I'm looking for some straightforward advice about getting paint color matched at Home Depot or Lowe's because it seems tougher to find this info online than you'd think! My house is 12 years old and definitely needs a fresh coat of exterior paint, which I plan to tackle myself. I still have the original can from the builder, which has the color mixing info, so I hope that helps. Here are my questions: 1) Is the color matching service free, or is there a cost? 2) How long does the process typically take—can I get the paint mixed while I wait, or should I prep ahead of time? 3) What type of base paint should I buy? Is there a way to find "mixable" paints using their app or website? 4) Can I order the paint online and then just pick it up and take it to the paint department for mixing? Thanks for any tips!
1 Answer
From my experience, color matching at Home Depot is free, but you can’t return the paint after you get it matched, so it’s wise to test a small amount first. Typically, matching takes just a few minutes, but mixing can take around 15 minutes. I recommend getting several sample jars of different base paint types (matte, semi-gloss, etc.) since they can behave differently. Ensure you get exterior-grade paint, and consider picking up a primer if the existing paint is weathered.
Thanks for the tips! Do they actually have sample jars for every type of paint, though, or would I end up buying a small pint before committing to the big 5-gallon size? Also, since my current paint is super faded, is primer really necessary?