Pros and Cons Of Painting Walls With Gloss Paint

Painting walls with gloss or satin paint can be tricky. One of the most common questions I have been asked is whether to use flat, satin or gloss paint on the interior walls. Usually the homeowner is looking for toughness in paint finish because they have children or humidity problems. Other homeowners want the enriched color tones that are attainable through paints that have sheen. Some homeowners try to fashion special outcomes in their home setting that is only possible with glossy paint.

Most painting contractors would agree that one could certainly make a convincing argument for painting walls with sheen; yet most homeowners are not informed of the problem to using glossy paint on their walls.

Below are problems linked with using gloss paint.

• One of the most ordinary problems with using gloss paint is it causes minor defects in your walls to become visible. Defects that are not visible with flat paint abruptly become visible with satin or gloss finishes. For rooms that receive a lot of sunlight, blemishes in the wall become particularly noticeable. Sheetrock tape joints that are to some extent raised or depressed can become noticeable. Texture variations in the existing wall paint can become visible, etc.
• Painting walls with gloss or satin paint can cause a halo effect around trim. When walls are rolled in a room, the roller nap leaves a different texture than what a brush leaves when cutting in wall paint around doors, windows, baseboard, and crown moldings. Light reflects differently from the texture left by the brush than from the textures left by the roller nap. This is a very annoying problem that can ruin the appearance of your freshly painted room.
• If you are planning to paint gloss over existing flat walls, you really need two coats of paint to avoid flashing (unevenness of sheen throughout the wall). Two coats will give you more consistency . This of course, increases your cost.

If you still would like the look that sheen can bring, then follow these suggestions.

1. Use very low sheen paint. The use of eggshell, or satin sheens will help minimize the above problems associated with gloss paints.
2. Prep your walls very well. Some of the problems may be beyond the capacity of what you or the painter you hire can do. A sheetrock contractor may be your best preference for major wall repair.
3. Always cut your walls in first using a brush. Then proceed to rolling the walls. After the walls have been cut in with a brush, then roll the wall paint with a roller and nap within a quarter of an inch of your trim. Instead, you can apply blue tape to all your trim which will allow you to roll up to the trim. This will go a long way in reducing the halo effect. Additionally, purchasing a smaller roller frame and nap will allow you to reach tight areas a standard size roller can't reach. If you touch your trim with the roller, then clean the paint off the trim with a cloth immediately.
4. Plan on painting walls with two coats of paint to attain evenness of sheen.

Low sheen paint can give you the richness and dept of color with reduced problems in particular in rooms that do not get a lot of light.

If you are going to use flat paint, then understand not all flat paints are alike. Top of the line flat paints will clean with much less damage to the wall than less expensive paint.

• Be sure the paint you obtain is a scrubbable paint.
• When you scrub flat paint you should use a sponge with water and soap.
Never use a cloth. Cleaning with a cloth will buff the surface, causing sheen to appear at that spot.

My counsel as a painting contractor is plan your project well. When painting walls, consider the peculiarity of gloss paint and budget in view of that. Weigh the pros and cons of using sheen on your walls.