Painting your walls can be a lot of work, but following these three tips can help save you from making time-intensive mistakes. Steve Padgett has some useful tips to make a successful paint job.

Before painting, look for all your edges and anything connected to the wall. This is the best time to apply caulk and sealant to make sure everything fits well together. Inspect window sills, frames, molding, trim, and chair rails. You don’t want to paint over a crack and only rely on the paint to make that seal.

To get a more consistent flow from your caulk gun, start at your nearside and push the gun away from you. If you put consistent pressure on the trigger, you won’t have gaps or slumping with your sealant.

Lastly, make sure to patch up any wall holes before you paint, including large nail holes. But, instead of using a sealant, use a spackling paste or wood filler, such as DAP Crackshot or DAP Plastic Wood. Sealants dry to a rubbery texture, which is difficult to sand down.