All You Need to Know About the Types of Paint Finishes

A fresh and beautifully painted wall adds character to a room. Homeowners invest a considerable amount of time in cherry-picking the right paint color for their walls. Along with color, another crucial element that defines a successful painting job is the paint finish.

What is paint finish?

A paint finish, glossiness, or sheen refers to a painted surface's appearance and the amount of light it reflects after drying. It is essential to choose the right paint finish, as it has a significant impact on the wall's final look, durability, maintenance needs, and moisture resistance. 

Types of paint finishes

Let's discuss in detail what homeowners need to know about the various types of wall paint finishes:

Flat/Matte

The flat or matte paint finish has the least shine, absorbs light, and offers a smooth, uniform appearance. It is non-reflective and works well to hide pesky imperfections, like nail holes and patches, especially in older houses. Flat finish requires fewer coats and is easy to touch up. It is perfect for ceilings, interior walls, drywall, or other low-traffic areas in the house. It has medium-to-low durability and is the least expensive compared to the different paint finishes. 

Eggshell

Eggshell is one of the most popular paint finishes. It is a safe bet due to its soft and slightly lustrous appearance. It also hides the imperfections on the walls and significantly conceals small cracks and scratches. The eggshell finish is more durable and easier to clean than a flat finish. It is considered ideal for spaces with low and moderate traffic, like hallways, entryways, living rooms, and dining rooms.

Satin

The satin finish is the most versatile and commonly-used paint sheens for both interior and exterior walls. It is easy to clean, has a velvety luster, and has high durability compared to the flat and eggshell finishes. The satin finish is best for busy indoor areas, like the kitchen, doors, windows trims, moldings, cabinets, kids' rooms, and shutters. Its resistance to fading, mold, and mildew makes it a perfect candidate for outdoor use and humid areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms. The biggest downside of satin finishes is that it exposes paint application imperfections.

Semi-gloss

Semi-gloss is a lustrous, reflective, and highly durable finish. It gives a room a lively and shiny appearance. It is best for woodwork prone to a lot of abuse; high-moisture, high-traffic areas; and places that require frequent cleaning. Due to its glossiness, scratches, cracks, and other blemishes are highlighted easily. 

High-gloss

High-gloss is the shiniest and the smoothest of all finishes. It offers maximum reflection and the highest durability. It is simple to clean and more resistant to stains. It makes a statement and has a sophisticated glass-like effect. The high-gloss finish highlights accents and is the best finish for cabinets, wardrobes, doors, and wooden trims. It requires more coats than less-glossy finishes, and the wall needs more preparation before its application. Its drawbacks include susceptibility to damages and the inability to hide imperfections.

It can be overwhelming and challenging for a homeowner to select the right paint sheen. Contact a licensed painting contractor for more information on these popular paint finishes and the best paint finishes for different home areas. 

Mark’s Painting offers residential and commercial painting for Tampa, Hillsborough, and Pinellas County. Exterior painting, including priming, sealing, plaster & drywall service, pressure washing. We paint interiors, including ceilings, walls, trim, baseboard, fireplaces, mantels, paneling, wainscoting, doors, and windows. We offer wallpaper removal, caulking, staining and varnishing, refinishing, texturing, specialty finishes, and more. We are licensed and insured. Call us at 813-295-7926