Many of our clients, especially the ones who have little children, worry about how to keep their walls clean and protect them from the damages. No matter how expensive and good your paint is or what color you chose, you will need to add extra work. If you want to protect the walls, pay attention to the paint sheens or paint finishes. The higher the sheen, means the higher the shine, and the higher the shine, the more durable the paint finish is. There are 5 types of paint sheens: flat, low-sheen, eggshell, semi-gloss, and gloss. So, if you want to protect your walls from the damage, you need to know which sheen in which room to use!
Here’s the short description of each of the paint finishes:
• Flat or Matte (1-9% gloss) – this type of paint sheens is money and time-saving. The best place to use it is in adults’ bedroom or other rooms that will not be visited by children. This paint finish provides the most coverage and has the most pigment. Durability – medium-low.
• Low Sheen (10-25% gloss) – is almost as durable as, flat or matte paint sheen. However, it has more gloss and can cover some of the wall imperfections. Low-sheen is cheap, can be used in study/reading rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms.
• Eggshell (26-40% gloss) – between low-sheen and semi-gloss on the sheen and durability scale is eggshell. This paint finish is essentially matte with a little luster, just like chicken’s egg. Eggshell is perfect for areas that do not get many scuffs and bumps. Durability – medium.
• Semi-Gloss (41-69% gloss) – this paint sheen is great for spaces where drips, moisture, and grease stains challenge walls. Semi-gloss is highly durable and quite expensive. However, if you want to keep the walls clean, it is one of the best paint finishes for kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms.
• Gloss (70-89% gloss) – this is the most durable and easiest to clean paint finish. It is very shiny, hard and light-reflecting. Gloss paint sheen is a perfect choice for places that sticky fingers touch, such as kitchens, doors, and cabinets. However, this paint finish can be too shiny for interior walls, so it can be used outdoor (swimming pool area, barbecue area).
One more tip on how to choose the right paint sheen is to pay attention to your color. If the paint color is rich and dark, but you don’t want a shiny effect, choose one level lower on the sheen scale. The darker the color, the more colorant it has, which makes it look shinier. Also, the higher the sheen, the more defects will be visible. Keep in mind these tips while choosing your paint finishes and we wish you to take good care of your walls!
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