How to Fix Paint Drips

How to Stop Paint From Dripping

1. Clean up Drips on Wet Paint

   If you catch the dripping paint while it is still relatively wet, you can probably fix the paint drip by brushing it out. Try a few brush strokes and see what happens. Stop brushing if this does not affect the drip or the paint feels tacky—the paint is already too dry, and additional brushing exaggerates the problem.

   Tip

   The trick is to make the brush strokes in the same direction you used for the surrounding area. Don't try to knock down the drip by brushing in the opposite direction, as this usually creates unsightly cross-strokes that are difficult to remove.

2. Let the Paint Dry

   If the paint is tacky to the touch, it's best to let it (and the surrounding area) drip dry entirely before trying to remedy the problem. If the paint is still damp, it may peel up when you scrape or sand it, creating an even bigger problem.

3. Scrape or Sand the Drip

   A paint drip creates a raised area highlighted by the paint's shininess. Therefore, the first step after the paint has dried is to cut down or sand the raised area with an appropriate grit sandpaper. Start lightly scraping down the drip with a clean scraper, razor blade, or 5-in-1 tool. The less you disturb the surrounding area, the better.

   After you've removed the raised portion of the drip, try sanding out the remaining blemish with 220-grit sandpaper. Sand only in the direction of the drip; sanding back and forth or in the opposite direction causes the paint to gum up or flake away, leaving you with a bigger blemish. Take care to sand only the drip itself, avoiding the surrounding paint.

4. Repair Any Damage

   You might scrape or sand too deeply into the paint despite your best efforts if there's a recessed area where the drip was or any other damage due to your repair efforts, you can fill the area with glazing putty, such as Bondo.

   Spread on the putty with a putty knife, then scrape off the excess with a small drywall knife. Let the putty dry, then sand as directed.

   Tip

   It's a good idea first to prime the puttied area to prevent problems with the topcoat; sometimes, the paint will develop pinholes or appear blotchy (known as paint flash) if applied directly over putty.

5. Repaint the Area

   Once the drip has been flattened, apply another coat or two of paint. Once the paint dries, the blemish should be barely noticeable.

How to Prevent Paint From Dripping

Roller

Saturate your roller thoroughly before using it. Once saturated, use the paint tray to lightly roll out excess paint in the center and on each side. Load the roller regularly to keep it properly saturated. Roll paint over the wall slowly and steadily to avoid drips and splatter. Pushing too hard on the roller causes paint drips. Splatter is common when painting a ceiling with a roller, so don't overload the tool with paint.

Brush

Remove excess paint from the brush after dipping it into the can or paint tray. Keep your paint brushes loaded with a moderate amount of paint, as drips can be caused by too much paint or from pushing too hard on brushes without enough paint.

Sprayer

Prevent paint drips when using a sprayer by spraying in thin coats, repeating as necessary until the color is saturated on the wall or item you're painting. Never spray too close to the paint target, as this makes the coat of paint too thick and causes drips. Grab a paintbrush and lightly brush out the drip if you notice one forming.