DIY Life

Most walls can benefit from a fresh coat of paint every few years. This is one project where you can make more work for yourself if you don't do your homework. Try these tips to paint like a pro!

• Use a 5 gallon bucket rather than a roller tray. There's less chance of spilling or putting your foot in it. It also allows you to mix more than one gallon together for larger jobs, guaranteeing an overall identical shade. Hang a roller screen in the bucket. They're cheap.
  
• Use the edge of a screwdriver blade to scrape off a tiny path of ceiling texture at the ceiling/wall junction. This will give you a crisp line when you cut in the top of the wall or the edge of the ceiling.
• Sanding chair rail or crown molding? Use sanding sponges rather than sandpaper. Conform to the curve!
• When you're rolling paint, be sure to hold the pole so that the open side of the roller (not the side where the handle connects to the roller) is, on the wet paint side of the wall. This will minimize "roller marks" and can cut your labor by 30%!
• Make sure to use high-quality blue painter's tape, not masking tape. Or, you'll be sorry.
• Wear safety glasses when rolling the ceiling. Splatter happens.
• When buying white paint for the ceiling, seek out the special paint that contains a disappearing dye. This will prevent missing a spot which you only notice after the paint has dried. Who wants to drag out the painting gear all over again?
  

Using these tip will make your painting experience less painful and more enjoyable. And faster!

It seems that everything in our house needs a fresh coat of paint right now. The doors, the windowsills, the millwork. Add to that my fetish for buying unfinished furniture and there is a lot of painting to do this spring.

I learned a trick while chatting with a woman in the paint aisle of my local Home Depot several years ago. She told me that her husband uses the mini trim paint rollers instead of a brush, for everything. I was skeptical, but I needed to repaint a corner hutch in my dining room, so I bought one and decided to give it a try.

I wish I had gotten the woman's name and address so I could have sent a bouquet of thank-you flowers. Not only does the roller save a ton of time, but it also makes a much smoother finish. You don't have the stray bristles to worry about, and rather than washing the brush or switching brushes between coats, if the roller dries out, just toss it and pop on a new one.

If you have a piece or some trim with a lot of detailing, you will still need a brush for those parts, but the roller works almost everywhere.

Easy, affordable, and time-saving with good results. The little sucker even comes with its own mini paint tray. Is there anything more you could ask for in a painting tool?