The Easiest Way To Paint Tall Walls
With the right tools, you too can learn the easiest way to paint tall walls.
Our living room has always been top on my list to paint. The colors from the previous owners never jived with me — yellow mustard and the dirt brown had to go.
As much as I wanted to make this rather simple DIY change to our home, the vaulted high ceilings always made me hesitate. How in the heck was I ever going to reach the tip top of our 20 ft walls?!
But thanks to Wagner, who supplied me with the right tools and sponsored this post, my living room now has beautiful walls that I love! If you’ve been looking for a great tutorial, this is the easiest way to paint tall walls.
So before I talk about the tools and tips I used to paint those tall walls, let’s look back at the living room before I started this paint job.
This picture right here is a great example of the four different colors that were combined in this one room. Number 2, the mustard yellow, was the color I hated the most. No thank you!
The wall off the entry way was the most intimidating space. Just look at how high that peak is — it’s way up there!
And here’s a look at the other two walls in the room…
As you can see, that mustard color even made it’s way into my kitchen, off the hall. I’ve never been so excited to paint in my life!
Lucky for me, I snagged all of my paint at Sherwin Williams on sale for 30% off. I purchased 5 gallons of Repose Gray, which may seem like a lot. But I didn’t have much paint leftover – only half a gallon when I finished. So I think that was just about the perfect amount of paint.
Next I gathered my painting tools. I promise you, this is exactly the right equipment you need for the easiest way to paint tall walls!
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The four main tools you need to tackle those super high walls are:
- one SMART Roller
- one SMART Edge Roller
- one ceiling paint edgerÂ
- one extension pole
Then you will need your standard paint supplies:
- paint tray
- several paint brushes of varying sizes (for cutting and hard to reach areas)
- paint canvas drop cloths (to protect furniture and floors)
- an extra high and sturdy ladder — mine extends to 25 ft (I bought a new one just for this job, but it will totally be used around the home in the future I’m sure!)
- paint
I thought it would be best to start with the hardest to reach walls first. So I set up the extension ladder and began this big project on the wall along the door and the stairs.
I began by cutting in the inner corners and around all the trim and baseboards. For the corners and around the stairs, I used a small paint brush.
But did you notice something I didn’t use? That’s right…there’s no painter’s tape! For this whole step, I used the SMART edge roller. Normally, I would had to tape all those areas, but instead I saved a ton of time by skipping that step.Â
The edger roller is so easy to use. I simply attached the fill adapter and inserted it into the paint. Then I just pulled back on the handle until the paint tube was full. Then I reattached the paint roller and I was ready to paint.
It does an amazing job! I was able to paint right next to the trim without any paint getting on the actual trim.
Cutting in along the ceiling edge is where it gets a little tricky. This is where I used the square paint edger and the extension pole.
This tool has two wheels that roll along and guide you as it moves on the wall.
I just added some paint on the tool with a small roller.
Then placed it on the interior walls and painted a smooth clean edge…even without being close to the wall. I used this on all my hard to reach wall peaks.Â
After the cutting in was done, it was time to paint the first coat. With all those tall walls, I was not looking forward to going up and down the ladder with a traditional roller. But that’s where the SMART roller saved the day!
The SMART roller works very similar to the edge roller. A fill adapter is clipped to the inside of the paint can.
Once attached, the SMART roller inserts on top of the filler. With a simple pull back on the handle, the tube fills with paint. It took me a couple tries to get the right angle for the filling process.
But once I figured that out…it worked great!
It worked so well for painting all the walls, but especially the tall ones. All I had to do was climb the ladder one time and paint with ease. When I needed more paint on the roller, a quick squeeze of the trigger was all I had to do.
Just look at how much painting I was able to complete in a few hours one afternoon…
It took me about a week of painting a few hours at a time to complete the whole room -including the second coat. That may seem like a long time, but I also painted all the trim and baseboards in this space as well.
Here’s a few more shots of the finished room with the new paint color.
And just because I love a nice side by side before and after picture…
Of course my DIY list for this room still has some projects. I need to change the fireplace, replace the banister with a dark wood/iron look and update the entry tile. I would also love to update the lighting and get new furniture.
So yea…lots more too do. But the paint DIY project alone has already made a super drastic change to the space! The entire room feels brighter, lighter and more my style.
So is there a room that has been intimidating you too? Get your Wagner tools and with a little time, you too can skip the professional painter and still achieve the painted walls of your dreams!
If you found this tutorial helpful, please PIN IT so that other’s may find it!
And if you are looking for other painting tutorials, how to easily paint your kitchen cabinets is one of my most popular posts!
