Quickest Way to Paint a Wall

Lay drop cloths over furniture and on the floor to make clean-up easy. Cover electrical outlets with duct tape. Patch any holes in the wall with spackle and let it dry completely before proceeding.

Wash the walls with a large sponge and warm, soapy water. Let the walls dry thoroughly.

Apply painter's tape along electrical outlets and switches, mirrors, baseboards, cabinets, trim and any other places you don't want to paint. Avoid using any other type of tape because it may take off paint or finish from surfaces.

Apply a coat of primer to the wall. Use a 2-inch trim brush to apply it around the trim and a medium-nap roller to paint the wall. Let the primer dry completely before applying paint.

Fill a paint tray with paint. Dip a trim brush into the tray and paint the edges of the wall along the trim and around any fixtures or other items where you've applied painter's tape.

Roll a medium-nap paint roller into the paint. The roller should be saturated with paint but not dripping.

Roll the paint onto the wall using a W pattern. Work in sections of about 3 square feet. Begin painting in the corner and work across the wall. Add paint to the roller when necessary and continue painting in a W pattern until the entire wall is covered. Let the paint dry completely.

Apply a second coat of paint in the same manner, if necessary. Once the final coat has dried, remove the painter's tape and throw out the drop cloths.