How Do You Touch Up Wall Paint? Tips for Burlington and Camden, NJ

We have all been there… unfortunately. You painted your walls not all that long ago, and they look fantastic. They are bright and clean, exactly the right color, and your lines are remarkably straight. All in all, your interior painting project turned out better than you could have hoped! And then, suddenly, you notice a scratch or a gouge that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. No culprits come clean, so you are left alone with the question: can I touch up my wall?

Can You Touch Up Your Wall?

Before you simply grab your can of paint from the dusty shelf in the basement (you know the one) and go to town, thereSpackle pic are a few considerations to think through:

  • How old is your paint?– If your paint is relatively new, as in the scenario laid out above, the chances are good that your leftover paint will still match quite nicely. Issues can, however, pop up when the paint you are touching up is old, and the new paint is left standing out like a fresh, sore thumb.
  • Your paint’s sheen– Walls that were painted in a flat sheen are more easily touched up.  This is because the new, flat paint tends to blend more easily with the older paint around it than glossy paint does.
  • Size– At the risk of stating the obvious, the smaller the damaged section of the wall the better the chance of being able to touch it up with a minimal application of paint. A little dabbing with the tip of a toothpick or a small artist’s brush can make a tiny blemish disappear much more successfully than swiping a full-sized paintbrush over it.

What Is the Best Way to Touch Up Your Wall?

As a first step, feel the damaged section. If the wall itself is penetrated (meaning an actual dent or gouge) you will need to patch the section. Using light-weight spackle, fill the trouble spot with the edge of a putty knife, then smooth the excess over the surrounding area. Once it is dry, sand it smooth with a gentle sandpaper. At this point, paint over the repair with primer, allow that to dry, and then paint with the wall color. Do your best to feather out the edges rather than stopping your brush abruptly as you work, allowing the touch-up paint and the older paint to blend as naturally as possible.

If a localized touch-up is not possible, try painting just the one wall that the damaged section is located on.  Or, if there is a natural break in the wall (like a piece of trim) you can use that as a stopping point.  Using this kind of break will minimize the amount of painting you need to do, and at the same time will help to lessen the stark contrast of older paint and new.

 Need the Help of a Professional Painter?

If you could use the help of a professional painting service, we hope you’ll contact us at Brennan’s Custom Painting.  We have over 30 years of experience serving Southern New Jersey (including parts of Philadelphia and Northern Delaware), and offer interior and exterior expertise that will make short work of any projects you may have in mind.  Contact us today for a free design consultation!

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