The types of paint finishes you choose for your home can affect its appearance and the maintenance it needs. While color is necessary, the paint sheen can also define a room’s texture, mood, and durability.
What is Paint Finish?
Also known as paint sheen, paint finish is how reflective the paint is on the surface once it dries down. This is usually considered when designing a space, as it can affect the look and durability of a paint job.
High-sheen paint will reflect more light, helping a room look brighter. It also makes surfaces easier to clean, as dirt can easily slide across and be wiped away. Meanwhile, low-sheen or matte finishes will absorb light. They may be tougher to clean, but they also make surface imperfections less noticeable.
The Main Types of Paint Finishes
When choosing from the different paint finishes, you need to consider numerous factors first, including the room’s purpose, the amount of sunlight each area receives, and the amount of traffic the room gets.
After finding these out, you must determine which type of paint is most suited for each area. Here’s a rundown of the common types of painting finishes that you may come across:
1. Flat/Matte Finish: Best for Bedrooms and Ceilings
Matte or flat paint finishes don’t reflect light. They often appear velvety after they dry. Since they don’t reflect light, it appear velvety after drying down. Since it doesn’t reflect light, you can use it to hide surface imperfections, like cracks and dents.
While matte paint is more forgiving in appearance, it is much less durable than other wall paint finishes. Because of this, matte paints are best used for low-traffic areas, such as bedrooms and ceilings.
2. Eggshell Finish: Best for Dwelling Spaces
Eggshells have light paint sheen finishes, which usually draw attention. Compared to flat paint, eggshell finish paints are more durable and slightly easier to clean. However, the eggshell finish has a subtler and softer appearance when comparing eggshell vs satin paint.
Given its properties, eggshell is a good choice for interior paint finishes for walls in dwelling spaces, such as the living room and dining area.
3. Satin Finish: Best for Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Kid’s Rooms
Another popular type of paint is a satin finish. It offers a slight sheen and durability but is more reflective than the soft sheen of eggshells.
However, when comparing matte vs. satin finishes, satin paints tend to be unforgiving regarding imperfections, as its glossiness may highlight cracks and dents.
Satin finish paints are best used in high-traffic areas, including kitchens, bathrooms, and children’s rooms.
4. Semi-Gloss Finish: Best for Doors, Trims, and Hallways.
A semi-gloss finish offers even more shine than a satin one. It’s durable and usually moisture-resistant, making it great for doors, trims, hallways, and kitchens. It can also withstand a good amount of cleaning.
However, like most paints that reflect light, it quickly shows surface imperfections, so it’s best used on smooth surfaces.
5. Gloss/High-Gloss Finish: Best for the Exterior
High-gloss finishes is a type of paint with the highest sheen. They boast the highest level of durability while providing a sleek and polished look.
Because of their high reflectiveness, high-gloss paints tend to highlight cracks and dents on the surface, so they’re typically used on smooth and well-prepped surfaces.
This type of paint finish is commonly used in woodworking. Due to its durability and protective properties may also be chosen as a home’s exterior paint sheen finish.
Type of Paint Finish | Advantages | Disadvantages | Best Uses |
| Flat or Matte Finish | Hides surface imperfections and offers a smooth look. | Difficult to clean, not ideal for areas prone to wear and tear. | Low-traffic areas like bedrooms and ceilings. |
| Eggshell Finish | Easy to clean, hides some imperfections. | Not as glossy as satin and may show scuff marks in high-traffic areas. | Living rooms and kitchens |
| Satin Finish | Durable and easy to clean, suitable for walls and trim. | Shows imperfections on rough or uneven surfaces. | High-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms |
| Semi Gloss Finish | Highly durable, ideal for high-moisture areas. | Can highlight imperfections on walls. | High-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms |
| High Gloss Finish | Extremely durable, easy to clean. | Highlights surface imperfections. | High-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms, exterior walls, wood works |
Faux Finishes for Walls
In addition to the five main types of paint finishes for walls, you may also opt to use paint faux finishes. These finishes add more texture or artistic flair to your walls.
Faux finishes are commonly made to imitate marble, wood, or stone, making them perfect for accent walls in your home.
Some of the most common faux paint finish techniques include:
Venetian Plaster
The Venetian plaster faux finish technique mimics the appearance of polished marble or stone. It involves applying thin layers of lime-based or synthetic plaster to the walls, then polished to create a smooth and glossy look.
Rag Rolling
Another faux painting technique is rag rolling, which creates textured or marbled wall effects. It involves rolling a dampened rag or cloth through glaze or paint and stamping or rolling it across the wall for a textured pattern.
Sponging
This technique involves using a sponge to apply or remove paint. It aims to create a textured and layered effect on surfaces to add depth and dimension. The final result typically resembles a cloud pattern or a soft, mottled texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Mix Different Paint Finishes in One Room?
Yes, mixing finishes for different parts of a room can create depth and highlight different surfaces within the same room. For example, in high-traffic rooms, you can use light semi-gloss or satin on the walls to brighten the room.
Then, you can pair this with a dark matte ceiling color, which helps create the illusion of a higher ceiling. Mixing finishes can help create dimension with different sheen levels without losing the paint’s practical purpose.
Do Different Finishes Require Different Tools?
Yes, as some finishes work best with specific tools. Semi-gloss and high-gloss paints are usually applied with foam or woven paint rollers and high-quality brushes to ensure a smooth, streak-free finish. Meanwhile, paint rollers with knit covers work best for matte, eggshell, and satin paints. Also, brushes are not commonly used for matte paints as they may look streaky instead of even.
How Many Coats Do You Need for Different Paint Finishes?
It depends on the paint quality, type of finish, and the surface. Matte finishes usually need more coats to achieve full coverage, while glossier finishes may need fewer coats.
The specific number of coats will vary depending on the manufacturer. For best results, follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions during application.
One way to tell if you’ve applied enough coats for your specific paint finish is by observing opacity. If the color of the surface underneath or of the primer you used is still seeping through, you will need more coats.
For best results, you may ask a professional painting contractor for help. They are equipped with industry and professional knowledge and can work with different surfaces, paint brands, and paint finishes. Professionals can help you achieve an opaque and even coat of paint.
Choosing the Right Ones for the Job
The types of paint finishes you choose serve an aesthetic and practical purpose. When picking the paints for your home, you must first understand the pros and cons of each type.
Are you seeking professional advice to choose the right paint types and finishes for your home? Let Queen City Painting, a Charlotte painting company, help you out. Call us at 704-996-9266 or contact us online for a free quote today!