Painting a Room Like a Professional

Remove furniture or move it to the centre and cover with drop cloths. Remove switch plates, outlet covers, and light fittings. Lay canvas drop sheets on the floor — they grip better than plastic and absorb splashes.

Fill nail holes and cracks with lightweight filler. Sand flush when dry. For larger cracks or damaged plasterboard seams, apply two coats of joint compound, feathering each pass wider than the last.

Grease and grime prevent paint adhesion — wipe walls with a sugar-soap solution before painting. Apply primer to bare patches, repaired spots, and any dark or glossy surfaces you're painting over.

Apply painter's tape along skirting boards, window frames, door architraves, and the ceiling-wall junction (if painting walls only). Press the tape edge firmly to prevent bleed-through.

Use a quality 65 mm angled sash brush to paint a 75–100 mm band along all edges, corners, and areas the roller can't reach. Cutting in first means your roller coat can overlap without worrying about edges.

Load a 9-inch roller with a medium-nap sleeve. Apply paint in a W or M pattern and then fill without lifting the roller to avoid stipple marks. Maintain a wet edge at all times.

Once the first coat is dry, apply a second coat using the same cut-in then roll technique. Remove tape while the final coat is still slightly tacky for the cleanest edge. Clean brushes and rollers promptly.