People often ask, “Can I just touch up my wall paint?” Normal wear and tear on a home often leaves scuffs, marks and even scrapes and holes in your walls. Over time you notice that these become more and more obvious until it is the only thing you notice when you enter a room. Touch up painting seems like a great option – until it isn’t. It is a very tricky process and may not ever be a satisfactory solution. If your walls have been painted recently, say in the last year, you may be able to do a touch up yourself with paint that was originally used to paint the walls. BUT, if you don’t have the original paint, if the walls were not recently painted and you are not sure if you have the expertise your need, touch up may not be your best option.
DIY TOUCH UP POSSIBILITIES
Although it is rare, there are times when you can DIY/ perform a satisfactory touch up. These include:
Small blemishes in inconspicuous places
In this situation you may be able to cover the imperfection without anyone noticing. Especially if the blemish is hidden by furniture or located near the base of the wall. In this case you will want to use the tiniest bit of paint and apply it with a fine brush. If at all possible, use the original paint and be sure to mix it well.
The original paint was flat paint
Flat paint is more forgiving then other finishes. You should only attempt this touch up if the walls have been recently painting. If this situation applies to you, be sure you use the exact same can of paint from the original paint job. Mix the paint well and apply a minimal amount of paint with a small foam roller or similar painting tool. Feather the edges carefully to blend the paint so the old and new edges merge better.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN’T TOUCH UP
In most cases you won’t be able to do a successful touch up. Why? The paint on your wall is composed of 100% dried solids, but in the can only 20% – 30% is actual solid (pigment). The rest is water (which makes it easy to apply). When the painted wall dries, the water is lost due to evaporation and wicking. Wicking refers to the amount of moisture being absorbed by the wall. When you touch up it is virtually impossible to reproduce the exact wicking rate and that is why the touch up job is a slightly different color than the original paint. But, you have other options!
Painting break-to-break
Painting break-to-break means you will repaint the whole wall from molding to baseboard and corner to corner. The natural breaks should hide any subtle color differences. Also consider, if the wall is a focal point you may want to create an accent wall in a different color. Not only will this solve your problem, it will give a whole new designer look to your room,
Consider an entire repaint
See your blemished/faded walls as an opportunity. If you haven’t repainted the interior of your home in the last 3-5 years you can turn a negative into a positive. Maybe its time to repaint your entire room or interior to refresh the paint, experiment with a new paint color, and update your entire look! While not inexpensive, painting is the most inexpensive home improvement you can undertake…and the results can completely transform you home! Overall, it will be cheaper to repaint the entire interior as opposed to painting room by room at different times.
WHEN TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
It is wise to hire a professional if:
- You have a busy household and you just don’t have the time
- You are unable to move/replace heavy furnishings and do appropriate clean up
- You need the interior done within a reasonable time frame
- You have high ceiling/staircase interiors
- Your walls are in poor condition
- You don’t have the appropriate equipment and know-how to DIY
We are here to help with all of your professional painting needs! Call Britt (803-603-6486) or e-mail ellisb@colatownpainting.com for a free, no-obligation estimate at your convenience. We pride ourselves on workmanship and professionalism that you can trust – our 5 star reviews reflect that!
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