Interior House Painting Blue Bell: Flat Vs. Semi-Gloss Paint

interior painting

Once you’re ready to refresh the interior of your home, you will have a lot of considerations to make. For instance, you need to choose the color of paint for each room. While you can choose to paint your entire interior in classical white or cream white, putting a little thought into the color can help you create a personalized space.

Perhaps more importantly, you will also need to consider the type of paint to use for each room. While color is undoubtedly important, many homeowners rarely consider the paint sheen. Sheen is the shininess that paint gives off once a surface has been painted.

The two most popular choices for interior walls are flat and semi-gloss paint sheen, and both have their own unique qualities and advantages. Paint sheen affects not only the appearance but also the durability, ‘washability,’ and the ability to tolerate abrasion. The following section discusses the arguments about flat Vs. semi-gloss paint to help you choose the best sheen for your space.

The Difference in Flat vs. Semi-Gloss Paint

Semi-gloss paint has more of a sheen, making it more reflective than the flat paint. Semi-gloss paint tends to show surface imperfections more than flat paint. For that reason, dings, cracks, nicks, drywall tape, and seams may be easier to see with a semi-gloss paint. That is the reason semi-gloss paint is preferred for newer walls that have fewer surface imperfections.

Flat paint, on the other hand, is completely matte and doesn’t reflect any light when painted. This makes it better at hiding surface imperfections on older walls. While flat paint is good at hiding minor surface imperfections if your wall is significantly dented or damaged, consider repairing it before you paint the surface.

While both paints are durable, semi-gloss tends to last longer than the flat paint in most interiors. That is because it’s more resistant to abrasion, and can stand against a fair share of repeated washing and scrubbing.

However, due to its reflective qualities, semi-gloss paint doesn’t hide surface dirt and imperfections very well. Semi-gloss paints are recommended for high-traffic areas of the home like the entryway, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and children’s rooms.

While flat paint tends to hide dirt better, it doesn’t resist repeated cycles of washing and scrubbing. Also, dirt can stick to flat paint more because of its porous surface. Flat paints are therefore suitable for areas that don’t receive high traffic or activity such as the ceiling, bedroom, and guest room.

There are two more paint sheen between Flat and Semi-gloss paints i.e., Eggshell paint and satin paints. They’re both more reflective and resistant to abrasion than a flat paint, but a tad less than the semi-gloss paint. Eggshell paint and satin paints are also good choices for kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, and family rooms.

When choosing paint sheen for your home’s interior, it’s essential to consider the type of room you’re painting. Generally, the higher the traffic and activity in the room, the higher the sheen. If you’re still not sure which type of paint to use for your interior, consider consulting a professional painting contractor for help.

The Bottom Line

When choosing paint for your next interior painting project, don’t ignore the paint sheen. As you’ve seen above, the paint sheen can affect the durability and appearance of your paint job, as well as the ability to withstand repeated washing and touching.

Our painting professionals can discuss flat vs. semi-gloss paint for your interior walls with you during our free paint consultation. We will consider numerous factors to advise you on what paint type is suitable for each room and space.

If you need professional help with interior painting, our team at Aspen Painting has got you covered. Our residential painting services are currently available in Ambler, Dresher, Ft. Washington, and Blue Bell. Call us on 215-773-8422 for a FREE estimate to get started.

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