How to - paint touch ups

Time for paint

 

     The holidays are right around the corner, family is coming over and you would like to make a good impression. There are a few areas on your home interior walls that need touching up but you cannot find the matching paint, what do you do? Don’t panic! The following techniques will help achieve professional results.

      Take a deep breath and relax, check to see if there is any of the original paint in your supply room. If you can not find the original paint try the next step. Next  take a small sample of the paint color from the wall to the paint center and have it matched. Take a razor knife and score the sheet rock making a square the size of 2 x 2 inch. After cutting into the wall peal the first layer away from the wall. I recommend picking an inconspicuous area, behind a door is a great place to start. If you have found the paint, mix it well and try a test spot on the wall to see if it blends in. If it bends in your ready to proceed.

Clean area

    Spackle the area where the sample was taken, when dry, sand and wipe clean. Now take your newly matched paint and apply it to the areas as needed for touch ups. I found a 4 inch mini roller with a standard ½ in. nap is great for this application. The mini rollers have become very popular and can be found in most paint supply centers. Also, pick up a roller tray and a small tarp to catch any drips. Pour a little amount of paint into the roller tray and then apply paint to the roller. Try not to add too much paint to the roller.

Spot prime

     If you have any spots that have crayons or magic marker I recommend using Cover Stain Primer in a spray can. Read the instructions first and then apply a small amount to the area. When your primer dries you are ready to paint. Clean the other areas as needed.

     I found the roller technique better than using a brush. The brush tends to make a band aid appearance which is very obvious; your walls will appear to have a bad rash. Using the roller tends to blend the paint in much better. Before starting test a spot of paint and use a blow dryer to see how it blends in. If the spot of paint disappears after it dries then you’re good to go.

Apply paint

     Roll over the area that needs the fresh paint and run the path of the roller a least 12 inches on all sides lightly feathering the outer areas. (In this demonstration I used a light color so you can see what I’m explaining better ) Move your roller vertically up and down the wall. This works great for all paints but sheen paints need a little more finesse.

   If you’re touching up an area which is perpendicular to a window using eggshell, satin, semi-gloss finish it will be very noticeable. By using this technique you will have a better chance of the paint blending in. Another tip: There are shadow areas in all rooms which are next to door frames, windows, hanging pictures and furniture; these are great areas to bring your paint towards to hide the new touch up.

Feather all edges

    When the touch up is very close to an adjoining wall move you’re roller towards the wall corner. We are trying to fool the eye and make the touch ups less obvious. It is very important that the paint match is as close as the original paint. The sheen and color needs to be the same for this to be successful.

Nice and clean

   When I find spots at eye level I roll the paint as high as my arm will go and also as low. By doing this the touch up will be hard to find.  Two coats may be required over a primer. Purchase good grade paint and the results will be very nice.

    Note: If you see spots coming threw your finish work reapply the spot primer and when dry touch up the area again. Enjoy your Holiday's!

Is that the color?

                                                              

      Many times while cutting in a room with a new paint color my customers would ask, is that the color? I kid around with them responding, no, this is your neighbors color and they asked me to try it out on your walls. They said, you would not mind. The look on their face is worth millions. No really, is that the color? They ask again. Yes, it is. What is happening here?

     Any time we are changing a color of a room for example, the walls were originally medium blue changing to yellow. The two colors are now together and the yellow has a greenish look to it. Don’t panic, this is basic color 101. Why is this happening?

     OK, I know most of us are not artist’s and don’t remember color theory, so, if you take a blue  and mix it with yellow you get green. The same goes for blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange and so on.

    

     This happens when the paint we are applying is a sheen finish such as eggshell, satin, semi - gloss. The reflection picks up the main color in the room, hence changing the color. This affect is temporary; once the entire room is painted the color will look the same as the sample. There’s more….

      Lighting! Choosing colors from a swatch book or fan deck in a room at night the color will not look the same in the daylight. Also, I found that window tint comes in different colors which will greatly change the colors in a room. It is wise to choose a color in the rooms that you would like to have painted in both day and night lighting.

    

     We also suggest large color samples to view in each room which will make your decisions easier. Purchase pints or quarts of paint and paint on construction board. I use a blow dryer to speed up the process and then add another coat of paint. Hang the big samples around your home for a few days and your color choices will narrow down to the best ones.

     Using these large samples enables us to see how color will react in different lighting. We also get the chance to see how it works with the various fabrics in a room.

Remember that a sheen paint finish will pick up colors that are around them. A flat finish would be a better choice if you’re concerned about other colors encroaching.

     Today there are washable flat paints which are not flat; these products have a low sheen to them. Make your samples and see how they will react in your interior, this way there is no surprises. It is worth the extra time to exercise this method.