Choosing Interior Paint

Choosing interior paint can be confusing. Your options seem limitless. You have to choose colors, levels of sheen, brand of manufacturer, line within a brand and so on. How do you make sense of all of this and select a paint that is right for you?

Begin by selecting your preferred color. Even if your color choice if for one brand and you select a paint from another brand, they should be able to mix the color of your choice for you in the other brand.

Now move on to level of sheen or how glossy you want the finish to be. Flat has no sheen and offers little resistance to stains and does not clean up well. Eggshell, low luster or similar offers little sheen and can be cleaned occasionally. Satin, luster, or similar offers mid sheen, cleans up well and resists staining well. Semigloss, high luster, or similar offers a higher sheen level with excellent resistance to stains and offers easy clean up. High gloss, the glossiest of interior paint finishes, is extremely durable and clean very easily.

Choosing a sheen level is simple once you have determined the amount of use and abuse the paint will be subject to in the room that you are painting. An eggshell or satin sheen is generally durable enough for bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms without a shower, and kitchens that see little use. Flat paint is generally unsuitable for most living areas except perhaps a guest bedroom, or dining room. Semi-gloss is suitable for bathrooms with a shower, children's rooms, kitchen with high use, and trim work. High gloss is suitable mainly fro trim work and doors.

Now you have selected color and sheen level. Next we move on to brand of paint. Many of the best paints sell for $30 or less at your home improvement or hardware store. To find out which paints perform the best, you will have to consult the results from consumer testing. However, many exclusive paints from Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart's perform adequately for most needs.

As for which line within a paint to buy, always stick with the premium paint within a brand. For example, if Home Depot stocks Behr paint and sells one line for $21 a gallon, and their premium line for $28 a gallon, purchase the premium paint. Premium paints usually offer better coverage, less fade from UV light, better stain resistance, and so on. Saving a few bucks on paint is not worth it in the long run.