How to Paint a Room Fast

Paint a room quickly and efficiently.

Circumstances may dictate that a room needs to be painted quickly. Perhaps company is coming or a house has to be prepared to sell. Whatever the reason, it is possible to get the job done rapidly by omitting a few steps that would normally be taken. In fact, by leaving out a few typical room painting preparation procedures, it is possible to cut down the time by as much as half.

Things You'll Need

• Stack of old newspapers
• Paint tray
• 1 qt. or 1 gallon of latex paint
• Paint can opener
• Paintbrushes
• Paint rollers
• Rags
• Painter's tape
• Ladder

Instructions

1. 

   Use newspaper to catch paint.

   Slide sheets of newspaper along the perimeter of the floor, getting under the edge of the baseboard if possible. The newspaper will catch spattered drops of paint.

2. 

   Tape around face plates.

   Tape masking tape or painter's tape around outlet face plates instead of removing them.

3. Pour just enough paint into a painter's tray or other plastic container so that you can carry it without spilling.

4. Paint along the edges of the room first. This will make it easier to paint the rest of the walls later. Steady your hand along the wall as you paint to help keep the paint line straight.

5. Paint the remaining wall space in wide, crisscrossing strokes using a roller.

6. Gather the newspapers from the floor with care so that no paint drips onto the floor. Pull off the tape around the outlets. Throw away or wash the paintbrushes and rollers. Drain unused paint from the tray back into the paint bucket.

Tips & Warnings

• Carrying a disposable container around saves time because you don't have to return to the paint can each time you need to reload your paint brush.

• Have some help to paint the room. Provide each painter with brushes, rollers and trays so they don't have to walk back and forth to a central receptacle for paint.

References

• This Old House: Secrets of a Perfect Paint Job