When it comes to interior painters, the amount of reliable and quality contractors can be underwhelming. Many Alpharetta ( north Atlanta) contractors lack field experience and quality standards that make it very difficult for homeowners to get “quik” and professional results. Also, deciding which colors go with what and wether you should use semi-gloss paint for your kitchen or flat finish for your bedroom can make the whole process a headache. Our team strives to make the process as easy as possible for you. QuikPaint offers a Sherwin-Williams color consultant, free of charge, to help make your decision quick and easy. Additionally, we have created a guide for you to understand the difference between paint finishes, paint sheens, and when/where to use them.
A Quik Guide To The Sheen Of Paint Finishes
As a home owner looking to get an interior paint job done, talking to painters may be difficult because you may not understand the lingo they use. When this happens, more money comes out of your pocket. In regards to terminology, a paint “finish” means how a specific paint texture looks like when it’s completely dry. The gloss content is the percentage of gloss a paint finish will have. The sheen of a paint refers to the amount of light that reflects from its surface. Therefore, a higher gloss content means more sheen and a shinier finish. So, paints with no sheen do not reflect much light, and paints with higher sheens are very reflective and smooth to the touch. So a quick rule of thumb would be: the higher the sheen, the easier the clean — the easier the clean, the higher the shine. There are six main finishes that range from no gloss to 85% or more gloss content and they are:
- Flat
- Matte
- Eggshell
- Satin
- Semi-Gloss
- High-Gloss
Flat
When you think of interior painters finishing walls in your home, a flat paint finish is most likely what you imagine. Flat paint is the most common finish on houses because it is usually the cheapest option, has the highest coverage, and it hides virtually any imperfections that your wall has. Although it is the most common finish used by Alpharetta interior painters, it’s not necessarily the best for every room. While flat paint is great for no to low traffic areas like ceilings, finished basements, dining rooms, or closets, it is awful for a kids bedroom, kitchen, or living room because flat paint scratches easily and scuff marks are very hard to clean off.
Matte
Similar to flat, matte paint finishes have a very little amount of gloss, usually between 5% -10%, so they also reflect little light. While this finish is very uncommon, matte paint colors come out very deep and bold so they work well to make a statement in a room with big windows that allow for natural light. Luckily, these style of windows are common in Alpharetta. However, matte is very vulnerable to scuffs and blemishes and constant cleaning will cause the color to start fading, so interior painters recommend matte finishes for walls that require infrequent cleaning such as living rooms, master bedrooms, and other rooms with low to medium traffic areas.
Eggshell
After flat paint finishes, eggshell finishes are probably the second most common choice when Alpharetta residents choose to do a DIY or have interior painters come in and work. Since eggshell paints have about a 10 – 25% gloss content, they are easier to clean than matte and flat finishes. However, since the sheen is still relatively low, an eggshell paint finish is not suited for high traffic areas prone to constant cleaning like kitchens, living rooms, or kids bedrooms. QuikPaint does not recommend this finish for rooms with several wall imperfections like basements. Although, if you’re looking for your colors to pop a little more without highlighting minor wall imperfections, eggshell finishes give a soft glow that allows vibrant colors to be highlighted elegantly. An eggshell finish would be perfect to make master bedrooms, offices, and some hallways exquisite in your Alpharetta home.
Satin
A satin paint finish is the finish most interior painters dread. Also, many Alpharetta residents who decide on using satin for a DIY end up needing professional interior painters to come in and fix their work. Satin is considered difficult due to interior painters failing to realize the importance of their roller lines and brush strokes. Since satin paint usually has around a 25 – 40% gloss content, proper application is imperative because once dried, satin can easily show brush strokes and roller lines. Touch ups can be tricky when using satin. Nevertheless, a proper satin paint finish is perfect for high traffic areas like family rooms, foyers, kitchens and bathrooms. Its higher gloss content makes satin easier to clean, which is ideal for a kids bedroom. Satin finishes provide the perfect balance between flat and shine allowing for a sophisticated yet vibrant look. Even though satin can be difficult, at QuikPaint, our team of interior painters are well versed in satin paints and take the proper measures to ensure that your walls come out flawlessly.
