Flat, Low Luster, Satin? What sheen should you choose?
Posted on Apr 25, 2007
Whether you're painting interior walls and trim or exterior siding and trim, you'll need to decide if you want a flat or gloss finish, or something in between. Choosing the right sheen will help produce the best results for your project; make the wrong choice and you could be very disappointed.
What exactly is sheen?
Sheen describes the light reflectivity of paint. Measured in degrees, the higher the percentage of sheen, the higher the gloss. The exact measurement of sheen in a particular paint isn't really important, but it is important to understand the terms flat, satin, semi-gloss, etc. and when to choose each one.
There are many terms used by paint manufacturers to describe the amount of sheen that paints have. From the highest to the lowest, these are the most common terms:
Gloss, Soft or Semi Gloss, Satin, Eggshell, Matte, and Flat. There are others, but these are the most common.
The question of what sheen you should use when you paint isn't always simple. Will the surface need to be washed or cleaned frequently? If so, I wouldn't recommend flat paint, despite what the label may say. While some flat paints are cleanable, most are not. Even those that claim to be washable don't really clean up as well as other paints. For this reason flat paint should never be used on woodwork.
So what good is flat paint if it can't be cleaned? A lot of good, for some situations. Although there has been a trend away from using flat in favor of more cleanable paints, from an aesthetic standpoint the velvety look of flat paint on walls is hard to beat, and is often the best choice when the walls or siding surfaces are less than perfect.
A favorite of many interior decorators, flat paint hides surface imperfections better than any other paint. Also, touch ups are easier with flat, as the new paint blends easily into the old.
Flat has also been used for years as a maintenance coating for rental property. Considering the ease of touch ups and the availability of low cost flat paint, it makes a lot of sense. Recently, eggshell and semi-gloss products have been used more often in rentals, since they are easy to clean. Ironically, most rental property is painted after each tenant vacates, so the increased clean-ability of these paints is often wasted.
Higher sheen paints also emphasize surface irregularities. I'm sure you've been in an room where the walls have been painted with semi-gloss and the light reflecting off of each poorly repaired, damaged spot just SCREAMS out at you.
Still, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss finish paints are excellent choices for many homeowners since they clean so well. Children's rooms, hallways, utility rooms, kitchens, baths and garages can all benefit from these cleanable paints.
I often tell my customers a story about my youngest daughter, now a freshman in college. I was home one afternoon when she was 4 or 5 and she and a friend were playing in her bedroom. Something told me that it was a little "too quiet" in the bedroom and when I went in to check, the girls were busy coloring on the wall behind the door.
A fairly common incident, I'll grant, but one that I'll remember because the kids were able to clean up their own mess by scrubbing the crayon off the eggshell finish with Comet cleanser! You couldn't see any crayon marks after they finished and the walls looked like new.
Of course, I did help them a little bit.
It seems like I've written a book here, so I'll only add that you should talk with your paint retailer about sheen before you make a decision about what kind of paint to use. Even better, talk with us if you are considering a painting project. Our consultation is free, even if you decide to paint it yourself!
What exactly is sheen?
Sheen describes the light reflectivity of paint. Measured in degrees, the higher the percentage of sheen, the higher the gloss. The exact measurement of sheen in a particular paint isn't really important, but it is important to understand the terms flat, satin, semi-gloss, etc. and when to choose each one.
There are many terms used by paint manufacturers to describe the amount of sheen that paints have. From the highest to the lowest, these are the most common terms:
Gloss, Soft or Semi Gloss, Satin, Eggshell, Matte, and Flat. There are others, but these are the most common.
The question of what sheen you should use when you paint isn't always simple. Will the surface need to be washed or cleaned frequently? If so, I wouldn't recommend flat paint, despite what the label may say. While some flat paints are cleanable, most are not. Even those that claim to be washable don't really clean up as well as other paints. For this reason flat paint should never be used on woodwork.
So what good is flat paint if it can't be cleaned? A lot of good, for some situations. Although there has been a trend away from using flat in favor of more cleanable paints, from an aesthetic standpoint the velvety look of flat paint on walls is hard to beat, and is often the best choice when the walls or siding surfaces are less than perfect.
A favorite of many interior decorators, flat paint hides surface imperfections better than any other paint. Also, touch ups are easier with flat, as the new paint blends easily into the old.
Flat has also been used for years as a maintenance coating for rental property. Considering the ease of touch ups and the availability of low cost flat paint, it makes a lot of sense. Recently, eggshell and semi-gloss products have been used more often in rentals, since they are easy to clean. Ironically, most rental property is painted after each tenant vacates, so the increased clean-ability of these paints is often wasted.
Higher sheen paints also emphasize surface irregularities. I'm sure you've been in an room where the walls have been painted with semi-gloss and the light reflecting off of each poorly repaired, damaged spot just SCREAMS out at you.
Still, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss finish paints are excellent choices for many homeowners since they clean so well. Children's rooms, hallways, utility rooms, kitchens, baths and garages can all benefit from these cleanable paints.
I often tell my customers a story about my youngest daughter, now a freshman in college. I was home one afternoon when she was 4 or 5 and she and a friend were playing in her bedroom. Something told me that it was a little "too quiet" in the bedroom and when I went in to check, the girls were busy coloring on the wall behind the door.
A fairly common incident, I'll grant, but one that I'll remember because the kids were able to clean up their own mess by scrubbing the crayon off the eggshell finish with Comet cleanser! You couldn't see any crayon marks after they finished and the walls looked like new.
Of course, I did help them a little bit.
It seems like I've written a book here, so I'll only add that you should talk with your paint retailer about sheen before you make a decision about what kind of paint to use. Even better, talk with us if you are considering a painting project. Our consultation is free, even if you decide to paint it yourself!