Request: Matching Paint Colors for Touch Ups
Archived on 12/02/2006
I love this newsletter, the participants are great. I have a dilemma. I am in the process of getting my house ready to sell. I am filling nail holes on the walls and touching up paint. i was told by my real estate agent that it was not necessary to paint the entire interior white in order to sell it, which was a relief because the labor and cost would be prohibitive.
Unfortunately i have lost the brand, color name and sheen of the paint used in several rooms. I don't even remember which store I bought the paint at to narrow my possibilities. I have been trying to choose the same color by taping up similar swatches and observing them at various times of day and in different light to get a match. When I get close I buy a quart (the smallest option avail.) and try a touch up.
So far I have spent $30 on three quarts of non-matching paint. it now looks worse than if i had just left the nails in the wall! I am at my wits end as to how to end this madness. There are literally thousands of possibilities.
Part of the problem i think is related to age and sun-related fading and smoke stain. I have tried washing the walls first with little change. does anyone have any suggestions to correct or disguise this mistake without having to repaint the entire room?
Debbie
Answers:
RE: Matching Paint Colors for Touch Ups
When I moved out of an apt, I needed to fill and paint some nail holes too. I got some small bottles of acrylic craft paints. I bought several different shades of "white", and they come in flat or the shiny sheen. I mixed and tested on the nail holes til I found one that looked the best. (08/18/2005)
By Wendee
RE: Matching Paint Colors for Touch Ups
Do any of your walls have an outlet cover that has some paint on it? If so, I know Walmart stores and many other stores have paint matching capability and they can probably do it off of that. We have done that with great success in older homes. (08/18/2005)
By Wanda
RE: Matching Paint Colors for Touch Ups
It sounds like you may need to cut a piece of the wall out, take it to the paint store, let them scan it and match the paint exactly for you. Yes, it will be a small patch job, but why keep wasting money on paint? When you do move and have to paint, make sure you stick a paint card inside the lightswitch cover with the paint info on it should you need it again. Some people actually keep this on file with appliance handbooks and such. Good luck! (08/18/2005)
By suzi homemaker
RE: Matching Paint Colors for Touch Ups
I love Crayola, rah, rah, rah!
I keep a Wizard box--120 colors--around for matching purposes. (Of course, I also keep original paint swatches in my home notebook, since I am not a complete idiot, only a partial one.)
Crayons do three things:
1. match colors by phone long distance with someone who also has crayons (they're all over the world)
2. match paint colors at home by mixing and taking the sample to the store
3. filling and fixing small defects in paint and wallpaper, especially in rental.
(08/19/2005)
By the Oracle
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