When using more than one gallon of paint for a job, mix some paint from the new can into the last of the paint in the old can to compensate for tinting discrepancies.

Painting one wall or a whole room is a great job for a cold winter day.

Step 1: Patch holes and cracks in drywall with lightweight spackling. For plaster walls, use patching plaster or Crawford’s Spackling paste. Sand patched areas with 100-grit sandpaper.

Step 2: Remove all hardware from the walls to be painted. Cover electrical outlets and switches completely with a good quality painter’s tape.

Step 3: Use warm water and a nonresidual cleaner such as TSP or Dirtex to thoroughly wash the walls. Allow the area to dry completely.

Step 4: For extra protection, tape off the trim and ceiling edges with a good-quality painter’s tape. Remember to remove the tape before the final coat of paint is dry to avoid damage.

Step 5: Prime patched areas, unpainted surfaces or stained portions of the wall with a stain-blocking latex primer. For red paint, prime the entire surface to be painted with gray primer.

Step 6: Use a sash brush to cut in around trim. Dip the brush halfway into the paint and wipe away the excess to avoid drips. Lay a thick line of paint about one-quarter of an inch from the wall edge. Immediately go back over the line with a long, smooth stroke, carefully allowing the excess paint from the thick line to flow onto the quarter-inch gap and up to the wall edge. Smooth out any brush strokes and proceed in sections until all edges and corners have been cut in. Apply a second coat in the same manner.

Step 7: Use a good-quality roller cage and cover to paint the main wall surface. Carefully pour your paint into a paint tray. Dip the roller into the paint and then roll it back and forth over the textured portion of the tray to evenly disperse the paint on the roller cover. Apply consistent pressure to the roller when painting. Roll a “W” shape onto the wall and then fill it in. Work in 4-foot sections, starting from the top and working down. Re-dip the roller regularly to assure a nice, thick coat and generously overlap each section as you proceed.

Step 8: Once the paint is dry, apply a second coat if needed.