Matching Paint

[email_invalid]

In my garage, I had to replace a bunch of drywall due to flooding. So I had it replaced and needed to repaint it. Unfortunately, I have no clue as to the exact paint color used in the garage by the prior owners. I went to HD and had them color match it and they got very close. The paint color is white but slightly yellowish white in case anyone was wondering.

The mixed paint turned out not to be exact. While it doesn't stand out too badly, it is also is visibly different if you look directly at it in good light. The new paint is slightly too white and not as yellowish as it needs to be. It doesn't stand out too much but its certainly not a perfect match.

So I was wondering if this is probably as good as it gets and I should just quit while I'm ahead or if it might be possible to get an exact match with further attempts. Would it be possible to get an exact match or will almost but not perfectly matching paint is what I can ever expect no matter how many times I try to mix an exact match to the old paint?

What is people's experience on this?

[JoeSpareBedroom]

I've never used Home Despot for that sort of thing. But, 2-3 times in the past, I've gotten an exact match from a real paint store. You might try that.

On the other hand, it's just a garage. Not your living room.

[kelly.jj]

My experience is that I have never had the luxury of the time and energy needed to worry about getting the paint in my garage exactly matched!!

However, If you are so fortunate, I suggest you paint the entire wall up to the ceiling and corners. A color change where walls or the ceiling intersects is much less noticable than one in the middle of a wall.

Good luck.

Have you c> In my garage, I had to replace a bunch of drywall due to flooding. So I

[Malcolm Hoar]

It will depend mainly on who you speak to at the store.

If it's a kid they hired last week, you're outta luck.

But if you get a good old timer and have decent samples of the paint, old and new, they will likely get you pretty darn close to perfection.

You must have a REALLY nice garage. I'd just tell the kids to throw their dirty foot/soccer/basket/volley balls against the new paint until it looked just like the old ;-)

[Joseph Meehan]

It's a garage. If it bothers you buy more of the same paint and do the rest of the garage. If it doesn't bother you that much, try putting something an the wall, like some artistic trim right there, you could even use contrasting paint. Maybe one of your kids would like an art project.

[Karl S]

I have used computer color matchers from different companies for more than twenty years and have mixed thousands of gallons of paint using their results.

The truth is, they should be called "computer color approximators." On average, they come fairly close. Occasionally, they give an almost perfect match, but just as often, they come up with a color that isn't even close to the sample.

They are good because you can get your paint matched immediately.

There are people, such as me, who can do a much better job matching by eye, but this takes time. If you want this done, you have to drop off your sample and come back later. Many people become irate when they are told this.

[trader4]

I second that. When I've tried to do the computer matching, I've found it to be very good if you intend to paint an entire wall. Then the diff between it and the other walls tends to be unnoticeable. But if you try to repaint a 1X1 section on a wall, most match jobs won't get it close enough for it to be unnoticeable.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Paint the whole garage and be done with it as it will darken, fade, or otherwise change colors anyway and not match. There are many more important things in life than trying to match old paint. It's a garage! Spend $15 for another gallon and be done with it and get on with enjoying life.

[Al Bundy]

email [e-mail] wrote in news:1165863164.838632.47000@

80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com:

Why are you going through all this?!

If you want exact & perfect why didn't you just paint the whole wall(s)?

Watch the Oops bin for a $5/gal color. Squeaking about a 2nd gallon of paint? Get two gallons of Opps that are close in color and mix them. Or a

5 gal bucket for $15. I've painted the entire interior of a small house for less than $50...often using higher quality Behr paint. I've done rooms by mixing colors of the same family from 5 different cans.

[Professional]

[m Ransley]

A garage is the easiest paint job there is, how much trouble is it to roll the whole wall, not much.