Use proper technique to paint rooms like the pros
Adopting the proper room painting technique can save you from a second coat.
Posted — UpdatedFollowing the cold winter months, many people take to cleaning out their houses when spring rolls around.
Paint a strip of wall a couple inches wide around any parts where the roller can't reach, such as the trim, ceiling or corners. You can use a brush like the pros, or try an edger, which costs about $3. To avoid drips, use the roller to apply paint instead of dipping the edger.
When it's time to cover the walls, remember the four S's.
"You saturate the roller. Then you smear the paint on the wall, you spread it out, and then finally you just smooth it over to get a nice finish," said Consumer Reports's Rico De Paz.
A common mistake is not getting enough paint on the roller. De Paz says paint should be almost dripping off
"If you don't do that you're going to have to put on a second coat," De Paz said.
Start in a small section using an X or V pattern, then spread the paint to cover the entire area and eventually the wall.
To save time and money use a paint and primer in one, such as Behr Premium Plus Ultra, which can be found at Home Depot for $36 per can.
Lowe's sells Valspar Reserve for $44 per gallon, and it performed will in Consumer Reports' tests.
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