When hiring a painter for your home, you need to choose not only the areas you want them to paint and the colors to use, but you’ll also need to consider the finish. Sometimes called the sheen, this determines how dull or shiny the paint will look once it's dried. The following guide will help you determine the right finish for your home.

Finish Options

Depending on the brands your painter is using, you'll probably have three to five finish options.

• Flat or Matte: This finish has the least shine, with a non-reflective, sometimes chalky appearance
• Eggshell: As the name suggests, it has a smoother look with a very subtle gloss, like an egg 
• Satin: This has a sheen like the material it’s named after
• Semi-Gloss: This finish is moderately shiny
• Gloss or High Gloss: This option has an extra shiny, wet look

Pros & Cons

The finish your painter uses will determine how often you need to clean your walls, how long the paint will last, how difficult it is to touch up, and what the wall itself will look like.

The glossier the finish, the more durable the paint will be, so it will take more wear and tear and more cleaning. This makes glossy options good for high-traffic areas and places you expect to get dirty, like kids’ rooms.

However, gloss also makes the texture of the wall and any underlying damage more obvious. Matte paint hides bumps, dents, and scratches better, and it's easier to touch up when it gets damaged, so it works better in high-traffic areas.

 

If you want to discuss your finish options with a painter, call Bill's Painting in Cincinnati, OH. With almost 30 years of experience serving the greater Cincinnati area, these skilled painting contractors see every job through from the initial inspection to the final cleanup, meeting high standards of quality for every project. Call them at (513) 742-3937 or visit their website to get started.