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Semi gloss paint walls


How to Paint Semi-Gloss Walls | Home Guides

By Renee Miller

Painting your walls with a semi-gloss finish helps to brighten a room. Semi-gloss finishes are often applied to walls in kitchens and bathrooms, because they provide an easy-to-clean and durable surface. Painting a semi-gloss wall requires a process similar to that used with other paint finishes. However, because flaws in the walls may be more noticeable with semi-gloss coatings than with eggshell or flat paints, they require more preparation to ensure a smooth finish.

  1. Remove pictures, electrical plates, phone jack covers and other items on the walls. Remove any nails, screws or hooks as well.

  2. Move or cover furniture with a drop cloth or plastic. Put on rubber gloves, a painter’s mask and goggles.

  3. Mix 2 to 3 teaspoons of trisodium phosphate into a gallon of hot water. Dip a sponge into the solution and wash grease, dust and dirt from the wall, working from the bottom upward.

  4. Rinse the walls thoroughly with clean water and leave them to dry. Apply painter’s tape around windows and doors, and along moldings and trim.

  5. Apply spackling compound to holes and gouges in the wall with a putty knife using an crisscross motion. Scrape the excess from the wall.

  6. Let the patched areas dry according to the compound’s label instructions. Some formulations require you leave the compound overnight before sanding or painting.

  7. Sand the patched areas smooth with 150- to 200-grit sandpaper and wipe them with a damp cloth.

  8. Apply a high-quality primer to the walls using a roller. Use a brush to paint corners and around moldings. Priming is necessary when painting semi-gloss walls because it seals the surface and ensures the paint covers the walls evenly.

  9. Allow the primer to dry for the minimum time recommended on the label. Most primers will require you to leave them overnight before applying your topcoat.

  10. Stir the paint until the pigment is thoroughly blended. Fill a paint tray reservoir with paint. Load your roller and begin painting at a corner near the ceiling. Apply the paint with the roller in a large M or W shape, then rolls across to fill it in.

  11. Continue painting in 2-foot sections until you’ve covered each wall. Paint adjacent walls before the previous wall dries to avoid lap marks. Paint areas the roller cannot reach, such as corners and around trim, doors and windows using a small angled brush.

  12. Allow the walls to dry before applying a second coat. Check the manufacturer’s label for minimum drying time.

  13. Wait until the walls are fully dry before moving furniture back into the room. Wait at least 24 hours before hanging pictures and reinstalling electrical plates.

References

Tips

Warnings

Writer Bio

Renee Miller began writing professionally in 2008, contributing to websites and the "Community Press" newspaper. She is co-founder of On Fiction Writing, a website for writers. Miller holds a diploma in social services from Clarke College in Belleville, Ontario.

Satin vs Semi-Gloss: Choosing the Right Paint Finish for Your Project

Photo: unsplash.com via Bente Whyatt

When you’re choosing fresh paint for your walls or wooden furniture, after color, the next big decision to be made is that of sheen. Two middle-of-the-road options for paint finish—satin and semi-gloss—are quite popular for being neither too shiny nor too matte. In fact, telling them apart can get somewhat tricky.

Both finishes are available in traditional oil-based paints and modern latex paints alike. Both are options for cans of paint as well as cans of paint-and-primer combos. The two types of finishes can be found in special latex paints with low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) versions. The subtle differences between the two can make one distinctly better fit for your project than another.

RELATED: All You Need to Know About Paint Types

Read on to see these two popular paint finishes go head to head, satin vs semi-gloss. The following key comparisons can aid you in choosing the one that best suits your next paint project.

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Most notably, semi-gloss has more sheen than satin.

The types of finishes you’ll likely find in most paint collections—ranging from most to least reflective—are glossy/high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell, and flat/matte. Semi-gloss is slightly higher on the scale than satin and, thus, promises a little more reflectivity.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Semi-gloss’s extra sheen may change how your paint color looks on the wall.

While both finishes have a hint of sheen, more light from your lamps or the room’s uncovered windows will bounce off of semi-gloss surface than a satin surface (which actually absorbs some additional light instead). As a result of the way light reflects, the same paint color may appear slightly darker in a semi-gloss finish and slightly lighter in a satin one. So, factor that in when you’re making your final decision about which paint finish to use.

Semi-gloss is more durable and easier to clean.

The higher the gloss, the easier the cleanup of messes like fingerprints and smudges. For objects and areas that get a lot of use and therefore require frequent wipe-downs—bathrooms, kitchens, playrooms, kids’ bedrooms, and any other area children may feel tempted to draw on walls with Crayola—semi-gloss is often the wiser option. Because the surface is slicker, it’s more resistant to moisture and easier to go over with a damp cloth or special sprays designed for minor household disasters. (Either semi-gloss or satin finish, though, beats out their eggshell and flat/matte finishes for durability.)

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Semi-gloss better draws the eye to architectural elements.

