The Fastest Way To Paint A Wall

We all know painting a large-surface can be long and tiresome. We have a couple of tips that can make the experience easier, yet still effective. 

Tip: Painting the wall from left to right is better and easier for a right handed person. Paint the opposite way if you're a lefty.

This is our fastest way to paint a wall!

For more painting how-tos check out Family Handyman - Painting

Step 1: Start at the Bottom

Load the roller with paint and start at the bottom.

Comments

[vincent7520]

PS :
I forgot to add that readers should check Handyman's tips.
If I do not like this "fastest way" idea, they do have other tips that are pretty interesting !
Really.

Sorry it slipped out of my mind.

[vincent7520]

Frankly I don't like this method.
I'm OK with an extension handle as it gives you a better leverage on the roller thus a better control on the pressure you apply on it (ie. an equal pressure helps you to have an even thickness of paint on the wall). Otherwise you do have to paint criss-cross : it helps to spread the paint evenly. And to get the same effect you must finish you finish each zone with a vertical streak from top to bottom : therefore paint will catch light the same way all over the wall…
You can see on the picture that the wall is not fully painted : there is a large streak of mate paint on the left of the arrow on the step 5 image. On the same image you can also see how on each streak the left side of the roller spread more paint that on the right side; understandably the painter applied more pressure on the right side : the left side of almost each streak is not fully covered by paint. That's precisely why you have to make crossover passes. Would it be on a ceiling this blue coat would look like it had been made by Bin Laden !!!…
What surprises me is that painting is not difficult at all.
I know it's boring. Myself I hate it !!!… ;D
But the worst part about painting is not painting per se : this goes pretty fast.
What is a real time waster is the before and after paint job : cleaning the room, taking all the furnitures off, protecting the fllor, etc … is a real hassle. And when you're over the same thing has to be done in reverse… plus you must clean the brushes (if you do a smart lacquer job they can be quite expensive… mine are, anyway) throw the rollers and other brushes away, clean the sink, clean your hands, maybe your hair, etc…  etc …  do I hate the "before and after" in painting !!!…

[kewpiedoll99]

Why do they always tell you to paint in a "W" shape? This does seem more straightforward.

[vincent7520]

Yes … but you run the risk to make an irregular coat, thereby the wall would catch light unevenly : you can see the various vertical streaks of blue on the wall.
That's why they tell us to :
1) not to put too much paint on the roller;
2) coat the wall in a cross manner (ie. vertical + horizontal + vertical + etc… ) till the roller is almost dry;
3) finish with a vertical streak from top to bottom;
4) repeat the process with a large overlap on the first patch;
etc…

What they show here is done by a professional who knows how to handle all kind of paints and has the "eye" to correct immediately all the small defects he encountered with his method.
We are not (at least I am not !…).

[dwesely]

The short roller extension is critical - it turns it into a two handed tool for much better control. But ditch the sloped tray for holding the paint. The biggest problem beginners have is getting enough paint on the roller. Use a 5 gallon bucket with an expanded metal screen. Put 1-2 gal in the bucket and submerge the roller in it, then roll it up and down on the screen a couple of times. You only have too much paint if the roller slides on the wall.. and that is easily fixed. Not only is the bucket method faster at loading the roller, but it is easier and faster to move and prevents spills.

[samfelis]

In the fifteen plus years I've been a DIY painter, I can't believe I never thought to add a short extension to the roller. That looks like it would make the job so much easier -- of course, that would also mean I'd need a third hand to hold the beer. Maybe if I had that four years ago when I painted our bathroom and sitting room, I wouldn't have suffered tendinitis in my shoulder!

[MaskMarvl]

What comes after step "5"? Do I repeat from step "1"? How far right do I move? I assume I'd have to overlap the part I just painted in step "5" but how much?