The Best Way to Match Paint

To touch up walls or paint adjoining ones, matching paint is often necessary. The process of trying to exactly match paint frustrates most people and sometimes ends in a garage littered with paint cans in very similar, not-quite-right colors. Employ a little patience, and work with paint stores to successfully match paint.

Box cutter
Sandpaper
Joint compound
3-inch spreader
Roller

Instructions

- 1
  Cut out a 2-by-2-inch section of drywall using a box cutter. Cut from a section of wall behind a piece of furniture or in an area not easily noticed. Wash the piece of drywall to ensure it is clean and free of grime.
- 2
  Take the section of drywall to a paint store. Over the next few days, the staff will work with a spectrophotometer to match your paint color and sheen. This service is free at most paint stores.
- 3
  Sand the surface of the drywall around the 2-by-2-inch hole. Fill the hole with joint compound using a 3-inch spreader. Allow it to dry overnight and then sand over the surface of the dried compound with sandpaper.
- 4
  Paint a small section of the wall that receives a large amount of natural light. Allow it to dry overnight, and check the next day to ensure the color is a match.
- 5
  Paint with a roller, so the new application and the old paint blend seamlessly. Paint also over the section of drywall that you patched.

How to Fix a Crack in My Shower Tile

How to Paint Along Edges

Indoor House Painting