Touch-Up Paint
June 24, 2004 2:03 PM Subscribe
I want to go buy some paint to do touch-ups on my walls. I need it to match what's on the walls. Anyone have any bright ideas on how I can accomplish this? I have managed to get a paint chip off the wall, about 1-inch by 1/2-inch. Is that enough for the Home Depot folks to computer-match? Should I just eyeball the paint samples and try to find a match myself?
You won't like this, but your chances of matching paint is exactly 0. Even matching paint from different buckets sometimes is hard. It might be easier to just repaint the entire wall, rather then have little patches of off-color paint litter the wall. Especially if that wall gets direct sun; you not only have to worry about UV wear, but the direct sun will highlight the difference. If the room is dungeon like, then you might have an easier time of matching the paint. Good luck.
posted by plemeljr at 2:16 PM on June 24, 2004
posted by plemeljr at 2:16 PM on June 24, 2004
Response by poster: Well, I want to get as close as possible. It's an off white of some kind, and there are just a few spots I want to touch up. I'm not expecting a match so 100% perfect that not even Georrdi LaForge could see the difference, but anything I can do to get as close as possible would be appreciated.
posted by scarabic at 2:35 PM on June 24, 2004
posted by scarabic at 2:35 PM on June 24, 2004
Plus, even if you matched the paint perfectly, the new paint is going to look newer (obviously enough). You need to re-paint the whole wall, my friend.
posted by signal at 2:59 PM on June 24, 2004
posted by signal at 2:59 PM on June 24, 2004
A 1" x 1" chip is sufficient to do a computer match. However....what they said. Have you considered an accent wall of a complimentary color perchance?! ;)
posted by yoga at 3:03 PM on June 24, 2004
posted by yoga at 3:03 PM on June 24, 2004
You need to re-paint the whole wall, my friend
Indeed. Close isn't close. Close is clashing and horrible. Close is no better than substituting Danger Orange. Only exactly the same is close -- and I mean exactly, not something that's mixed to look the same but the same exact mix of exactly the same pigments; the same paint from the same formula from the same maker who hasn't changed suppliers. And even then, if the room has gotten sun or the paint is otherwise aged, you're hosed.
On a happier note, just painting the wall again won't take much longer at all than touching it up, and you can pick the color.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:10 PM on June 24, 2004
Indeed. Close isn't close. Close is clashing and horrible. Close is no better than substituting Danger Orange. Only exactly the same is close -- and I mean exactly, not something that's mixed to look the same but the same exact mix of exactly the same pigments; the same paint from the same formula from the same maker who hasn't changed suppliers. And even then, if the room has gotten sun or the paint is otherwise aged, you're hosed.
On a happier note, just painting the wall again won't take much longer at all than touching it up, and you can pick the color.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:10 PM on June 24, 2004
If you like the color, give it a try. At worst, you'll have the paint you need to repaint the wall, and, since it's the same color, you won't have to worry about coverage. Off-whites can be pretty forgiving.
posted by theora55 at 3:32 PM on June 24, 2004
posted by theora55 at 3:32 PM on June 24, 2004
Response by poster: Geez. You guys have never heard of a paint touch up? Painting the whole place is not an option for me. I'm a renter, and even if I could get permission I can't afford to paint the whole place. I have spackled a screw hole here and there and want to dab a bit of paint on top. I've done this a zillion times, and even paints that don't match can be blended to cover a shoe scuff just fine. You just use a mostly dry brush, and dab a lot, blending the edges. Good enough for me.
Anyway, I just got back from Home Depot, where they did the match on my tiny sample and mixed the paint in about 2 minutes, with no charge for the match. From the dab sample they made, it looks more or less perfect. I'm going to dab a few drops over my gleaming white spackle, and I guess I'm just going to have to put tapestries over my walls when Geordi LaForge comes to dinner:
"I'm sensing a .04 variance in the EM band captain. Visual spectrum, sir, it's everywhere!"
:) Thanks, all.
posted by scarabic at 5:21 PM on June 24, 2004
Anyway, I just got back from Home Depot, where they did the match on my tiny sample and mixed the paint in about 2 minutes, with no charge for the match. From the dab sample they made, it looks more or less perfect. I'm going to dab a few drops over my gleaming white spackle, and I guess I'm just going to have to put tapestries over my walls when Geordi LaForge comes to dinner:
"I'm sensing a .04 variance in the EM band captain. Visual spectrum, sir, it's everywhere!"
:) Thanks, all.
posted by scarabic at 5:21 PM on June 24, 2004
:) Bleach is also wonderful on scuff marks (on apartment white walls).
posted by dness2 at 5:46 PM on June 24, 2004
posted by dness2 at 5:46 PM on June 24, 2004
I need it to match what's on the walls.
Yeesh. You started it.
;-)
posted by stonerose at 7:19 PM on June 24, 2004
Yeesh. You started it.
;-)
posted by stonerose at 7:19 PM on June 24, 2004
You guys have never heard of a paint touch up?
Of course! You go out to the garage and get one the partial-cans that's left over and use that. It's trying to match with the computer's best guess that's more trouble than it's worth (if quality matters).
I'm a renter
Then I'd ask the rental company for the paint, or at least for the paint brand-and-number. Except that you're already done. But for other people in the same boat, ask the company.
Or just not bother. They're going to repaint anyway.
