Choosing Paint Sheen for Each Room

Nothing about the color on a sample card predicts how a finished wall will look, because sheen changes the result more than the shade does, and the painters whose work is logged at long beach painters an animal friendly life say the same about repaints across Long Beach, CA. A deep gray in flat and the same gray in semi gloss read as two different colors once the afternoon light hits them.

Flat for walls that need to hide flaws

Flat paint has almost no reflection, so it covers patching, roller texture and uneven drywall joints better than anything glossier. Living rooms, bedrooms and adult dining rooms usually take flat or a low sheen. The weakness is cleaning: a flat wall burnishes if scrubbed, so it suits rooms that are rarely touched.

Eggshell as the middle choice

Eggshell has a faint, soft glow and wipes down far better than flat. It is the common pick for living rooms and hallways in older Long Beach bungalows where the walls are not perfect but get brushed by bags and shoulders. It shows some flaws, so the prep has to be careful.

Satin for kitchens, baths and kids rooms

Satin sits a step above eggshell and handles steam, splashes and sticky fingers. In bathrooms close to the water in Belmont Shore, where humidity runs high, satin acrylic latex resists moisture and can be washed. Satin also exposes poor patching, so walls get skim coated and sanded smooth before it goes on.

Semi gloss for trim and doors

Semi gloss and enamel go on baseboards, casings, doors and cabinets, where scuffs and fingerprints happen. The hard, shiny film wipes clean and stands up to a vacuum bumping the edge. Because it highlights every brush mark and dent, the trim is sanded, caulked and primed with extra care. Water based enamel levels well and dries without the smell of oil based paint.

Light changes the answer

A room with big south windows throws raking light across the wall and picks up any sheen. In that room, a flat or eggshell finish hides more. Dim rooms with a single window can take satin without glare. Painters check a wall at several times of day before choosing, since morning and late afternoon light in coastal houses behave very differently.

Matching the sheen across a repaint

A new finish applied over old paint of a different sheen needs a scuff sand first when the old coat is glossy. Touch ups on flat walls are easy, while touch ups on satin often show as a patch unless the whole wall is rolled out to a corner. Two coats with a good roller cover give consistent sheen and solid mil thickness.