How to paint a wall

Painting is one of the most popular do-it- yourself projects and if you've ever painted a room, chances are you've made a mistake or two along the way. Consumer Reports' paint expert says you can avoid common blunders with a few simple tips.

You can cut in with a brush like the pros but Consumer Reports says if you're a novice the $3 edger is a good tool to try. To avoid drips, use the roller to apply paint instead of dipping the edger.

When it's time to cover the walls the expert says remember the four S's. You saturate the roller. Then you smear the paint on the wall, you spread it out and then finally you just smooth it over to get a nice finish. A common mistake is to not get enough paint on your roller. You should saturate the roller to the point where the paint's almost dripping off. If you don't do that you're going have to put on a second coat.

Next, in a 2x2 section, smear the paint on the wall in an X,V or W pattern. After that you can spread the paint to cover the entire area. Then, you'll want to smooth the roller from top to bottom. Continue until you've got all the wall covered.

And to save time and money use a paint and primer in one like this recommended Behr Premium Plus Ultra. You can find that recommended Behr paint at Home Depot for about $36 a can. If you're a Lowes shopper Valspar Reserve for about $44 a gallon performed very good in Consumer Reports tests. And remember, if you like a color from another brand you can match either of these recommendations to any color you like. All you need is a sample.