Semi-Gloss
Considered the little brother to high-gloss, semi-gloss provides all the benefits and durability of high-gloss, while being a little less reflective and shiny. Most semi-gloss paints range from a 40 – 70% gloss content, so when dried, surfaces are easy to clean and resistant to scuff marks. Since its not as reflective as high-gloss, semi-gloss paints are predominantly used for Alpharetta residents who prefer trims, crown molding and wainscoting that pops but doesn’t shine too much. They’re also great for some walls, preferably rooms with a lot of traffic, moisture, and grease stains like bathrooms and kitchens. Since semi-gloss paints have a fair amount of sheen to them, they will draw attention to imperfections on your walls, so QuikPaint interior painters properly prep the walls, trim, or wainscot to ensure your walls look smooth and crisp.
High-Gloss
Known as the most notable and most durable paint finish, high-gloss paint look almost glass-like in appearance. High-gloss has around a 70% or more gloss content, so it reflects the most light. Due to that, proper prep work like mudding and sanding is very important since high-gloss paint shows the most imperfections as well. High-gloss is never recommended for walls around windows because it is so shiny and reflective. However, a half bathroom with a deep vibrant high-gloss color would make a different and exemplary statement for your Alpharetta home. Typically used on trim, cabinets, doors, and some kitchens, high gloss is super easy to clean and even resistant to crayon marks. QuikPaint interior painters recommend Sherwin Williams Extra White high-gloss paint for doors, crown molding, wainscoting, and trim to make a perfect contrast with your flat, eggshell, or satin walls.
While most Alpharetta interior painters may slap one kind of paint on your walls and take your money, QuikPaint has an elite standard of quality for your home. We provide a free color consultant, and if you’re still unsure of your paint decisions, we will sit with you to supply our professional advice on where you should put certain paint finishes in order for your home to look as sophisticated and elegant as possible. As you have learned, different paint finishes work best for different areas of your home. If your chosen paint color is dark and rich, going lower on the sheen will allow for you to keep the maximum intensity you want. Conversely, if your color is bright and vibrant, a higher sheen will make the color and vibrancy stand out. It’s important to know where paint sheens are optimized when deciding a paint job because you want to make sure the paint lasts as long as possible. Therefore, the proper considerations should be made to ensure your Alpharetta home looks the best without breaking the bank. Our team of interior painters will make certain that the work we do for you will look beautiful for years to come. Below is a quick and concise recap of the benefits and drawbacks of the different paint finishes and where they would best be suited:
- Flat
- Pros: most coverage, cheapest option, hides most wall imperfections
- Cons: scratches easily, hard to clean
- Ideal For: low-traffic areas like ceilings, closets, master bedroom, basements
- Matte
- Pros: deep, bold, velvety finish, hides most wall imperfections
- Cons: scratches easily, hard to clean
- Ideal For: feature walls, living rooms, dining rooms
- Eggshell
- Pros: soft glow to highlight wall colors, covers wall imperfections well
- Cons: susceptible to scuffs and marks, sheen may fade with constant cleaning
- Ideal For: adult/guest bedrooms, offices, libraries, or hallways
- Satin
- Pros: perfect balance between gloss and flat, high durability to cleaning and scuff marks
- Cons: application flaws can be seen, touch up can be tricky
- Ideal For: family rooms, foyers, kitchens, kids bedrooms
- Semi-Gloss
- Pros: easy to clean, accentuates chosen colors
- Cons: shows wall imperfections, some application flaws can be seen
- Ideal For: crown moulding, baseboards, wainscoting, niche bathrooms
- High-Gloss
- Pros: very easy to clean, stain resistant, rich color finish
- Cons: too reflective for interior walls, wall imperfections can be seen easily
- Ideal For: cabinets, wainscoting, bedroom doors