How to keep track of your paint colours
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Painting your home can be frustrating. There are so many steps, pick a colour, pick a finish, work out how much you need, prepare the area and then start painting!
Having a Paint Tracker can help you keep a record of what you have done previously so if you need to patch a wall or door you can be confident you have the right paint. It’s also handy to include in your Home Information Book of Records so if you are planning to sell the new owners will have the paint colours at hand.
I recently touched up a bathroom ceiling with a can of ‘ceiling white’ paint from the garage. What a surprise to find out that, once dried, the paint did not match the ceiling at all! It was the ‘ceiling white’ for the garage. I now have spots on the ceiling and am going to have to paint the whole thing to get back to one colour. UGH! Now I keep track of everything in one place. Thanks!
Annie
You can make your own Paint Tracker or download our Paint Tracker from our shop.
Keep a paint record of the following:
Area
Note down which room in your home the paint was used. Bedroom, living room, bathroom, hallway, entrance, garage, outdoor and so on.
Surface
You will use different paints for different surfaces of your home. For instance you wouldn’t use wall paint on a front door because the door will see a lot of traffic and you don’t want a finish that will scratch easily.
Brand
Frustratingly each paint company has different names for the same colours.
After 10 years our home was due for a fresh lick of paint inside and out. I pulled out our colour wheel and went online to re-order our original paints. To my horror the company we had used was no longer operating! Luckily, we found a supplier who knew the brand and could match the names we had so we didn’t have to start from scratch.
Colour and code
Whilst the name of the colour is important to note – the code is the key to reordering. Especially if the company has renamed paints. It happens and it’s an annoying marketing thing they do.
The walls in our home are mainly Doeskin, aka Beige. If you type Doeskin paint into The Google you get all sorts of colours. You need the code.
Finish
Sheen, refers to how shiny the paint is and how much light it will reflect. Gloss, Semi-gloss, Low-gloss, Low sheen and Matt Finish
Quantity
Keeping note of how much paint you used last time will save you from having to re-calculate how much you need. Love the Dulux paint calculator.
You might also like:
Our Paint Supplies Checklist. When light hits a painted surface you want it to look smooth and professional.
Preparation is the key to painting. If you are planning to paint yourself – you need a painting kit.
After you have selected your colours, measured the surface areas, purchased the paint, you need to gather your painting supplies list.
Go through the checklist and tick off the items you already have, things you can borrow and items you need to purchase. Painting takes time AND it is so rewarding!
I love paint, it’s one of the best tools you have to make the quickest change for the least amount of money.
