Homeowners and business owners hire professional painters to make their property look better than ever, and to keep it well protected from damage. But even the best paint jobs are susceptible to fading, peeling, chipping, staining, and more. If you maintain your property well, it may take several years for your paint job to show these signs of wear. Of course, paint can also become suddenly scuffed or scraped by an external impact. When this happens, you must decide if you’re going to retouch the area in question or not. And if you do want to touch it up, should you do it yourself, or hire pro painters once again? Here are a few things to consider when making this call.

How Serious is the Problem?

Your first step should always be to assess the damage in front of you. Will simply cleaning the surface solve the problem, or is it a deeper issue? How much paint, if any, is chipping, peeling, or fading away? If the damage is minor and isolated, you can probably retouch the area on your own. For more widespread paint problems, reach out to the professionals.

Do You Have the Same Paint?

Before you go ahead and touch up the area, see if you have any leftover paint stored from the previous paint job. If it was stored properly and you have enough of it to cover the spot, you don’t have to worry about purchasing new paint or determining which brand, finish, and color you need. Of course, not all painting services will leave you with extra paint. Regardless, make sure you ask your painters what paint they’re using for the different areas of your property and write it down. This way, you’ll know exactly what to get should you need to retouch anything yourself.

Make Sure to Match Colors

Matching colors is crucial for any touch-up job if you want it to look seamless and professional. As just mentioned, one easy way to ensure you’re matching colors and paint types is by noting the paint used by your commercial or home painting contractors. If you forget to do this, and you don’t have extra paint to fall back on, you can still match colors by taking a sample of the dried paint to a hardware or paint store. Color matching technology has come a long way, and you should be able to find exactly what you need this way.

Is it Time for a Whole New Coat?

Touching up an area or two of damaged paint is a relatively simple and cheap way to maintain your property’s appearance, as long as you do it right. However, retouching isn’t always the best option. If it’s been a while since you hired home painters or commercial painters, your entire exterior and/or interior might simply need a new coat of paint. In other words, if several years have gone by and your paint job isn’t looking as fresh as it once did, your best bet might be to hire professional painters once more. When you do, just remember to keep track of the paint they use so you can make any necessary touch-ups in the future!

In short, if the damage is minor, you have the right paint, and you know what you’re doing, then yes, you should retouch your paint job when necessary. But if your property needs a lot of work and you’re not confident in your ability to retouch your paint job seamlessly, reach out to reliable painters. All American Painting Plus transforms homes and businesses with our expertise and commitment to high-quality work. To learn more about all that we do, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!