Nothing brightens up a room like a fresh coat of paint; a new colour may completely convert it into a new environment for your home improvement. But before you can enjoy your new appearance, there’s a lot of filthy work to be done, and picking the appropriate paint is difficult. When you’re in the hardware store, one paint may appear fairly similar to another, but once on the walls, they might look extremely different.
If you’ve decided on a new paint colour or palette for your home renovation project, you may be eager to go to the paint store to choose the paint colour. But first, there’s one more step before selecting your paint: the finish. Paint comes in a variety of finishes, and you’ll need to know which one is ideal for your job before you get out the brushes and rollers.
Things to Consider
Coverage is determined by a number of criteria, including paint quality, application method, shine, and contrast with the prior wall colour.
Viscosity: This refers to the thickness and structure of a paint (solid count). The higher the count, the less dripping and splattering there will be.
Durability: Choose scrubbable paint in high-traffic areas to remove scuffs and fingerprints. Sheen is frequently associated with how washable enamel paint is.
Gloss, semi-gloss, eggshell, satin (pearl), and matte sheens are available (flat). The higher you go along the shine spectrum, the more defects you may see when you paint interior walls.
Low toxicity (VOCs): Wet paint produces some vapours. Low-VOC and no-VOC paint decrease harmful off-gassing.
Budget: We all want to save money. Some less costly paints, on the other hand, are diluted with extenders, resulting in less-than-optimal coverage.
What to Think About When Choosing a Paint Finish?
Before you go to the store and choose a finish, keep the following tips in mind to help you discover the correct paint:
Transportation. The amount of traffic in your space is perhaps the most crucial factor to consider when selecting a paint finish. Busy areas such as kitchens and playrooms can benefit from more durable finishes such as satin and semi-gloss, but quieter areas such as dining rooms may get away with eggshell finishes or even oil based paints.
Sheen of the paint Paint finishes is classified according to their lustre, ranging from no-shine flat to highly bright high-gloss. The amount of light that each finish reflects back into the space is affected by its shininess, so if you want to attempt to brighten a dull area, a slightly higher gloss finish will do better than a matte finish.
Imperfections on the surface The more reflective a finish, the more surface defects in the product you’re painting will be visible. If you wish to paint a wall with a lot of nail holes or patches, less glossy paint may assist cover such defects and keeping the wall looking smooth.
Interior Wall Paint Types
Flat/Matte: The least amount of gloss is seen in flat paints (also known as matte paints). They give the maximum coverage of any paint and require fewer applications to conceal flaws such as nail holes.
While they provide excellent coverage, they are the least lasting sort of paint and may be destroyed if cleaned, thus they are best utilised in low-traffic areas such as dining rooms and on surfaces that will not be handled frequently, such as ceilings.
Eggshell: Eggshell paint finishes are quite popular. They’re somewhat more glossy than flat paints (with the delicate low sheen of an eggshell), yet they still hide flaws and are more durable than flat finishes (though still not quite as durable as satin or gloss finishes). Eggshell paints are ideal for low- to medium-traffic areas, such as living rooms, corridors, and entryways.
Satin: The most prevalent types of interior paint finishes is satin. They have a velvety sheen and are simpler to clean than flat or eggshell paints, making them ideal for high-traffic spaces such as kitchens, playrooms, family rooms, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. (Before using satin paint, keep in mind that its shine is more likely to disclose brush strokes, making touch-ups more difficult.)
Semi-gloss: These paints are reflective and shiny. Because they are exceptionally durable and mildew-resistant, they are best utilised in spaces that see a lot of wear and tear or dampness, such as children’s rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. They’re also excellent for trimming. They will expose defects more than sparkly paint because of their glossier finish.
High-gloss: High-gloss paints are the most gleaming of the lot. They’re also the most resilient and washable, allowing them to withstand everyday cleaning. Consider this colour family for your doors, trim, and cabinets.
In addition to being an interior paint, high-gloss can be used as an outdoor detail, such as shutters. However, preparation is essential when employing this finish because it might reveal numerous flaws if done poorly.
