How to Paint Walls in 13 Easy Steps

Painting a room is an easy home improvement project that can change your entire living space. Here are the basic items homeowners will need for wall painting an entire room in your house.

• Paint supplies: In addition to a few gallons of your chosen color of paint (about one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet), you will need a paint mixing stick and a paint tray to pour your paint into so that you can properly coat your paint rollers.
• Paint rollers and brushes: You’ll need a few paint rollers and extension poles so that you can reach the tops of your walls and your ceiling. You’ll also need paint brushes or angled brushes for any touch-ups around your moldings.
• Dropcloth and painter’s tape: Make sure that you have a few pieces of drop cloth or painter’s paper on hand to protect your floor from any splattering paint. You’ll also need painter’s tape or masking tape to protect your moldings, door casings, and outlet covers. Have a few rags on hand just in case you need to scrub away any stray paint splatters.
• Priming tools: You’ll need spackle or putty, a scraper, and fine-grit sandpaper to fill any dents in your wall. You’ll also need a gallon or two of paint primer and some fine-grit sandpaper.

Follow these simple steps to paint your own home.

1. 1. Clear your space. Begin by clearing your workspace of all moveable furniture and wall hangings. If there are any large pieces of furniture that are difficult to move (such as a piano) you can cover them with a drop sheet. If you don’t have the outdoor space to store all your furniture, simply move everything to the middle of the room, away from the walls.
2. 2. Open your windows. Paint fumes can be very unpleasant and irritating during any interior painting project, so you want to make sure that your workspace is well-ventilated. Open your windows to let some fresh air in. Set up a couple of fans to help airflow and make your paint dry quicker.
3. 3. Inspect your walls. Check your walls for any large holes or dents. Use spackle or putty to fill these holes and scrape away any extra spackle with your putty knife to create a flat surface. Once the putty is dry, sand it down with your sandpaper to create a smoother surface. Once your walls are clear of holes or other marks, use a rag and some warm water to wash them off. Allow everything to dry before you start to paint.
4. 4. Lay your drop sheets. Cover the whole floor of the room in drop cloths or painter's paper to prevent paint drips from getting on the floor. Use painter's tape to keep the drop cloths or painter's paper in place if you notice them sliding around.
5. 5. Line any wall fixtures with tape. Use painter's tape to line the edges of any wall fixtures you don't want to get paint on. These may include light switches, wall sconces and lights, moldings, door casings, and baseboards. You can also buy specialty outlet covers for wall outlets.
6. 6. Prime the ceiling. If you are painting your ceiling, use your paint rollers with extension poles to apply a coat of primer to the ceiling. Use the roller in a consistent direction across the ceiling. Use an angled paintbrush to get into the edges and corners of the ceiling.
7. 7. Prime the walls. Use paint rollers with extension poles (depending on the height of your ceilings) to paint your walls with primer. This is especially important if you're painting directly onto drywall. First, dip the roller in the flatbed of the paint tray to evenly cover the roller with primer. Don't use too much paint at once. Use the rollers in an up-and-down direction, making sure to go over any streaks or lines for even coverage. Use an angled paintbrush to get into the edges and corners of the wall.
8. 8. Sand the primer. Use fine-grain sandpaper to sand down the primer on the walls and ceiling for a smooth surface.
9. 9. Mix your paint. When you open up a new paint can, you will want to mix it thoroughly before you use it to make sure your paint is even. Use your paint mixing stick to mix the paint well before tipping some paint into your paint tray.
10. 10. Paint your ceiling. As you did when you were priming the ceiling, use your paint roller and extension poles to give your ceiling its first coat of paint. Make sure not to paint directly over your head so that paint doesn’t drip down onto you. Let the paint dry completely.
11. 11. Paint your walls. Now it is time to give your walls their first coat of paint. As you did with the primer, paint your walls with your roller in an up-and-down motion, covering over any lines or streaks for even coverage. Use a paintbrush to get into the corners and to go around any wall fixtures. Let this first coat of paint dry completely.
12. 12. Apply a second coat. Painting dark walls a solid and even color will require you to give your walls at least two coats of paint. Follow the same technique that you used to apply your first coat of paint. It can be harder to keep track of which parts of the wall have already been painted with the second coat, so paint in a systematic order to ensure that you cover every square inch of wall. Allow this second coat to dry.
13. 13. Clean up the space. Once you've finished with your paint job, it is time to clean up. Take your paintbrushes, rollers, and trays to a sink and thoroughly wash them. Clean any excess paint off of the paintbrush bristles, otherwise, they will harden and your brushes will be ruined. Gently remove all painter's tape you used to protect any fixtures and edges. Remove the drop cloths from the floor.

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