Easy (and Roomy!) DIY Paint Booth

Interior painting must be the No. 1 home improvement activity—everyone has to paint a room sometime! To help you master the process, check out these terrific tips from pros and DIYers alike.

Just hang your brush in a jar of solvent: water for latex paint, and mineral spirits or paint thinner for oil-based. Using a clamp, suspend the brush in the jar with the bristles fully submerged almost to the ferrule, but not touching the bottom of the jar. The finish will slide off the bristles and settle on the bottom of the jar. If you're using paint thinner or mineral spirits, set the jar outside to keep fumes out of your house. Be sure it's away from children and pets. After a day or two, remove the brush and give it a thorough rinse in clean solvent. Click here for more paintbrush cleaning tips. — PAT GUSTAFSON, READER

You've done a great job of patching and smoothing over all those pesky cracks, holes and dimples in your walls and ceiling, and you've rolled on the primer. So does that mean you're ready for the topcoat? Not so fast. Take a closer look at the surfaces with a portable work light. Chances are, you still have small imperfections you'll want to touch up with spackling or joint compound. Better to take care of these now because they'll really stand out after the final coat of paint goes on. — MATT KARL, FIELD EDITOR

I always have a package of baby wipes handy whenever I paint a room. They're great for wiping up small drips before I accidentally walk through them and track paint all over the house. It beats keeping a bucket of water and rags around any day! — CARL EDOUARD DENIS, FIELD EDITOR

When there's only a little bit of latex paint left in the can and I want to save it for touch-ups, I put a half-dozen marbles in an empty water bottle and pour in the leftover paint. When I'm ready to do a touch-up, I shake the bottle and the marbles mix the paint. A roll of tape with a rag draped over it helps hold the bottle steady while I pour the paint into it. Just be sure to use a funnel or you'll have a mess on your hands. — RON HAZELTON, TV HOME IMPROVEMENT EXPERT, RONHAZELTON.COM

When you're rolling paint onto walls or ceilings, a fine mist of paint settles on unprotected trim. For baseboards, forget about covering them completely. Just cover the top of each one with a "shelter" made from painter's tape. A single over-hanging strip of 1-1/2-in. or 2-in. tape catches roller splatters just like the roof overhang on a house keeps rain off the siding. Tape doesn't stick to dusty surfaces very well, so be sure to vacuum or wipe down your baseboards before masking. Also, press the tape down hard with a putty knife to prevent paint from bleeding underneath. For the best results, use "self-sealing" tape. — MICHAEL WHITING, PRO PAINTER