How to Paint a Wall

When I became a homeowner at the age of twenty five I had no home improvement skills whatsoever. I wanted to paint the interior of our house and my mom said she would come over and help me. Eager to get started, I began rolling on the paint before she arrived. When she got there she asked if I had prepped the wall. Prep the wall? I thought you just started painting.

If you’re like I was back then in that you think you just start slapping paint on the wall, you could use some instructions on how to paint a wall.

1. Gather your materials. You will need spackling and a putty knife (a butter knife works fine for small nail holes), a piece of sandpaper, a drop cloth, a two inch paint brush, rollers and a rolling pan.

2. Fill in nail holes. Take your spackling and carefully fill in nail holes and any small cracks. Smooth out the spackling as much as possible with the putty knife. Once the spackling is dry, lightly sand it smooth.

3. Clean the wall. Take a dry rag and wipe down the wall, making sure to reach in the high corners for dust and cob webs. If you’re painting the kitchen then the walls made need to be washed with soap and water.

4. Cover Trim. You may want to cover your trim with painter’s tape if you don’t think you can cleanly paint next to it. If you have a steady hand and take your time it’s pretty easy to paint along the trim. Keep a rag handy to wipe away any mistakes.

5. Edge the walls. Lay down your drop cloth to catch any drips or spills. Edge the entire room with your new color using the two inch brush. Let dry and see if it needs a second coat.

6. Paint with roller. Now you can begin rolling on the paint. Good, thick rollers will hold more paint and make the job easier. Roll in different directions over the same area to make sure the wall is well covered.

Now you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor! A job well done.