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Person holding paint roller next to white bucket and extra roller and wooden ladder in white room and floor

How to Repair Picture-Framing

Solve the sheen changes on painted walls

Person holding paint roller next to white bucket and extra roller and wooden ladder in white room and floor

How To Fix Picture-Framing On Painted Walls

How To Fix Picture-Framing On Painted Walls

Picture-framing on painted walls occurs when areas that are cut in with a brush appear lighter or darker in color and sheen than the surrounding rolled or sprayed areas, causing the appearance of a picture frame. This uneven appearance detracts from a room’s appearance. Contractors and maintenance professionals can follow these guidelines to prevent and fix this common issue.

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How To Fix Picture-Framing On Painted Walls

Picture-Framing on Painted Walls

What Causes It?

Brushes typically are used for smaller spaces, to cut in to corners, and to paint along the trim lines. When these two painting methods meet, you can encounter a picture-framing problem with paint.

Picture-framing can also be caused by:

  • Uneven application of paint.

  • Paint that hasn't been mixed well.

  • Spraying paint in small spaces that impede even application.


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How To Fix Picture-Framing On Painted Walls

Picture-Framing on Painted Walls

How to Prevent It

To prevent picture-framing:

  • Paint corners and edges of one section at a time, maintaining a wet edge when painting.

  • Use rollers as much as possible. Rollers hold more paint, distribute the paint more evenly than a brush and get the job done much faster.

  • Take your roller as close to the corners as you can while painting a wall. 


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How To Fix Picture-Framing On Painted Walls

Picture-Framing on Painted Walls

How to Fix It

If you're already faced with a picture-framing problem with paint, try to match the overlapping sections as closely as possible.

This can be accomplished by the application of additional coats of paint to the cut in areas.

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