Thank you for these tips! Do you think those tools would also work on the exterior of a home and some high peaks that give me the heebie jeebies? Is a 5 gallon bucket cheaper, or too hard to mix and use easily? Love the sales at Sherwin, that is for sure!
I’m not sure whether these tips would work on your exterior, probably most of the brushes…just not sure about the edger. As far as the paint goes, the five gallon bucket was the same price and the 5 gallons. I just found the gallons easier to maneuver. And yes…the sales at Sherwin are great. I try to never buy paint at full price. 😉 Good luck on your painting job!
This is just what I was looking for to paint my stairwell. But how does the edger work in corners?
Carmella, for the corners I still had to cut in a little with a paint brush. But overall, the edger saves a ton of time. 🙂
Great tutorial!! To finish the new look off…have you thought about painting the stair railings either datk charcoal gray or black to dim the orange of the oak wood.
I have, Dianne. But I really want the warm look of wood, just not orange. lol 😉
This is fantastic. I’m about to buy a house with really tall ceilings and as a designer, naturally I want to be surrounded with colors. But the high ceilings feel daunting and the notion of climbing up and down tall ladders is enough to give me spontaneous vertigo! Your article introduced me to tools I didn’t know are available. I admire the dedication on your part to take this on yourself. Great job!
You did a fantastic job!
Thank you for all the tips..
Did the paint you used have a primer in it? The colors might bleed through the new gray. You didn’t mention about 2 coats applied. I have 14 foot ceilings in most rooms and your tools look very interesting. Nice job.
Yes, my paint had a primer included. The walls have been painted over a year now and I see no signs of paint bleeding. 🙂
Hi! Question- would the Smart Edge Roller not work along the ceiling for edging?
Great question! I believe it would BUT (and this was why I didn’t) it would require me (and my hand) to be right next to the ceiling edge. So I would need either a gigantic ladder or something so I could be that close. If you are comfortable being that high or your ceilings are much lower — go for it! I think it would work great! 🙂
Hi! Thanks for the tutorial- want to take this project on next. Did you do more than one coat throughout, or just the one?
Hi Kaeleigh! In some areas I did two coats – I kinda based it around convenience. If I was already up high in a corner area, I would do one wall and then do the adjoining one. Then turn around and repeat. Just so I didn’t have to go back up. 🙂 But I know I didn’t do two coats over everything. The paint I used had a primer in it so one coat was pretty sufficient in most areas. Hope that helped and happy painting! 🙂
Hi! I’m getting ready to tackle this project in my own house. I’m wondering if you sanded first. I always sand when the ceilings are regular height but in this space I really don’t want to mess with it. Thanks for your post, lots of good info.
Hi Beth! Nope, I didn’t sand anything – just started painting. So I would say skip that step. 🙂 Good luck and I’m sure it’s going to turn out great!
When I click on the items you used, there is no paths…just says “Oops”.
I am going to have a new home with very high ceilings in a 2 story and don’t know
what ladder to buy. This Smart Edge Roller will save me from many trips up and down
the ladder….so glad someone invented it! Thanks for the wonderful tips.
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for letting my know the images were not working. I fixed it and you should now be able to find what you need! Good luck on painting your new 2 story home. 🙂
You mentioned your ceilings were 20 feet high. Which Little Giant ladder did you purchase? I have 18 foot ceilings and on their website they note their ladder extension heights listed are actually a few feet longer than the actual ladder length. I am concerned about the height when it’s in the A-frame position as you used it and not only fully extended. I don’t want to buy the wrong one and it not be tall enough when it’s used as an A-frame. Thanks!!
Hi Elisabeth! I got the 26ft just to be safe. Hope that helps! 🙂
Oh great! You received my question! I wasn’t sure if I should go for their tallest, but thanks for reassuring me that’ll be best. I plan to start my project later this week due to your encouragement that I can accomplish it. Thanks for your response and for the helpful information you shared on your experience! 🙂
Absolutely! Hopefully my tips help and you can get those tall walls painted in no time. 😉
Hi Laura! Just wanted to follow up and let you know the walls all turned out great and I would’ve NEVER attempted to try it if it hadn’t been for seeing your post. Thank you again!!! 🙂
Oh! That’s great news, Elisabeth! So happy to hear it – thank you so much for letting me know. Your sweet feedback just made my whole day! 🙂
I’m just wondering how you navigated the stairs. Did you use a ladder?
Yes, I did. This ladder I used here: https://amzn.to/2qV78lv is great for staggering on stairs. Hope that helps!