Walls and trim in your home can take a beating. Day-to-day life can slowly wear down paint and leave walls and trim in need of a touch-up. When it’s time to do some touch-ups, you want to make sure you know what you need and how to do it, and that’s what this article is all about.
What is the best paintbrush for touch-ups?
The best paintbrush for touch-ups shouldn’t be much larger than the area you’re trying to touch up. You want to be as precise as possible, so a smaller brush is better.
Choose a 2-inch or smaller high-quality paintbrush with synthetic bristles. Another option is to use artist brushes or a refillable paintbrush designed for precision touch-ups.
Artist brushes can be found at most craft stores. They come in various sizes and shapes, so you can find one that’s perfect for the touch-up you’re doing.
Refillable paintbrushes are another great option for touch-ups. These brushes have a reservoir that you can fill with paint, and they come with a fine tip that’s perfect for precision touch-ups.
What kind of paint do I need for touch-ups?
Always use the same type of paint that’s on your walls or trim. If you’re not sure what kind of paint was used, ask a professional at your local hardware store. They can help you match the paint color to what’s already on your walls or trim.
To find out if it’s a water-based or oil-based paint then you can do a simple test. Dip a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol onto the paint. If it dissolves into the paint, then it’s water-based. If nothing happens, then you have an oil-based paint.
When you’re doing touch-ups, it’s also important to use the same paint finish that’s currently on your walls or trim.
The paint finish is the shininess of the paint, and it can be either flat, satin, eggshell, semi-gloss, gloss or high gloss. Different paint brands may have more or fewer variants for these finishes.
Trim and doors usually have satin or semi-gloss while walls usually have satin or eggshell. You can usually find the paint finish on the can of paint if you still have the old one around.
How to touch-up walls
First, try to clean the wall before you start painting. Use a damp cloth to remove any dirt and dust that’s accumulated.
If the scuff marks and scratches are deep, use a putty knife and some spackle such as these on Amazon. Gently sand it with fine-grit sandpaper (120-240) before you paint it.
If it’s a mark that isn’t deep but you can’t clean it off then try a magic cleaning sponge. Wet the edge of the sponge and then gently rub the mark.
Have in mind that if you rub it too hard the spot can look less glossy than the rest of the wall.
If the mark is still visible after cleaning, then use the same paint as your walls to touch it up. Use a 2-inch or smaller brush and apply some paint on the mark.
Either stipple with the paintbrush or use light brush strokes over the mark, depending on the size of the touch-up. Start with a small amount and add more if needed.
Make sure to feather out the edges so that it blends in with the rest of the wall.
How to touch-up trim and doors
First, try to clean the trim and/or door before you start painting. Use a damp cloth to try to remove the mark.
You could also try rubbing the marks off with the magic cleaning sponge.
If that doesn’t help, then use a small brush and the same paint as your trim/door.
When painting on trim or doors, you want to make sure that you feather out all of the edges so that it blends in with the rest of the trim/door.
If the marks are really small then you could use the touch-up pen. It can be filled with the same paint as your trim/door and used to fill in smaller marks.
Other techniques for touch-ups
You could also use a piece of paper towel or cloth to dab paint onto the area in need of a touch-up.
If it’s a small mark you could use a finger dabbed with paint to fill in the mark but the best results are achieved by using a brush.
Finally, a paint roller with a roller cover that has a short nap is great for larger touch-ups on walls, trim and doors.
Conclusion
Touching up walls, trim and doors can be a tricky job. However, if you know the right tools and techniques, it can be done with a result that can’t be distinguished from the original paint job.
If your walls or trim has lots of marks then it might be better to just paint the whole surface. A surface with lots of touch-ups doesn’t look as good as when the whole surface is painted.