step 1: Choose Your Color

Looking at swatches in shop is enjoyable, but to choose what will look best in your room, you should take home a sample can. Paint a small section on your wall or walls and compare how it looks during the day vs. at night, in a dark corner vs. near a window. You'll want to make sure you like it just as much at 10:00 AM as you do at 3:00 PM! Win! Once you've decided on a hue, make sure to buy plenty. The basic rule of thumb is one gallon per 350-400 square feet.

Step 2: Clean the Walls

• Using a broom, remove hard-to-reach dust and cobwebs from the ceiling's corners.
• Vacuum baseboards and window sills with a hand-held vacuum or bristle attachment. Then apply a wet towel to these places.
• Clean the walls using a wide cellulose sponge and a water solution containing a few drops of mild dishwashing solutions.
• To eliminate any soap residue, wipe down the walls with a moist towel.

Step 3: Tape Trim

Protect places you don't want paint on with green painter's tape (not masking tape), such as trim, molding, doorknobs, window frames, and door frames. Place large strips of tape just inside the outer boundaries of these regions. (The tape's outside borders should be exactly where the wall meets the trim, covering any areas of the trim that your roller or paintbrush may come into contact with while painting.)

Step 4: Pour Primer into a Tray

• If you're using tarps for the floor, lay them out immediately.
• To make future cleanup easier, line the paint tray with a plastic liner or tin foil.
• Pour in enough paint to almost fill the well near the tray's bottom while leaving the angled area of the tray with the ridges exposed.

Step 5: Brush the corners

• Begin with the corners—areas that the roller cannot reach. Dip the bristles of a 2-inch angled paintbrush about one-third into the paint. To remove extra paint, gently slap the inside of the can.
• Use the brush to apply paint to the trim and corners of the walls. Extend 2-3 inches from windows, doors, and moldings.

Step 6: Roll the primer onto the wall

• Immerse your roller into the primer paint and roll it back and forth across the tray's ridges several times to remove any excess and avoid drips. Make sure the roller is evenly coated.
• Run the roller up and down an area of wall, applying primer until it is completely covered. Continue until the entire wall is coated, reapplying primer to the roller as necessary.
• Follow the manufacturer's drying recommendations, which are on the can, to ensure that the primer is totally dry before adding paint.

Step 7: Wipe on paint in a "W" shape

• Fill a paint tray with paint and dip your roller in, eliminating any excess.
• Roll the paint on the wall in a 3-by-3-foot "W" shape. Working your way back across that "w" without lifting the roller, fill in any gaps until the portion of wall is completely covered.
• Continue to add paint to the roller as needed until the entire wall is coated.
• Consider utilizing an extension pole (a popular practice among professional painters), even on the walls, to make it easier to refill your paint roller and cover your wall more rapidly.

Step 8: Remove the painters' tape

To avoid mistakenly removing any dried paint, peel off the tape while the paint is still wet (preferably approximately an hour after you complete painting). Leaving the painter's tape on for too long is one of the most typical painting blunders.

Step 9: Know When Your Paint Is Dry

Different types of paint dry at different rates, and they will feel dry to the touch before you may apply a further coat. A latex-based paint will be dry to the touch in about an hour and ready for a second coat after four hours. An oil-based paint takes six hours to feel dry, so wait a day before applying a second coat.