Paint age and touching up - do I buy new paint?

[peter964rs]

We moved into our house two years ago and the previous owners left us a nearly full tin of cream matt emulsion for touch up work.

I have seen other posts from people struggling to blend paint in that is putatively the same as the rest of the walls. We have Polyfilla'd a few cracks and painted over and, mysteriously, on some walls downstairs the touched up areas look too light, and one some walls upstairs they look far too dark, and a bit greyish. It's very noticeable even after being left overnight to dry.

Are my solutions

a) repaint the whole wall (they are big walls!) - I would rather not
b) leave it for much longer - I'm not hopeful given the difference
c) go get a mixer pot made up of the original colour in fresh paint and use that - seems like an option
d) get a bit of lighter paint and try and blend it in to the original to get a closer match - another possible option

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[Nige F]

combination of c+d try mixing small quantities , like an artist . Do you finish the patches in random starburst shapes - that helps a bit

 

[TheDec]

Did you apply a mist coat to the filled areas first, to be honest trying to blend the paint in order to provide a suitable finish will be more than a little difficult.

Dec

 

[JohnD]

did you stir the tin well?

 

[peter964rs]

Thanks for the advice - not sure what a mist coat is? Yes, we stirred and stirred and stirred the paint pot. Currently trying the blend-it-with-another approach; on one wall which is smaller we might just do the wall in its entirety.

To be honest, as we go around the house we are beginning to realise how incomplete the original paint job was and where it could really do with one or more refresher coats to make a good finish!

 

[TheDec]

A mist coat is just a thinned coat of emulsion, if you dont seal porus surfaces prior to painting it can cause what is often termed as flashing, this in itself would produce a patchy finish.

Dec

 

[peter964rs]

Thanks Dec, that's something new I have learned today.

Wifey painted one wall this avo and it looked fine, and has used creative genius to mix a colour that seems to blend it for the other crack repairs and it's looking good now.

 

[curlyzoo2002]

If it's not looking gd just do the full wall simples