How to touch-up paint

Repairing paint on a wall by touching-up sounds simple but it is easy to make mistakes that can highlight your invisible mend.

Do’s

• Always use the same original container of paint to touch-up if possible.  It is the ONLY WAY to a perfect repair.
• If you use all of the original paint, keep a piece of card or paper with the details and a dab of the colour for matching in case it is needed in future.
• Thin the touch-up paint with 20% water and apply with a nook and cranny roller or similar. Feather the edges of the damaged area or use filler if deeper than two coats of paint.
• Always check an inconspicuous area first to see if there are any colour/gloss differences.
• Always mix and box different batches of paint together before use.

Don’ts

• Do not change the batch of paint or container of paint in the middle of a wall.
• Do not touch-up with a different batch of paint.
• Do not touch-up paint without thinning or in large blobs.  You are trying to merge in an invisible mend.
• Sheen paints tend not to be suitable for touch up.  They usually show a sheen difference in which case the full wall should be painted.