Last Updated on June 1, 2025 by Stewart
When it comes to painting an interior wall, it’s not simply the case of getting a tin of paint and haphazardly applying it to the wall.
Instead, there is a set pattern that you should follow to ensure that you get an amazing finish, each an every time you paint your wall.
Getting your equipment ready
There are quite a few bits of equipment you’ll need before you get started. I strongly recommend that you use all of these. This is what I have done time and again, and I’ve always had an excellent finish.
- Masking tape/painters tape- Having a high quality masking tape will allow you to tape off areas where you don’t want any paint to be. By opting for a quality brand, such as Scotch tape, you’re guaranteed that there will not be any paint seepage. Likewise, it’ll also make it extremely easy to remove the tape, and not cause damage to the finish.
- Drop cloths/sheets- These are a must when it comes to protecting your floors. They are relatively inexpensive, reusable and they will stop paint from getting on the flooring. Should you not use this, you run the risk of having to clear up paint from your carpet, which could be very costly.
- Sugar soap solution- A sugar soap solution is another must have item. It is used to clean the walls and make them ready for the painting process. This is a step that shouldn’t be missed, as otherwise you could end up with dust and debris being pushed around the wall and permanently be embedded into the paint work.
- Paint brush- If you decided to paint your wall with a brush, you’d be there for quite some time, so it isn’t advisable. However, a paint brush is something that you’ll need when it comes to cutting in (more on this below). These are relatively inexpensive but a must to ensure you get a uniform and perfect finish.
- Paint roller- These come in various sizes, and ideally you’ll have a selection of these depending on how intricate your walls are. Personally, I’m a big fan of using an extension pole when it comes to painting walls. It saves me having to get up and down on a ladder, and I feel that it gives a uniform finish as well. You can also get paint rollers that have the paint preloaded into the handle, instead of dipping into a tray
- Paint tray – If you opt to use a normal extension pole on the paint roller, a paint tray is a must to allow you to follow coat your roller, as opposed to dipping it into a tin of paint.
- Paint of your choice- This might seem obvious, but you need a high quality paint for this job. The reason for this is that not only will it be easier to apply, but it’ll also look better. Painting is quite a lengthy process, so why jeopardise it by using a poor quality paint?
Starting the process
Now that you have all of the equipment for painting, it’s now time to get going. These are all steps that you need to follow to get the best possible finish from your work.
Moving as much as possible out of the way
When I’m painting a room, I like to remove as much as I can from the room. When this isn’t possible, I will instead move it to the far side of the wall that is being painted, as well as covering it with a drop sheet.
This is to ensure that any potential spray from the roller won’t land on the furniture. By moving the furniture, it also gives you a comfortable space to move around in.
Protecting the flooring
As mentioned above, you want to make sure that the floor is fully protected from the paint. When I use a drop sheet, I like to push it deep into the skirting boards, before tacking it to then with a small amount of masking tape.
This ensures that as you move back and forth on the drop sheet, the movement won’t pull it away from the skirting, which would otherwise leave a gap and the potential for paint staining. Likewise, when it comes to cleaning the walls (discussed below) the dropsheet also protects the carpet from the cleaning solution will be using.
Cleaning the walls
As mentioned above, cleaning the walls is a must. The sugar soap solution that you have chosen will give you the correct volume of water you need to add to it for the solution to work, as well as how many times you should do this and also drying times.
Take you time when doing this to ensure that you get everything as clean as possible. Any dirt of debris on it can and will show up as a blemish on the paint layer and looks really unsightly.
You should also ensure that the doors are perfectly dry before applying the paint.
Masking off sensitive areas
Now that all of the walls that you want to paint are perfectly clean and dry, we’re at the point that we can carry out a little bit of extra protection. Using your masking tape/painters tape, cover up any sensitive areas, such as light switches, sockets and any wood work, such as skirting boards, that you don’t want paint on.
Personally, I’m a big fan of Scotch Tape blue masking tape. I’ve been using this for years and I’ve never had any paint bleed under the paint and onto other surfaces.
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Whilst it does take a bit of time to mask up all of these surfaces, it’s a lot less time in the long run as opposed to having to remove excess paint from surfaces it shouldn’t be on.
Cutting in
So now we’re at the point that we can start applying paint to the wall! The first step to this is to cut in the paint. This means that you go into the edges of the wall. Basically, you use a paint brush to paint a border around the wall you’re going to paint. The reason for this is that when you start to use the roller on the wall, it won’t be able to get into these areas. In particular, it won’t be able to get right into the corners where the wall meets the ceiling.
By cutting in using a brush, you can ensure that the wall is fully covered and painted properly. When doing this, you really should be using a high quality brush to that the finish is as smooth as possible.
Using a roller to paint the wall
Now that the edges of the wall have been painted by cutting in, you’re now at the point that you can paint the rest of the wall.
Make sure that before putting the paint into your tray that it has been properly mixed. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but by doing so, it’ll give a much better finish. Pour enough of the paint into the tray so that you don’t need to continuously top this up and apply the roller to it.
Also, if you choose to have a roller that has a reservoir included in it (negating the need for a tray), make sure that this is filled to capacity so that you can work more efficiently.
- For water based interior paints, such as emulsion, latex and acrylic paints
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If you’re using a paint tray with your roller, after you have loaded up the roller sleeve, push against the groves on the tray to remove any excess that may cause an uneven finish. It’s really important to get a high quality roller for this task, as a poor one will result in a substandard finish.
After this, it’s the simple case of applying the roller to the wall. There are a few ways you can do this to ensure proper coverage. Personally, I like to go straight up and down, and then slightly off to the side. If you imagine that there is the clock face on the wall, you start at 12, move down to 6, then back up to 2 and then down to 8. This works really well in covering the whole wall, but it’s really up to you on how you apply it.
Laying off the paint
One crucial thing you need to do though is lay off the paint after the wall has been painted. This involves taking the roller that hasn’t been loaded up again and take it straight down.
Take the roller, with the perfectly flat side (the other side will have the silver piece of the roller sticking out) and roll this down the wall in a straight line. Do this across the whole section of the wall that has been painted.
Laying off removes the excess residue from the wall, as well as smoothing out any imperfections that may have been present during the initial painting stage.
This is a relatively short final step, but certainly a worthwhile one.
Once you’re finished this, it’s time to wait until the second coat can be added. Generally speaking, a second coat is always needed. The recoatable time (time before you can add an additional layer) is different from the touch dry time. This is also dependent on the paint that you’re using, as well as the colour. However, this information will be included on the back of the paint tin.
After the additional coats have been added, you’re able to clean up and admire your handy work. Good luck on this, and enjoy painting your own walls. Not only will you save money doing it yourself, but it’s actually a pretty enjoyable process as well.