Painting over pen marks? Or how to remove before painting?

11 years ago

We had out bathroom remodeled earlier this year. It was a longer process than we had hoped, and I'm still trying to fix the door so it closes after changing the hardware and painting, but I am finally at the point where I am ready to get the last few little things done.

I need to touch up the paint. It was chipped in a few spots hanging the mirror and medicine cabinet. And in one spot it looks like just the top layer pealed away when installing the counter. There are also PEN marks that were left from putting up the mirror and towel rack.

Can pen marks be removed from new paint? Or can I just paint over them? Or do they need to be treated in some way first so the ink doesn't bleed through?

Any advice is appreciated. I want to do all the touch up at once and be done with it already!

Comments (7)

tjdabomb
11 years ago
Put a primer over the pen marks and then paint.
paintguy22
11 years ago
Pen is an ink so consider it to be a stain that will bleed through latex paints and primers. You can either try to remove the pen marks or use a stain killing primer like Kilz or Bin and then touch up. Either way, you will likely need to touch up. I would probably use lacquer thinner to get the pen marks off and then touch up (easier than actually using the stain killing primer). I'm sure you don't have lacquer thinner on hand, so try some rubbing alcohol, Goo Gone, Soft Scrub with Bleach, hairspray, toothpaste, magic eraser, etc...so many things here that people have claimed to have worked. And then touch up.
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williamsem
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, paintguy! I will work on cleaning it off. Once I get up the energy to plane the door, I hope to do all the touch up at once. I may end up sanding and spackeing a bit too. The more I live with the walls the more it annoys me, especially since I know I could have done it better the first time if I did it myself. Not looking forward to sandng through the two coats plus primer I insisted on, but I guess that's the price I pay for not being able to supervise better.
domino123
11 years ago
Hairspray works wonders in terms of removing ink - I've done this on clothing, but not on paint. Just spray and dab.
PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
11 years ago
Trouble is paint does NOT go over the hairspay.
domino123
11 years ago
That's why you wash the hairspray off after you've removed the ink. Prime & paint. Hairspray isn't going to saturate dried paint if you wash it off right away.
caminnc
11 years ago
I would first try a Mr Clean Magic Eraser just using the very edge of the sponge. It should come right off. If not prime and paint. You may also want to thin your paint with a little water just for touch ups.