Touch Up

Depends On Gloss

The ability to "touch up" a painted surface is dependent on the gloss and color of the product, the length of time it has been on the surface, and whether it is alkyd or latex. Generally, flats touch up well in both alkyd and latex. Alkyd eggshell and semigloss paints lose about 25-30% of their applied gloss after 10-12 weeks. If alkyds are touched up after this loss of gloss, even from the same can, the touch ups are too glossy and take a long time (months) to catch up to the lower gloss on the surface. As a general rule, latex at all gloss levels will touch up better than an alkyd because there is much less change in gloss and colour on aging.

Affected By Temperature

The ability to "touch up" latex paint can be affected by temperature. Latex paint applied below 50°F (10°C) will have its film forming properties adversely affected. The color of the paint will likely be lighter than if it dried at 50°F (10°C) or higher. When painting in the colder months on new construction, be sure that the air, surface, and paint temperatures are all above 50°F (10°C).

Use The Same Tool

When "touching up" a paint finish, it is important to use the same application tool that was used when the surface was done originally. Brushes and rollers leave different surface textures, and if you touch up a wall that has been rolled by using a brush, the touch up will be quite apparent.