Proper Paint Touch-Up Techniques 

A stain here, a scratch there, a scuff on the baseboard and grease splatter on the backsplash. 

All these blemishes to take care of, but no time to repaint the whole space means it’s time for some touch-ups. With no way to repaint the entire house, it’s time to touch-up these and any other blemishes. 

Touching up spaces in your home may seem like a quick fix but without a little skill and planning, you may actually end up causing further blemishes. This could be especially true if paints don’t match or cleaning techniques damage the walls. Here are a few techniques that experts tend to use to make touch-ups.

Prep The Surface 

Like any paint project, preparing the wall or ceiling surface is paramount to getting a professional-looking finish in the end. If you are trying to touch-up walls damaged by nail holes or scratches, be sure to clean the area, fill the holes with putty, and sand down the surface until it is smooth. 

Then, a step that many people forget or choose to skip is the primer step. Be certain to paint over the area with primer so that the final coat will be the same shade as the initial coat. 

Repair Kit Patches

If damage has been done to a wall, whether it’s a doorknob that went through the drywall, a copious amount of nail holes, or some other wall damage, consider using a repair kit to patch the wall before painting. 

Larger holes or damaged areas may need some reinforcement such as a patch kit to make the final product smooth and even as the original wall. Once the patch is attached, you may need to use putty to even it all out. Then sand the area so that the edges are smoothed before applying primer and the final coat. 

Color Match 

When repainting a section of a wall be certain that you have color-matched the paint so there will not be a subtle difference in the old paint and the new paint. If you don’t happen to have a sample or leftover paint to use, try using a color-matching app that allows homeowners to take a picture of the current color and find a match online in many different brands. 

Allow for Ample Drying Time 

Touch-ups in most people’s minds should be fast. Don’t allow this mindset to have you rushing the drying time between coats of paint. Allow a couple of hours between each coat for the paint to cure. If you find that the paint looks lighter than the initial paint, go for one more coat. If the color seems darker,  you may need to redo the primer and check that the color matches properly. 

If you have lots of touch-ups that need completing, talk to our team at Jerry Enos Painting about how we can complete your projects in a timely and professional manner. 

Categorised in: How-Tos, Interior painting