The Importance of Paint Sheen

                If you are thinking about repainting or renovating your walls, you should probably know a few things about paint sheen. The sheen of paint refers to the amount of light it reflects of its surface. Also a higher sheen value means that the paint is more resistant, and that you should use it on outside walls, and a lower sheen value means that the paint should be used on interior walls. There are six types of paint in regard to their sheen value: flat, velvet flat/pearl, satin, eggshell/low gloss, semi-gloss and gloss.

                Each one of these paints should be used on specific types of walls. The flat wall paint is the least glossy of the paints. It should be used on ceilings to mask imperfection and to reduce the amount of light reflected of them. Velvet flat is half way between the eggshell paint and the flat paint. It is perfect for use in, bedrooms, living rooms, dens and dining rooms. Satin reflects some light and is washable so it can be used in laundry rooms, kid’s rooms and powder rooms. The eggshell paint has a noticeable sheen. It is washable and it can even be scrubbed. It is suitable for laundry rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, trim work and mud rooms. Semi-gloss is more resistant then eggshell paint and reflects more light, but might show imperfections. You can use it in bathrooms, kitchens, on cabinets, doors and furniture. And finally the gloss paint, the paint with the highest degree of sheen. Use it for trims, furniture, cabinets and clean rooms.

                Knowing what sheen paint to use ensures that you use the best paint in the room you want to paint. Having a surface that is washable is very important in a kitchen, and having a surface that doesn’t reflect too much light is important in the bedroom.