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.