Whether you just bought a house or are getting ready to re-arrange a room, touch-up painting is inevitable. Even if you just had your house painted, small marks can show up from additional work that was done or re-positioning your furniture back into the rooms.
All of us have gone into a home where you can see every spot that was touched up because the paint didn’t quite match or you can see the brush strokes or roller lines along the wall.
Here are tips to make sure no one can see you touched up
Use flat paint – Flat paint is designed for easy touch up. If you have eggshell or semi-gloss on the walls, they will not touch up. On eggshell finishes you will need to paint that wall completely rather than touch up or you will be able to see in the finish where it has been touched up.
Use the same brand of paint – If the paint can you have is dried up or almost empty, be sure to get the same brand and type of paint to use for touch up. Different brands have slightly different formulas which will be more visible on the wall after touch-up. All paints are not created equal! Ideally bring the can of paint to the store so the employee can match it exactly.
Test the paint – Decorators like to recommend that people use slightly lighter or darker shades of a color in a hallway or adjacent room so do not assume the paint you have matches all rooms even if it looks similar. Unless you know for a fact what color is in each area, you should test an area that is hidden or on a small wall so if it doesn’t match you can easily repaint that area. Be sure to let the paint dry completely before deciding if it is the right shade and is a perfect match.
White is not always the same – On trim paint or ceilings, if it is white be sure to follow tips 2 and 3 above. There are many shades of white and for the untrained eye it is difficult to tell the difference until the colors are on the wall or ceiling.
New Construction – If you bought a new home you should be able to contact the builder to find out what paint colors were used and what brand of paint was used. Some builders will leave leftover paint but the brand and color might not be listed on the small can.
Painting is relatively inexpensive and makes a great impression. Have fun touching up!
How about you? Have you ever had difficulty matching paint when you were trying to touch up a certain area? Comment below or call my office at (919) 469-6539. I am eager to hear your thoughts.
