Minor Painting near you

A touch-up only disappears when the colour, sheen and product all match and the wall hasn't changed much since it was painted. Paint yellows, fades in sunlight and collects grime, so even paint from the original can may not match a wall that has been up for years. The same colour in another sheen reflects light differently, and fresh paint on a dull wall shows as a shiny patch when seen at an angle.

Prep is still most of the work on a small job, and skipping it is why many touch-ups look worse than the scuff they were meant to hide.

Small jobs in older homes often fall on the surfaces most likely to carry old paint: window sills, doors, trim and stair railings. Health Canada says a home built before 1960 probably contains lead-based paint, and that the exterior of one built between 1960 and 1990 may. Scraping flaking paint from a single sill or sanding a single door can still create lead dust.

Health Canada warns against using sanders, heat guns or blowlamps on lead-based paint, because they create toxic dust and fumes. It advises keeping children and pregnant women away from the work area and cleaning it thoroughly at the end of each day. Paint chips can be sent to a lab, or checked on site by a contractor with the proper x-ray equipment. Scrapings and chips go in a sealed container marked as hazardous waste, disposed of as your municipality directs, and any work that removes lead paint is best left to a contractor experienced with it.

Leftover paint is what makes future touch-ups match, so keep some of each colour. Seal the lid tightly, label the can with the room, colour and sheen, and store it indoors, away from heat and out of children's reach. A garage or shed that freezes in winter can spoil water-based paint.

Paint you no longer need is household hazardous waste in many municipalities. The City of Toronto, for example, lists latex, acrylic and oil paints, including empty paint cans, along with spray paints, as household hazardous waste that must not go in the garbage, the recycling or organics bins, or down a drain. It accepts them at drop-off depots, at Community Environment Days and through a pickup service. Rules differ elsewhere, so check your municipality's hazardous waste program, and ask whether the painter takes leftovers away or leaves them with you.

A handyman or a single painter suits touch-ups, one room and a set of doors. As the job grows, a painting company's crew, equipment and scheduling usually give a better result; the painters page explains how to compare them and when a licence applies.