Painting is an easy do-it-yourself job, but take some precautions to make sure you're doing it safely. (Rob Ostermaier/Newport News Daily News/KRT)

Repainting can be one of the easiest and least expensive ways to update the look of a room. So it’s little wonder that it’s among the most popular home improvement projects in the United States.

Consumer Reports tested a rainbow of options in three finishes (flat, low-luster, and semi-gloss), measuring their abilities to cover old paint, and resist staining, scrubbing and gloss change. Several combined comparatively low price with very good or even excellent performance, earning them distinctions as CR Best Buys.

Remember the room

Before deciding on a particular brand of paint, give some thought to where it will go in your home. Here are some other area-specific tips:

¢ Durable and wear-resistant, low-luster paint works for every room.

¢ Save semi-gloss to create contrasting finishes on trim and shelves.

¢ Flat paints – those with the least sheen – should be reserved for low-traffic areas, such as the master bedroom.

Hues that look great on a paint chip or in the can might prove hideous on your walls. So buy a sample of the color you have in mind and try it out on a practice board, available at most home centers. Hang the board in various areas of the room to see how it appears in changing light. Give yourself a few days to decide if it’s a color you can live with.

Consider, too, how much sun a room receives, since some paints might fade more easily than others. If hiding is what you seek, look for a paint that does a good job of covering in one coat.

Situational paints

None of our tested paints performed superbly in every measure. Best overall in each of the three gloss levels were CR Best Buy paints from The Home Depot (Behr Premium Plus Enamel) and Wal-Mart (Dutch Boy Home).

The Behr products ranged in price from $22 for a gallon of flat paint to $24 for the low-luster and $25 for the semi-gloss. At $14 (flat), $15 (low-luster) and $16 (semi-gloss) a gallon, Dutch Boy is the least expensive brand we tested. Its flat finish proved less stain-resistant than most others. All six products, meanwhile, faded when exposed to ultraviolet light in our tests.

For the best in fade resistance, try Valspar American Tradition paints from Lowe’s (the low-luster Satin costs $24 a gallon and the flat Enamel costs $22) and Benjamin Moore’s Regal (the low-luster Aquavelvet Eggshell costs $37 and the flat Matte costs $42). For a semi-gloss paint with fine fade resistance, choose Dunn-Edwards Permasheen ($40) or Glidden Evermore ($19, from The Home Depot).

Need a paint to cover in one coat? Your best chances, especially if you use a darker color, are with the flat-finish Kilz Casual Colors (at $18, from Wal-Mart, it’s a CR Best Buy) and two low-luster products, Kilz Casual Colors Satin (at $19, from Wal-Mart, it’s also a CR Best Buy) and the top-rated Behr Premium Plus Satin.