Wondering Tips for Choosing a Finish That Will Stand Up to Wear and Tear? When choosing a paint finish for your walls and ceilings, beauty must not be the only factor. It also has to withstand wear and tear for many years to come. After all, you’ll be investing a lot in it, so you’ll have to make the most out of the results.
If you’re new to this type of home project, then this ultimate painting guide in choosing the best finish can greatly help you.
Tips for Choosing a Finish
Many home interior experts often state that the higher the gloss of a paint finish, the more durable (last longer against wear and tear) it is and the easier it can be to clean. However, this also means that small dirt can appear more significantly visible to the eyes than usual.
That is why it is unlikely to use a high gloss paint finish on hallways where people often pass by and dirt is occasionally introduced.
If you are making this a DIY painting project, here are useful tips to have for the optimal choice of paint finish.
1. Understand the Function of a Room
As mentioned, high gloss paint can’t hide negative details such as dirt. This also means that there are other types of finish that can do the opposite. When choosing the right paint finish for a certain part of the house, you have to consider its function first.
If a room needs to be susceptible to many harsh elements like the bathroom or kitchen, then pick up the most durable. If a room needs aesthetics only, then opt for a finish that aims to stimulate visual interest.
2. Determine Foot Traffic
Since each room has its own function, its frequency of usage also differs. Areas like the living room and kitchen are usually common. They have higher foot traffic, which means there can be many people that frequently come and go.
Dirt and damage can be introduced in just a blink of an eye, and therefore, you need a more durable finish.
On the other hand, personal rooms have lower foot traffic. Therefore, you can choose a paint finish with the sole purpose of beautification wherein it can mask a variety of small blemishes. After all, you’re not always cleaning your own room, right?
Best Tips for Choosing a Finish That Will Stand Up to Wear and Tear.
3. Observe The Texture Of the Walls
Your paint application will be greatly affected by the texture of the walls and ceilings. How so? The texture can be one of the main factors in whether or not your paint application retains. Choosing a finish incompatible with the surface texture might result in an unsatisfying result.
Furthermore, the imperfections can be highlighted more because of such mistakes. If the surface has many miniature cracks, choose a flatter finish to hide them. The same goes for walls that might have multiple holes punctured.
4. Determine The Needed Paint Sheen
Paint sheen refers to how much light can be reflected on a certain type of paint. Obviously, the glossier your paint finish is, the more reflective it will be. With that line of thought, a gloss finish is helpful in making a room optimize the light passing through.
Meanwhile, if a dimmer ambiance is needed, a matte finish can help you achieve that. Why does paint reflect light?
It is simply because aside from the pigment, there are parts of the mixture, like the enamel, that provide the coating layer. That layer can form mirror-like qualities.
Types Of Finish
High gloss paint, as repeatedly stated, might be the more durable among the types of finish, but it can’t be fully utilized if improperly applied. In other words, there is a certain type of paint that is best suited for a certain room or situation.
Before you buy materials for painting the walls and ceilings, you want to familiarize yourself with the 6 types of finish which are as follows: Tips for Choosing a Finish That Will Stand Up to Wear and Tear:
1. Flat
A flat finish has the least paint sheen together with a matte finish. There can be little to no light reflected at all. Due to that, this type of finish can hide any small negativities and imperfections on your walls and ceilings.
Another effect of having a lower paint sheen is that a flat finish is more pigmented. This means it is very ideal for room aesthetics. Consequently, if more noticeable dirt is introduced, it can be difficult to clean.
Recommended On: Personal rooms, study rooms
NOT Recommend On: Kids’ rooms, bathrooms
2. Matte
Matte and flat finish have hardly any difference in terms of paint sheen. However, the former is a bit more durable than the latter. It can be great on rooms that have higher foot traffic than bedrooms but much lower than kitchens and hallways.
Its increased durability means that it can be cleaned a bit easier.
Recommended On: Ceilings on most rooms, personal rooms with kids or pets
NOT Recommend On: Bathrooms
3. Satin
A satin finish is the most common paint finish used for interiors. The reason for that is it has more durability than flat but is less reflective than a high gloss finish. Therefore, for areas wherein you have a hard time determining the foot traffic or have rooms that experienced changing functions frequently, a satin finish may be the most practical choice.
Moreover, when painting your home exterior, a satin finish can also be highly applicable. One of the Tips for Choosing a Finish That Will Stand Up to Wear and Tear.
The significant drawback is that brush strokes might be visible depending on the painter’s skill.
Recommended On: Family rooms, hallways
4. Eggshell
If you are looking for a more delicate look but still have that all-around quality of a satin finish, choose the eggshell finish. The delicateness is due to the slightly lower paint sheen but because of that, it has less durability compared to satin.
An eggshell finish can be greatly suited for a room that has medium traffic but wanted to exude elegance.
- Recommended On: Living room, dining room, conference room
- NOT Recommend On: Bathrooms, kitchens
5. High Gloss
Out of all types, the high gloss finish has the highest durability. It can withstand the majority of blemishes and can be easily cleaned with just a damp cloth only. Also, if you want a room to fully maximize the light passing through, the high gloss finish can provide you with that convenience. High Gloss is another Tips for Choosing a Finish That Will Stand Up to Wear and Tear.
Unfortunately, it can exaggerate blemishes, even making fingerprints appear like mud stains.
- Recommended On: Bathrooms, kitchens
- NOT Recommend On: Rooms needed to be relatively dim
6. Semi-Gloss
If you want something lesser than a high-gloss but still way above than flat and satin finish, the semi-gloss is the right solution. There will always be that room where you want to be clean-looking but not that bright. A semi-gloss finish can be very much applied to attain that look.
Recommended On: Bathrooms, kitchens
Conclusion
When choosing a finish that can withstand wear and tear, make sure to consider the function of the chosen room, its foot traffic, the surface textures, and the paint sheen needed. You have 6 types of paint finish to choose from and each of them can work well depending on where it will be applied.
Remember that the more durable the finish is, the more reflective it will be to light. Tips for Choosing a Finish That Will Stand Up to Wear and Tear.
