A Primer for Paint Finishes

Time to paint the interior of your home. You have the right tools and you even have the colors picked out from a home and garden magazine that will go perfect in your place. You feel pride in your accomplishments and your partner congratulates you as you head off to buy the paint. You step into your local home improvement store and are stopped dead in your tracks. Your colors come in five styles of finishes, but which one is right for the room? This article (with the help of Frazee Paints and Home Depot) will help you decide which finish is right for a room.

Flat or matte finish: When dry this finish does not have any shine or sheen to it. Since is it a flat finish it will absorb light instead of reflecting same. The finish is good for hiding imperfections such as painting or roller marks. This finish is good for low traffic areas, but does poorly in high traffic areas such as your kitchen. It does not clean well.

Eggshell finish: Much like a matte finish, it only boasts a slight sheen and a handles a touch better than a matte finish for cleaning. Though still not recommended for high traffic areas, it does well in hallways and storage areas, such as closets.

Satin: This is the highest gloss that decorators will recommend for any room save the kitchen and bathroom. This is a good all around paint for any room especially children's rooms and trims. It cleans easily. However, it will show wall and painting imperfections, but overall is still easy for the average person to use.

Semi-gloss: This paint reflects more light than the others above and is the easiest to clean. This finish is highly recommended for kitchen and bath applications as it washes well and can handle the use of water, thus giving it the easiest clean up.

High gloss: This is the only paint that reflects the most light and is generally not recommended for interior walls. It will however, give a sleek and modern finish to painted furniture. The hardest paint to use as it will show any painting or wood working imperfections.

With over a hundred plus colors to choose from and almost just as many paint companies, having a color idea to start with is a good starting point, but also keep in mind the room and the finish to get the maximum bang for your buck.