Pro Handyman Blog

Many of the handyman jobs we do require touch up paint of some kind. The act of painting is easy. Getting a good match on the paint however, can be tough. Even if the original paint is at the property, applying it to the wall may not match. Some painted walls get sunlight exposure and some do not. If the home has smokers in it, that can certainly make it so the paint won’t match. So don’t be surprised when you take paint out of the can and it doesn’t exactly match.

You can certainly take a sample from the wall and have it computer matched at a paint store. It may not exactly match but should be awfully close. In an inconspicuous area, you can barely cut through the painted drywall paper and peel up a piece at least the size of a quarter. When you get the paint matched, fill in the void with joint compound, texture and paint it.

Probably the best way to do touch up painting is to paint the entire surface from wall to wall. Dabbing paint over problem areas is always noticeable, but if you paint the entire surface, the problem will go away. Most people won’t notice a slight color variation at the corner or edge of a wall.