What is the best paint sheen for Level 5 smooth walls?

3 years ago

What is the best paint sheen for Level 5 smooth walls? My painter, architect, and designer are telling me to go with a flat paint. However, I have an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old so I'm a little worried about the durability of flat paint with kids. I guess the plus side is that it does touch up better than eggshell and/or satin. We have a ton of windows and a lot of natural light in nearly every room of the house. It just seems that if we were going to go with a flat paint, we could have gotten by doing a level 4 finish.

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Comments (7)

cat_ky
3 years ago
Yes, but, eggshell can be wiped off, so you dont have to touch it up. Flat is not durable at all for kids, or even some adults. I would only use flat paint on ceilings. There is another paint now, called matte, that is fairly flat finish, that I understand is wipeable. I havent used matte yet, but, I have a gallon of it sitting here, waiting until I find the time to use it.
Jennifer Svensson
3 years ago
We have SW Emerald in matte with three kids under 7. I have white walls primarily but also light blue, gray and charcoal and I can wash all of them and have even done some touch ups that can not be seen.
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Well, Missy........you already know the mantra.....you can do anything you want, and you should do what works best in your own home for your own lifestyle. I leave my toaster and my coffeemaker and my knife block on my very small kitchen counters, even though decorating rules state very clearly that these things should be put away for beauty. I need my coffee, to reach for a knife, (to kill the rats in my kitchen!) and DH only cooks toast, so he needs that toast-cooker out! But there are quite a few paints that clean up quite nicely in lesser sheens than semigloss. I have satin on my bathroom walls and really would rather even have eggshell. Love the flatter finish and would rather cope with the cleaning. I don't think you have to do the semi to get a good wall finish. I even like the Ace Sensations Matte flat finish, it is now in my kitchen and wipes off nicely. Of course, I have a real backsplash so don't have to worry too much, but over by my trash can, there can be some cleanup issues where I think my DD probably throws coffee grounds against the wall! Keep in mind that you have a mess on a flat finish. Even upgrading your finish just a little will relieve that. And you are using mascara. Good for you! I think all is forgiven in pursuit of facial beauty! Red
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It's no doubt too late for the OP and I don't know what the cost difference is, but I'll second what rwiegand said. All the 1950's cookie cutter tract homes in my subdivision have plaster walls and ceilings (plaster board, not wood lath) and they look light years ahead of the drywall in the homes (some custom) of friends which were built in the 80's up to the 2000's. The standard surface in the Chicago area is a smooth finish without texture although popcorn ceilings were popular for time a few decades back. A couple of years ago, one bedroom ceiling developed a narrow settling crack about 5' long. I called in a plasterer and nearly had a heart attack when he got to work by undercutting the crack. He explained what he was doing even though it looked way worse. I was skeptical but it turned out great. One coat of primer and then I repainted the entire ceiling, one coat and it's impossible to tell where the crack was or the large groove he initially made into the ceiling. And I don't paint with the 'ceiling white' color that 'hides imperfections'. I use flat super-white-white on all my ceilings. I forgot the exact numbers he told me, but the plasterer's union in the Chicago area is a tiny fraction of the size it was 40 years ago. He was from a plastering company (not a side job) and their web site shows examples of their beautiful work - all the new stuff being in very high-end homes. In many ways, their repair work is even more amazing - repairing long stretches of ornate plaster cornices without a hint of where original ends and new begins.
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Yes, Angel, I found someone. And I was never interested in "telling them how to do their job." If you bothered reading and considering the intent of my question instead of immediately assuming some threat to the sanctity of your Pro-hood you'll see I was not dictating but simply wanted to know what to ASK OR LOOK for. Two pros told me they'd use PVA which, thanks to those who actually answered my question, I now know to avoid. One was recommended by my local Sherwin Williams, another by a neighbor and a couple other references. They all knew what end result I was looking for which, if you had your way, would have remained as vague as "I want smooth paint, please" and just trust the pro to know what we mean. The pro I ultimately hired provided specs that I now understand better, thanks to those who answered my question. They were pretty close to what I was suggesting tho without PVA. Without Propainter I might have taken those lower bids. All the bids came with good references. They all promised smooth paint on Level 5. How else could I know which to pick? I'm glad doctors don't kick us out of their offices for coming in with ideas and questions. But now that I see home design and construction are more complicated. I suspect if you had your way Houzz would just be a glorified Pinterest - a collection of pretty pictures that homeowners can share with the Pros, then shut up, sign the quote, and pay the bill.
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Here’s my guess from outer space: ”level 5 textured” means they skim coated the existing textured wall to make it flat. Similar to what you would do when taking a plain level 4 drywall finish to a level 5. My opinion based on the first photo where the light is at an angle: That is not a good paint job. I have level 5 walls in my house, some areas sprayed some rolled with a fine nap. Neither look that bumpy no matter how close you look with your eye. My walls were sprayed with BM low/no VOC paint. The paint is very high in solids and is extremely hard to do correctly. That paint requires a large orifice nozzle that makes it very easy to apply too thick if you are not an expert. That paint dries within hours, which is not enough time for any meaningful self leveling to take place. If you apply it too thick the first time your only option is to come back the next day and sand it down (a real time consuming pain). It took me 3 tries with a 2k spray gun and I can confidently say spraying that brand of paint requires a high level of skill you will pay for.
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PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
3 years ago
if you paid all that money for level 5 I wouldn't do flat. go for eggshell or satin. the walls will look luxurious in satin.
Jennifer Hogan
3 years ago
I would use flat on the ceiling, eggshell on the walls and satin on the trim. The only time I go for matte is if I am doing really dark walls or walls that are not finished well enough to do eggshell.
lynartist
3 years ago
It depends on the look you want. When you have level 5 walls you can have any finish you want! Not knowing what the design of your home is and what your designer wants the look to ultimately be it’s hard to say you should do a certain finish over another! I generally don’t like shiny walls unless it’s part of the overall design plan. Matte can be a great choice instead of flat as it is a bit easier to clean and has a soft velvet finish.
PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
3 years ago
What is the best paint sheen for Level 5 smooth walls?

Depends on what brand and grade you're using. "Matte" in one brand could have the equivalent finish-look of flat or eggshell in another brand.
lynartist
3 years ago
If you choose BM Aura or Regal select or SW Emerald matte you will have a nice finish. I can understand that your architect and designer want a flat finish if your house receives a lot of light from numerous windows. They may not want the distraction of bouncing light off the walls from paint that is even as shiny as eggshell! If they are thinking of art installation and other fixtures I would not want that either.

What is the best paint sheen for Level 5 smooth walls?

Comments (7)

cat_ky

Jennifer Svensson

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