Property Management Tips: Covering Areas Where Paint Has Been Chipped

Take a Picture of the Work to Be Done

Take a picture of the damage then ascertain if you have any leftover paint from when the wall was originally painted. In many cases, you will not have any paint left to use because either the building is old or the previous contractor failed to leave a can of the right color. You will need to take some paint chips to the paint store so they can analyze the color. Take a look at the wall and try to get an idea of the color before you head off to the store for some paint!

However, driving to the store too soon may just end in confusion because that off color white is just about the most common color of paint on earth with thousands of hues. Every brand has it's own shade of white and no two color mixtures are the same. The store person will happily proceed to list off scores of shades of pure, rental-property-worthy white. Even Egg-Shell white does not look like the color that you picture as being on the side of an egg. Your description of the color brings a smile from the Clerk and a request for a paint chip at least the width of your thumb so that he or she can analyze the color. Best to cut the chip before you head off to the store.

Getting the Paint Scrape off the wall

Most people start to panic at the thought of removing a large painted divit from their wall. However, you will most likely be able to easily correct the appearance of what you remove when you obtain the paint. Maybe the scratch is not too bad or you can always buy a small painting to cover the patch. Hey - a calendar might work in this case. Sadly, the only realistic choice is to cut a hole and get the chip.