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 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 painting.
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 only had half a gallon leftover 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 what you need for the easiest way to paint tall walls! This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
The four main tools you need to tackle those super high walls are:
- one SMART Roller
- one SMART Edge Roller
- one ceiling paint edger
- 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 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 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 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.
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 wall and painted a smooth clean edge…even without being close to the wall. I used this on all my hard to reach wall peaks.
After the cutting in was done, it was time to paint. 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. 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…
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 alone has already made a super drastic change to the space! The room is 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 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!
Patty says
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!
Laura says
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!
Carmella Tuliszewski says
This is just what I was looking for to paint my stairwell. But how does the edger work in corners?
Laura says
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. 🙂
Dianne says
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.
Laura says
I have, Dianne. But I really want the warm look of wood, just not orange. lol 😉
Izzy says
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!
Sheri says
You did a fantastic job!
Thank you for all the tips..
Cynthia Kittle johnston says
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.
Laura says
Yes, my paint had a primer included. The walls have been painted over a year now and I see no signs of paint bleeding. 🙂
Aleta says
Hi! Question- would the Smart Edge Roller not work along the ceiling for edging?
Laura says
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! 🙂
Kaeleigh says
Hi! Thanks for the tutorial- want to take this project on next. Did you do more than one coat throughout, or just the one?
Laura says
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! 🙂
beth says
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.
Laura says
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!