Why Do My Walls Have Scuff Marks?

Often only a short time after repainting a room, scuff marks begin to appear on newly the painted surfaces. You may ask yourself how walls seem to inevitably get dirty. Usually, scuff marks are from one of two things:

1. Residue that sits on the top of a surface.

• Such as the black rubber on the sole of a shoe. Any small brush against a wall or trim can transfer the residue onto the paint. Even something as small as leaning a broom-handle against a wall could scuff the paint surface.

2. An abrasion that has damaged the actual paint film.

• With a flat or low sheen paint, the paint film has small microscopic hairs that stand up to capture the light. When something hits or abrades the surface, it makes these hairs lay flat which causes that spot to appear darker than the rest of the paint.

Needless to say, the best way to avoid these causes is simply to be conscientious of the walls in your home. Sometimes it is hard to keep an eye on your walls with children or pets, but you can also consider using a scratch-resistant paint to reduce the abrasions on your walls.

At Chism Brothers Painting, we deal first hand with proofing walls, and touching-up or repainting scratched walls. Give us a call at 858.454.3850; we would be happy to help you with your home.

Have you found any ways to help keep your walls scratch-proof? Any tips you have found helpful that you would like to share? Let us know in the comments.