I'd had the impression, because you were bothering to paint, that it was your place, in which case quality matters more.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:40 PM on June 24, 2004
Of course! You go out to the garage and get one the partial-cans that's left over and use that. It's trying to match with the computer's best guess that's more trouble than it's worth (if quality matters).
I'm a renter
Then I'd ask the rental company for the paint, or at least for the paint brand-and-number. Except that you're already done. But for other people in the same boat, ask the company.
Or just not bother. They're going to repaint anyway.
I'd had the impression, because you were bothering to paint, that it was your place, in which case quality matters more.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:40 PM on June 24, 2004
Geez. You guys have never heard of a paint touch up?
I'm with you, scarabic. Don't let these guys get all Queer Eye on your ass...err, or something.
posted by ChrisTN at 8:21 PM on June 24, 2004
I'm with you, scarabic. Don't let these guys get all Queer Eye on your ass...err, or something.
posted by ChrisTN at 8:21 PM on June 24, 2004
Response by poster: I'd ask the rental company for the paint
That's a good suggestion. I did try it. I've been in this building longer than the owner, who lives downstairs (rental company = guy named pete) and he doesn't have any idea if there's a matching can of paint sitting around anywhere. I don't blame him, really. That's the kind of thing that's very easy to lose track of in transfer of ownership.
I appreciate people trying to think of all the angles.
posted by scarabic at 12:43 AM on June 25, 2004
That's a good suggestion. I did try it. I've been in this building longer than the owner, who lives downstairs (rental company = guy named pete) and he doesn't have any idea if there's a matching can of paint sitting around anywhere. I don't blame him, really. That's the kind of thing that's very easy to lose track of in transfer of ownership.
I appreciate people trying to think of all the angles.
posted by scarabic at 12:43 AM on June 25, 2004
Response by poster: Thanks ChrisTN.
I'm that rare creature: the staight guy with the queer eye.
Chicks dig my bathroom.
posted by scarabic at 2:23 AM on June 25, 2004
I'm that rare creature: the staight guy with the queer eye.
Chicks dig my bathroom.
posted by scarabic at 2:23 AM on June 25, 2004
scarabic -- thank you for asking this question. I have the EXACT same problem (scuff marks, renter, asked for left-over paint to no avail, etc.) and now I know I need to (1) obtain paint chip (2) trek over to ol' HD and (3) not invite Geordi over anytime soon. (I wonder what would happen if I did just decide to paint the whole wall a nice dark red, which is what I really want to do? How much trouble would I get in if I'm a renter, especially if they're going to paint it over anyways?)
posted by rio at 3:40 PM on June 25, 2004
posted by rio at 3:40 PM on June 25, 2004
How much trouble would I get in if I'm a renter, especially if they're going to paint it over anyways?
Trouble? No trouble. They'll just charge you extra to repaint it, since it'll need two coats at least.
posted by kindall at 3:50 PM on June 25, 2004
Trouble? No trouble. They'll just charge you extra to repaint it, since it'll need two coats at least.
posted by kindall at 3:50 PM on June 25, 2004
I've found that nearly every scuff mark in my place was removable with those "magic eraser" things that are all the rage these days. It did a damn fine job and saved me repainting in quite a few spots. For a couple of bucks, it might be worth taking a shot at the scuffs with one of those things.
Obviously, that doesn't solve the problem of what to put over the holes you've spackled, but I'm willing to bet that a couple of little spackle holes are less ugly than the scuffs are.
posted by majick at 4:45 PM on June 25, 2004
Obviously, that doesn't solve the problem of what to put over the holes you've spackled, but I'm willing to bet that a couple of little spackle holes are less ugly than the scuffs are.
posted by majick at 4:45 PM on June 25, 2004
Response by poster: !@#$%&! Shit! Shit! Shit!
I tried the paint in a few inconspicuous places today, and I have to confess the match was not a good one. There really is no substitute, apparently, for having some of the original paint sitting around.
Dragging my ass down to the Home Depot cost me an hour and $18, and now I have a gallon of essentially useless paint. Fuck! The folks who said close isn't good enough were, in this case correct after all.
If *this* is as close as the computer matching will get you, my advice is to avoid it. I had some misgivings about it, which led me here looking for relevant expereriences. But in my case either the paint chip was dirty or one chip doesn't make a representative sample for an entire wall, or the computer was just plain inaccurate. The paint is simply too dark, period.
Perhaps specialty paint stores like Sherwin Williams can do better than Home Depot. I have no clue. Not only did HD fail to match the color well, but the paint itself is a no-return item.
Did I mention: shit!
posted by scarabic at 2:32 AM on June 26, 2004
I tried the paint in a few inconspicuous places today, and I have to confess the match was not a good one. There really is no substitute, apparently, for having some of the original paint sitting around.
Dragging my ass down to the Home Depot cost me an hour and $18, and now I have a gallon of essentially useless paint. Fuck! The folks who said close isn't good enough were, in this case correct after all.
If *this* is as close as the computer matching will get you, my advice is to avoid it. I had some misgivings about it, which led me here looking for relevant expereriences. But in my case either the paint chip was dirty or one chip doesn't make a representative sample for an entire wall, or the computer was just plain inaccurate. The paint is simply too dark, period.
Perhaps specialty paint stores like Sherwin Williams can do better than Home Depot. I have no clue. Not only did HD fail to match the color well, but the paint itself is a no-return item.
Did I mention: shit!
posted by scarabic at 2:32 AM on June 26, 2004
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by whatnot at 2:11 PM on June 24, 2004