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Confused--matte, flat, eggshell, satin??

RNmomof2 zone 5

16 years ago

We are getting ready to have our great room painted. This is a rather big deal and I want to get it right. I think I finally have selected a color, but now I'm not sure on finish. The great room is one of those areas that you start painting and finish up 1000+ sq ft later after going thru the entry, upstairs, down the hall etc! The paint surface needs to be washable to some degree and to hide minor imperfections in the drywall. My kids are teens so it's not like I'll constantly have little grimy hands on the walls. Thanks!

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Comments (2)

decorativewalls
16 years ago
If your children are teens now, a good finish for your walls is a matte or eggshell sheen. If you have imperfections in your walls, ( such as bumps,nailpops,rough walls- meaning a poor drywall finish, or wavy walls) you might want to consider a flat sheen as this will hide some imperfections to a degree. Assuming your walls are smooth drywall.
PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
16 years ago
Most paint co's ( not big box brands)have a high end flat that is washable, other wise the matte would be the choice because of the size involved.Painting that large an area with an eggshell would be difficult unless you have help keeping a wet edge.
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Happy Saturday to you all! Yep...Satin is the "Best" choice, but Eggshell isn't "wrong". The surface-film of a Satin (or S/G) is a little smoother/tighter. Therefore these sheens are better for wetter areas. B4 you do anything tho'... * Wash all walls to be painted. My fave is POWDERED Dirtex. Usually doesn't have to be rinsed. (Jessica- the ACE sku is #10271, if you don't have it already...!) * Most TSP's are great cleaners too, but need 2 or 3 rinse-passes. * Do any repairs, sanding, re-texturing. And, in a perfect world, prime after all repairs are dried. * Then, at last, your 2 finish coats. In my downstairs bath, it was FPE Eurolux Matte that I used. It's a shiny "Matte" though! More like an average Eggshell. $45/Qt. Our entry/foyer was C2 Matte "Stellar". Ceilings? Personal preference! My lower bath products used... Faron
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Since it's a single open space, I don't think you need to change sheens. If you are thinking about washability, whatever gets on the kitchen side is getting on the DR side too. Anyway, when is the last time you washed a ceiling? Go flat throughout.
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