Getting ready to paint a wall? Learn how to paint a wall, trim and ceilings. Don’t skip the prep work: A properly primed surface makes all the difference.
What You Need
cellulose sponge
dishwashing liquid
painter’s tape
primer
paint
paint tray
paint roller
two-inch angled paintbrush
ladder
Step 1. Clean walls
Remove dust, dirt, and grease spots (which can ruin a smooth finish) with water, a little mild dishwashing detergent, and a cellulose sponge. Rinse walls with clean water to remove the soap residue.
Step 2. Tape the trim
Use blue painter’s tape (not masking tape) to protect any areas you don’t want your paint to get on, such as trim, molding, doorknobs, window frames, and door frames: Run long strips of the 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.)
Step 3. Pour primer into a tray
Pour in enough 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.
Step 4. 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.
Step 5. Tip: Follow the manufacturer’s drying instructions, which you’ll find on the can, to make sure the primer is completely dry before applying paint.
Step 7. Roll on paint in a “w” shape
Fill a paint tray with paint; dip your roller into it, removing 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.
Step 8. Remove the painter’s tape
Peel off the tape while the paint is still wet to avoid accidentally removing any dried paint along with it.
How to decor 