Before painting a room, combine the cans of the same color wall paint together in a 5-gallon bucket and stir thoroughly to eliminate any variations in color that might occur.

Start by taping a piece of fiberglass window screen to the bucket to strain and out any paint chips or debris. This is particularly important when working with paint that has previously been opened.

After pouring all the paint in the bucket, remove the window screen and stir the paint thoroughly. Rather than pouring paint into a paint tray for rolling, use a roller screen that attaches to the side of the bucket. This allows you to paint directly from the bucket, which reduces clean up and is easier to use than a traditional roller tray.

Editorial Contributors
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Joe Truini

Radio Show Co-Host

Joe Truini is a contractor, author, and the host of “Simple Solutions” on Today’s Homeowner TV and the weekly Today’s Homeowner radio show. He has worked on both large commercial projects and residential remodeling, and has written for national publications such as This Old House and Popular Mechanics. He has also written eight books, including three best-selling shed-building books. Joe lives in Connecticut with his family and enjoys hiking, traveling, and baseball in his spare time.

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