Color selection and paint products are not the only important decisions to make when painting the interior of your home. The decision you make regarding which sheen or sheens to use is just as important. The sheen(s) you choose determines the finished look, feel, washability, and touch-up ability of the paint applied in your home. To make the decision seem even more complicated than it should be, different paint products use different names to describe very similar sheens. In an effort to make sheen selection as stress-free as possible, A Finishing Touch Painters (www.aftPainters.com) has compiled the following descriptions and tips to educate you on choosing sheens. We are confident that, after reading this information, you will find that the sheens to use in each room tend to choose themselves based on how each room is used.
What levels of sheen are available?
As a rule of thumb, regardless of how the product defines its sheen, interior paint sheens can be group into three categories:
- Flat (Flat and Matte)
- Satin (Satin, Low Luster, Lo-Luster, and Eggshell)
- Semi-gloss
What are the characteristics of each type of sheen?
Flat:
- Absorbs light more than it reflects light
- Best for hiding imperfections in walls and ceilings
- Most elegant, smooth finish
- Least washable of the available sheens
- Highest touch-up ability (you will not see where you touched up the paint)
Satin:
- More light reflective
- Show most imperfections in walls and ceilings
- Most washable finish for walls
- Soft, velvety finish
- Less touch-up ability (you probably will see where you touched up the paint)
- Offers more depth and warmth to a room
- Withstands moisture
- Resist mildew, dirt, and stains
Semi-gloss:
- Most light reflective
- Emphasize all surface imperfections
- Most washable sheen
- Bright, shiny finish
- Highest resistance to moisture (may get sticky)
- Brightens rooms
What sheens are best suited to certain rooms?
Flat:
- Apply to walls or ceilings
- Best in low-traffic areas (dining rooms or living rooms)
- Any two-story rooms (family rooms, great rooms, foyers, etc.)
- Rooms in which you wish to have an elegant appearance
- Rooms in which you wish to hide wall imperfections (all walls and ceilings have many imperfections)
Satin:
- Apply to walls only
- Best in high-traffic areas (hallways, etc.)
- Rooms you wish to be very washable (kitchens, bathrooms, children’s rooms, and playrooms)
Semi-gloss:
- Trim
- Banisters
- Railings
- Shelves
- Kitchen cabinets
- Furniture
- Doorjambs
- Windowsills
- Shutters
- Molding
What are the “rules of thumb” to use when choosing a sheen?
- The higher the sheen, the more washable it is.
- The higher the sheen, the more imperfections you will see.
- The higher the sheen, the fewer touch-ups you will be able to complete.
- The higher the sheen, the shinier the room will be.
- The higher the sheen, the warmer the room will appear.
A Finishing Touch Painters
Painting Houses Into Homes
One Home at a Time
866-308-0011
www.aftPainters.com
CustomerService@aftPainters.com
About the author:
A Finishing Touch Painters began as in interior and exterior residential painting company in the Southwest, West, and Northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL. Originally, the company focused on painting houses in the Naperville, Plainfield, Oswego, and Yorkville areas in the "South Region" and painting houses in Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, and Crystal Lake in the "North Region." Over the years, A Finishing Touch Painters South Region expanded into painting homes in Bolingbrook, Aurora, Montgomery, Plano, and North Aurora. The North region expanded into painting homes in Elgin, Gilberts, Sleepy Hollow, Dundee, and West Dundee. Through their exceptional service, A Finishing Touch Painters has expanded again. A Finishing Touch Painters is now servicing most of the Chicagoland suburbs.
(Copyright © 2008 by A Finishing Touch Painters, LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
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