Touch Up vs Repainting

As time passes, the condition of your home’s walls will start to lose its luster and you may start noticing more signs of daily wear and tear. Paint is great for increasing the overall look, feel, and value of your home but it doesn’t last forever.

There are several different items that will affect the overall look of the walls like, holes from hanging pictures, scratches and knicks from furniture, scruffs in high traffic areas, or even how much the sun hits the wall. At times, it may make sense to simply touch up these small areas but in others, it’s usually best to hire a professional painter to repaint the entire wall or area.

When Should I Touch Up?

Before you start thinking you need to go around your home and touch up a handful of knicks and scratches, start by trying to clean these areas. Satin, Egg-Shell and Semi-gloss sheens should all be durable enough for you to try scrubbing your wall and will likely help clean up the area.

The next thing to consider is how long ago was this area painted? The longer it’s been, the more likely you will see the difference in sheen when trying to touch up

Things to remember when touching up paint

Make sure to buy the same paint brand, sheen, and color.

• Stir paint thoroughly especially if you are using old paint cans you have stored.

• Keep in mind that it may be difficult to blend the new paint in with the older paint and get the same overall look because of how paint fades and ages.

• Paint takes time to cure, so if you complete your touch-ups and are noticing only a slight difference in shine, wait another week or two until the paint has fully cured to see the final product.

• If the touch-ups end up being too noticeable, your next best option is to repaint the whole wall/area.

When Should I Repaint the Whole Wall?

The larger the flawed area, the more likely you are to see the difference in the paint on the touched-up spot. Even the smallest touch-up can prove to be difficult to blend as well. While touch-up paint can provide a quick and easy fix, painting the whole wall will ensure you get a flawless finish that will last longer and provide more value to your biggest investment.

When is it a good idea to skip the touch-ups and hire a professional to repaint the walls?

When the paint is over 5 years old.

• When the wall has a large amount of damage or a big repair.

• When the wall’s flaws are in highly visible areas.

• When the paint is chipping, peeling, or flaking off.

• If the area in question gets a lot of direct sunlight you can almost guarantee that the paint on that wall has faded and matching it will be impossible.

• When you want to change the color or sheen.

Not sure what the best option is for your scenario? Dependable painting & Remodeling offer free onsite estimates here in the Atlanta Georgia area and we’d be happy to come and take a look.