BLOGS

Paint Sheens - A Guide

So, inspiration has struck, or disaster, and you find yourself ready to repaint the interior walls in your home. Besides deciding on the crucial color to bedeck your walls with, perhaps you find yourself lost trying to figure out what the difference between eggshell and satin finishes are, and most importantly, does it even matter? Well, picking the right sheen does matter and the My Painter team is here to explain why.

For starters, there are five main sheens. Flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. Basically, these will determine how shiny your paint will appear once dried.

Flat:Flat paint is going to have the least amount of gloss, as you may have guessed. Because it gives off such little glare, it can easily hide imperfections. The downside to this, though, is that it is not the easiest to clean. If you scrub at the paint, it is likely that the paint will rub off. Because of these reasons, many people mainly choose flat sheens for the ceilings in homes.

Eggshell: Eggshell is a true mainstay among the majority of interior walls today. It contains a bit more gloss than flat sheens while still holding the ability to mask imperfections well. But it is also fairly easy to wash without damaging the paint. Because of these reasons, it is not difficult to see why many homeowners choose this sheen for their main living area walls.

Satin: Satin sheens are just a wee smidge glossier than eggshell. Some manufacturers offer both eggshell and satin, while others forgo one for the other. At an additional half step up in gloss, it makes little difference.

Semi-gloss: Semi-gloss is moisture-resistant and much more washable than the other options on our list so far. Because of this, many choose semi-gloss for high moisture and heavily used areas like the bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen.

Gloss:Gloss can really make paint pop. And it is by far the easiest of all the sheens to wash down. Gloss is a popular sheen choice for trim, cabinets, and doors, mainly so you can wash them fairly effortlessly.

And there you have it. If you have always wondered what the difference between these paint finishes were, wonder no longer. Hopefully this guide has helped you pick the optimal gloss for your intended purpose. If you need to paint difficult to reach areas, like high ceilings, or you just want the precision that a professional paint job can provide, then call My Painter today!

By My Painter 1-9-2020