Easy House Painting Tips - Newsletter August, 2009Table of Contents Difference Between Paint Sheens
Difference Between Paint Sheens The difference between paint sheens. What’s in a name? Once you choose color for your paint project, you have one more decision to make: the paint sheen! Some of the common choices are: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and gloss. The glossier a finish, the more durable and washable it tends to be. Flat paint is great at hiding irregularities and surface imperfections. Eggshell paint sheen is a compromise; it partially hides imperfections and is more washable than flat paints. For painting interiors, the best choices are often flat paint for ceilings, eggshell and satin for walls and semi-gloss or gloss on doors and trim. The most popular paint sheen is satin, a good choice because it's not too shiny but cleans easier than flat and a perfect base for popular faux finishing techniques. FLAT Also referred to as "Matte" finish. If you have children or pets, this paint sheen isn't the best choice for walls as it tends to show dirt and scuff marks easily. This sheen is not an easy paint to keep clean. The flat paint sheen is a great choice for areas with dents, dings and rough surface texture. This sheen is perfect for surfaces that do not have a lot of contact with human hands, such as ceilings. Use this sheen for a uniform, non-reflecting appearance. EGGSHELL More durable and washable than most flat paints, but not as durable as Satin or Semi-gloss. The Eggshell paint sheen is a great choice for wall surfaces in foyers, hallways, and Dining rooms. You can clean this paint sheen. Eggshell paints reflect more light than flat, but only slightly. The best way to describe paint is the reflective qualities of this sheen are similar to that of a real eggshell. It resists stains better than flat paint and gives a more lustrous appearance offering a soft glow that warms up any room. SATIN The Satin paint sheen is durable enough to stand up to most dirt, cleaning and are great for high traffic areas like halls, foyers, and bedrooms. Satin sheens are not truly "shiny," but more like actual satin, in having subtle reflective qualities. This sheen adds just enough light to the walls to be called a slight "glow". Satin or semi-gloss finishes are easy to clean and are good for highlighting architectural details. SEMI–GLOSS Semi-gloss paint sheen tends to be much more durable as they can be easily cleaned with most cleaning products and resist dirt and stains. They are typically used for doors, cabinets, woodwork and trim. Many people find Semi-Gloss to be too shiny for walls though it works quite well on surfaces that are prone to get a lot of handprints. A semi-gloss reflects between 35 to 50 percent of the light that hits it. HIGH-GLOSS While the high-gloss paint sheen allows for an easy surface to clean, any dents or dings in the paint will be very visible. Take extra precautions in choosing where you use this sheen. High-Gloss should be limited to areas such as kitchen cabinets, banisters and railings, trim, furniture, door jambs, window sills and specialty uses. You wouldn't typically paint a wall with high-gloss paint because the reflective qualities create too much glare. High-Gloss reflects approximately 75%-80% of the light that hits it. Return to Newsletters Return to Home Page
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