The Right Way to Touch Up Your Interior Painting

When painting the walls in your Spanish Springs home, you probably want the whole process to be over as quickly as possible, so you may not think ahead to when you’ll need to touch up your walls. Understanding how to touch up your walls effectively is just as important as the initial interior painting, so reviewing the steps of a successful paint touch-up is a productive way to spend your time.

The 5-Step Process of a Paint Touch-Up

• Clean – Make sure to clean all painted surfaces, such as walls, before applying more paint. Use a sponge, mild detergent, and water to remove dust and dirt. If this layer of grime is painted over, the new paint won’t adhere to the wall properly. Dry the walls thoroughly after cleaning.
• Repair – After cleaning, you can patch up any nail holes, dents, or deep scratches with a spackling compound. Use sandpaper to smooth the surface around the damaged area and apply the spackling compound with a putty knife. Remove excess spackling compound and wait for it to set completely before priming.
• Prime – Priming is an essential step of painting your walls, and without it, your touch-up won’t blend in well. Use a paintbrush to cover the damaged area with primer and try to keep the primer contained within this area only.
• Paint – After the primer dries, use leftover paint to touch up the surface. If you don’t have leftover paint, try to purchase a paint with the same color and finish as your walls. Use the same application tool you used to apply the first coat of paint to create the same surface texture.
• Check – Make sure to inspect your touch up after the paint dries completely. Look at the wall at an angle to determine if the touch-up blends in seamlessly or if it’s obvious. Look at the touch up in artificial and natural light during all times of the day.

More Tips About Paint Touch-Ups

• If you don’t have any leftover paint, make sure your new paint’s finish matches the finish of the rest of the painted walls. Common paint finishes include high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell, and flat.
• Some painting contractors recommend mixing a paint reducer with your paint to help the touch-up match the old painted wall.
• If you can, apply high-quality paint to your walls initially so that touch-ups are easier and less noticeable later.
• If you try to touch up your interior walls, but the touch-up is too obvious, you can always repaint the walls entirely with the same color or a completely different shade.

If you want to make sure the paint touch-ups in your Spanish Springs home are done just right, consider reaching out to a trusted painting company like Mastercraft Painting & Decorating, Inc., and our experienced painters will ensure that your touch-ups are seamless.