Home Home Improvement Painting How to Paint a Wall Like a Pro Getting ready to paint your walls? Hint: A properly primed surface makes all the difference. By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 25, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Patryk Kosmider/Getty Images Painting the walls in your home is one of those DIY projects that most homeowners can tackle, and it'll cost far less than hiring pros to do it. Plus, there are so many great paint brand options to choose from, giving your walls a refresh is easy. But you'll want to study up a bit before you take on this project. Using proper painting techniques—and the right painting tools—will give you a professional finish. You'll see that our steps start with getting the wall ready. It may be tempting to skip ahead to the painting part, but prepping the wall appropriately is essential for getting professional-looking results. So gather your supplies...it's time to make your wall look brand new! What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Paint roller 2-inch angled paintbrush Extension pole Ladder Materials Cellulose sponge Dishwashing liquid Painter's tape Primer Paint Paint tray Instructions How to Paint a Wall Clean the Walls Use a broom to clear out hard-to-reach dust and cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling.Vacuum baseboards and window sills with a hand-held vacuum or bristle attachment. Then run a wet cloth over these areas.Using a large cellulose sponge and a solution of water mixed with a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid, clean the walls to remove any dust, dirt, and grease.Wipe down the walls with a damp cloth to remove soap residue. Tape the Trim Use blue painter's tape (not masking tape) to protect areas you don't want your paint to get on, such as trim, molding, doorknobs, window frames, and door frames. Run long strips of tape just inside the outer edges of these areas. (The outer edges of the tape should lie exactly where the wall meets the trim, covering the parts of the trim that your roller or paintbrush might hit when you paint.) Pour Primer in a Tray If you're using tarps for the floor, set them out now.Line the paint tray with a plastic liner or tin foil to make cleanup easier later.Pour in enough paint so that it almost fills the well toward the bottom of the tray without covering the angled portion of the tray where the ridges are. Brush the Corners Start with the corners—the areas the roller won't reach. Using a 2-inch angled paintbrush, dip the bristles into the paint about a third of the way. Gently slap the insides of the can to remove excess paint. Brush on paint around the trim and in the corners of the walls with the brush. Extend out 2 to 3 inches from windows, doors, and moldings. Roll the Primer Onto the Wall Dip your roller into the primer, rolling it back and forth across the tray's ridges a few times to remove any excess and prevent drips. Make sure the roller gets evenly coated.Run the roller up and down a section of the wall, applying primer until the section is fully covered. Continue until your wall is fully covered, reapplying primer to the roller as needed.Follow the manufacturer's drying instructions, which you'll find on the can, to make sure the primer is completely dry before applying paint. Roll on Paint in a "W" Shape Fill a paint tray with paint and dip your roller into it, removing the excess. Roll the paint onto the wall in a 3-by-3-foot "W" shape. Working your way back across that "w" without lifting the roller, fill in empty patches until that section of wall is fully covered. Continue, adding more paint to the roller as needed, until the whole wall is painted. Consider using an extension pole (one of the common techniques used by pro painters), even on the walls, to make it easier to refill your paint roller and cover your wall more quickly. Know When Your Paint Is Dry Different kinds of paint dry at different speeds—and they'll feel dry to the touch before they're ready for you to lay on an extra coat. A latex-based paint will feel dry to the touch in about an hour, and be ready for a second coat in four hours. An oil-based paint takes six hours to feel dry, and you should wait a day to apply a second coat. Remove the Painter's Tape Peel off the tape while the paint is still wet (ideally about an hour after you've finished painting) to avoid accidentally removing any dried paint along with it. Leaving the painter's tape on too long is one of the most common painting mistakes people make. How to Paint an Accent Wall