Step by step guide: how to paint a wall. 

  • Clear the area of any furniture to give yourself ample working space.
  • Lay down a protective sheet and clean your walls with sugar soap. You may be tempted to skip this step, however a clean surface is your best insurance against a ruined paint job.
  • Mask your trim for cutting-in. Cutting-in is a technique whereby you paint with a brush or application pad, the areas that can’t be reached with a roller. 
  • Load your brush by dipping it into the paint roughly half the length of the bristles. Tap the brush on the side of the paint pot to remove the excess. Start brushing a few centimeters from the corner or edge. As you move the brush, you will establish the line of the edge of the paint. Drag the brush in to the edge so that the line on the paint follows the edging.

Tip: One of the most important tips when cutting-in is to not paint too far ahead. You’ll need to maintain a wet edge so your roller can blend into the brushed paint. If your cut-in paint dries you’ll end up with two coats and what’s called ‘picture framing’ where you can see a distinction between the cut-in and rolled sections.

  • Now you’re ready to roll out the wall. To load your roller push it forward on the tray then lift it to see if it spins evenly. If your roller is unbalanced, it’s because the paint isn’t evenly applied, so continue rolling it over the tray with full rotations to spread the paint evenly.
  • Start from where you cut in and roll across the wall. For best results, roll as far into the brushed area as possible.

Tip: Paint in a ‘W’ motion. This will ensure an even distribution across your wall. 

  • After you have covered a section of the wall, it’s time to lay-off to get a smooth finish. This is arguably the most important step in rolling a wall and should be done when you’ve painted a section roughly 3-4 meters. Laying-off your wall means giving it a smooth consistent finish and hiding those streaky brush strokes. Simply place your unloaded roller at the top left corner of your wall. Ensure the handle side of your roller is to the right. Then with almost zero pressure roll straight down your wall until you reach the bottom. Remove your roller, return to the top, and slightly overlap where you just rolled so that each panel rubs away the line from the previous lay-off.
  • And you’re done! 

    Congrats! A job well done. Be sure to take a picture and tag us on social media. If you have any questions or need any advice, please feel free to get in touch and we will happily assist.