Consumer Reports: Best paint techniques and products

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The cold winter weather means a lot of time stuck around in the house, so why not tackle a DIY project like painting?

Consumer Reports' experts reveal the best techniques to paint a room and the best products that deliver a professional finish.

If you've ever painted a room, chances are you've made a mistake or two along the way. Consumer Reports' paint expert, Rico DePaz, says you can avoid common blunders with a few simple tips.

You can cut in with a brush like the pros but Consumer Reports says if you're a novice, a $3 dollar edger is a good tool to try.

To avoid drips, use the roller to apply paint instead of dipping the edger.

When it's time to cover the walls, Rico says remember the four S's.

"You saturate the roller. Then you smear the paint on the wall, you spread it out and then finally you just smooth it over to get a nice finish," he said.

A common mistake? Not getting enough paint on the roller.

"You should saturate the roller to the point where the paint's almost dripping off. If you don't do that you're gonna have to put on a second coat," said Rico.

Next, in a 2x2 section smear the paint on the wall in an X,V or W pattern.

After that you can spread the paint to cover the entire area.

Then, you'll want to smooth the roller from top to bottom. Continue until you've got all the wall covered.

And to save time and money, use a paint and primer in one like the recommended Behr Premium Plus Ultra.

You can find that recommended Behr paint at Home Depot for about $36 dollars a can.

If you're a Lowes shopper Valspar Reserve for about $44 dollars a gallon performed very good in Consumer Reports tests.

And remember, if you like a color from another brand you can match either of these recommendations to any color you like. All you need is a sample.