Fresh Paint - touch up looks lighter

kerri_gt

This might be a silly question but...

...our current house was painted about a year ago just before we moved in. The other week I was moving a picture (held up by some Command Strips) and pulled some paint off the wall (yep...all layers).

I bought a tester paint of what I thought to be the correct colour (based on cans left in the loft) and the colour on the internet and front of the tester pot look like what is on the wall. However....the area where I have touched up the paint looks a lot lighter than the rest of the wall :eek:.

Is this because it's a tester and likely to be a different formula (although it is water based like wall emulsion) or is it just because the paint is new and will it tone down over time? Is there anything I can do to help tone it down?

(btw - the reason I didn't use the can up in the loft was because it had set rock solid - would have saved me £3.25 on a tester pot otherwise )

keystone

kerri_gt wrote: »

This might be a silly question but...

No such thing - just some silly answers from some quarters on occasions.

I bought a tester paint of what I thought to be the correct colour (based on cans left in the loft) and the colour on the internet and front of the tester pot look like what is on the wall.

You'll be finding a disclaimer somewhere that says it will look different on the wall. Anyway "looks like" is not the same as "is exactly like"

However....the area where I have touched up the paint looks a lot lighter than the rest of the wall :eek:.

That will be because the paint on the wall has "aged" for one thing.

Is there anything I can do........

Repaint the whole wall TBH.

Cheers

Mankysteve

Tester pots are much weaker paints.

Different batches are slightly different colours hence if you painting a large areas with more than one tub of paint for best finish you need to mix tubs.

Its newer so wont have been darkened by dust and dirt that everyone get in there homes.

As above poster say repaint the entire wall.

kerri_gt

Thanks guys - I don't really, no scrap that, am deff not going to repaint the whole wall as last time I did that it led to me repainting the whole room :rotfl:Plus the room was painted only about a year ago. The area is quite high up and on the scale of things quite small - people visiting prob wouldn't even notice.

I am going to try rubbing a little hoover dust (bit eugh I know!) over the patch to gently dim it down a little ...will update how it goes...

keystone

Whatever. Why not use a paint that is a little darker then?

Cheers

kerri_gt

keystone wrote: »

Whatever. Why not use a paint that is a little darker then?

Cheers

I did think about that - I have a number of testers but all diff makes (from the prev flat) and currently all at my mums - still not sure how much of a match I would get (though I am pretty handy at mixing colours as I used to work in a printers many years ago) - little worried that adding more paint to the equation could make things look worse though - argh! so frustrated with myself that I pulled the paint off in the first place ...grrrr

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend - I was just being honest when I said I wasn't really wanting to paint the whole wall. I appreciate all the replies that people take time to post.

keystone

kerri_gt wrote: »

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend - I was just being honest when I said I wasn't really wanting to paint the whole wall. I appreciate all the replies that people take time to post.

S'OK - takes more than this to offend me!! Have you thought of putting another picture or a mirror or something else up to hide the damage?

Cheers

kerri_gt

keystone wrote: »

S'OK - takes more than this to offend me!! Have you thought of putting another picture or a mirror or something else up to hide the damage?

Cheers

Phew! Annoyingly it was moving a big picture that caused the damage - we'd put up a canvas with some of those Command strips but it was a bit high and when I took it off the wall it took the darn paint off :eek:

My OH has been at the area with a damp tea bag (cue me hiding behind a cushion pulling all kinds of 'OMG' faces) and then a quick brush with a damp sponge and it looks a lot better. The area's more toned in together and although if you look carefully I think he's been a little over zelous with the sponging, its much better than before :j I am tempted to put a light wash of the tester paint over the area - but on the other hand, it might be better to leave it :rotfl:

Many thanks for your suggestions everyone