How to Cover Up a Bad Paint Job on a Wall

Allow the painted wall time to completely dry. Move any furniture away from the wall and into the center of the room. Place a sheet of plastic on the floor in front of the wall, and cover the plastic with a drop cloth.

Remove the screws from any electrical outlet covers, using a screwdriver, and remove the covers. Cover the electrical switches with blue painter's tape.

Put on a dust mask. Sand the badly painted section, or the entire wall surface, using a pole sander that is equipped with 120-grit sandpaper. Scrape away large paint ridges and bumps, using a scraper.

Vacuum the wall with a wet/dry vacuum outfitted with a brush attachment to remove the dust. Dampen a sponge with water, and wipe down the sanded wall area to get up the last of the dust. Allow time for the wall to completely dry.

Apply primer to the sanded wall surface, using a paintbrush. Follow the primer manufacturer's recommended time to allow the primer to completely dry.

Dip a foam paintbrush, or an angled paintbrush, into the can of paint so the paint covers about one-third of the foam or bristle length. Scrape the brush against the paint can edge to remove any excess paint. Paint any wall edges, such as where the wall meets the ceiling or baseboard, using the brush.

Pour the paint into a paint tray. Completely saturate a paint roller in the paint, and roll the paint onto the wall in one direction, using the roller. Bring the roller in the opposite direction to even out the paint.