Generally speaking, cleaning needs aside, satin is the default choice for many do-it-yourselfers refreshing interior walls and furniture, while smaller doses of semi-gloss highlight home features: cabinetry, mantels, stair railing, window trim, door casings, and crown molding. Even if you apply the same color in two different sheens in a room—satin to the walls and semi-gloss to the trim—the reflection will make the craftsmanship of the molding pop.

Satin is more forgiving of pre-existing imperfections than semi-gloss.

If you’ve got dings and dents in your walls, your cabinets, or your soon-to-be-painted dresser, the reflective nature of semi-gloss will only draw more attention to every flaw. A satin finish is more flattering over pocks, divots, and scrapes since it draws the light in and tricks the eye into seeing a more even surface. So, if you want to deflect attention away from faults and blemishes without spending hours sanding them away, satin is the way to go.

The cost between the two is negligible, but you may pay a few cents less on the dollar for satin.

Generally speaking, the more gloss a paint offers, the more it will cost. Semi-gloss paint is manufactured with more binders (resins responsible for sheen) than satin paint in order to deliver the reflection and durability for which it’s known. So, if you’re looking to a little bit of money repainting walls throughout the whole home, satin is the most budget-worthy option of the two that still offers a hint of sheen.

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Matte and semi-gloss paint

Published: 12/10/2019

Matte and semi-matt paints are the most popular for interior wall decoration. The most important thing for many is the right choice of wall colors, but few people pay attention to the degree of gloss of the coating.

It should be remembered that matt and semi-matt paints differ in the degree of light reflection, therefore, this affects the appearance of the painted surface, as well as its durability and resistance.

Attention should be paid to the parameters described on the packaging - first of all, the abrasion resistance class, gloss level and content of volatile organic compounds. Most people are convinced that it is the color of the walls that determines whether a room will be attractive.

Don't forget to check the gloss of the paint. If you don't, you may be disappointed. Therefore, painting the walls should be thought out and planned in advance.

Matt paints

Matt paints have many undeniable advantages. They perfectly mask any small irregularities and surface defects. Therefore, they are ideal for rooms where walls or ceilings are not perfectly smooth.

A material with a lower gloss level is easier to apply and produces a uniform surface. Matte surfaces give the impression of softness and lightness.

For example, one of the products that forms an ultra-matt paint coating - FLUGGER FLUTEX 2S . The painted surface does not reflect at any angle of incidence of light, plus the material does not leave stains and stripes from the tool.

Since matt paints do not reflect light, they are good for painting walls in a bright, well-lit room. Matte paints should also be used for painting ceilings, as these surfaces are often subject to light reflections due to intense lighting.

FLUGGER FLUTEX 5 is a versatile product based on acrylic that can be used on both walls and ceilings and forms a quality coating.

Abrasion-resistant matt paints

Matt-coated paints are considered to have lower mechanical strength. Therefore, any attempt to wipe and wash dirt from walls covered with a matte paint film will result in irreversible damage to the painted surface.

Flugger offers deep matt inks that have the same high mechanical resistance as their glossier versions. An example is matte, wear-resistant paint FLUGGER DEKSO 5 - withstands local cleaning and wet cleaning.

FLUTEX 10 - stands in the gap between matt and semi-matt paints. It has a pleasant muted sheen, withstands local cleaning and wet cleaning.

Semi-matt paints

Wall colors painted with semi-matt paints are more saturated because they reflect light more strongly. Such paints are ideal for small and poorly lit rooms.

Glossy paints should also be used in rooms with high humidity (eg bathroom) and in interiors subject to frequent soiling, which leads to frequent cleaning (eg kitchens, corridors, children's rooms). The higher the gloss, the higher the mechanical resistance of the paint.

Another important element is also worth paying attention to. When using glossy interior paints, be sure to prepare the base for painting perfectly. Glitter can highlight and emphasize even small defects or irregularities.

Flugger Semi-Matt Paints

FLUGGER DEKSO 25 Semi-Matte paint is resistant to local cleaning and wet cleaning, and also withstands cleaning under pressure from water from washing equipment.

Wear resistance class

When choosing a paint, please refer to its technical data sheet. One of the most important data is the resistance to wet abrasion and friction.

Interior paints are divided into grades I to V according to the size of the layer worn off with a sponge. According to this classification, only paints of classes I and II have a high resistance to wet scrubbing. In the case of others, such action results in less or more discoloration and coating defects.

So, class III is resistant to dry abrasion, and class IV and V are suitable for a limited type of surfaces that cannot be washed without harming the paint film.

Marking

Gloss level is a parameter that reflects light. Consequently, this affects the appearance of the painted surface, as well as its durability and resistance.

We can choose from a variety of options, from deep matt, matt, semi-matt, semi-gloss to glossy. We may also come across descriptions such as "satin gloss", "silky gloss" or "eggshell" which are meant to best illustrate the look of a paintwork.

In addition to the markings consisting of words, numerical values ​​are also used, which accurately determine the degree of gloss. These values ​​range from 0 to 100, and the ranges for the individual gloss levels are:

Flugger wishes you the best of luck!

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Published: 12/10/2019

The table above shows the main gradations of types of painted surfaces, and it is indicated for which parts of the interior it is better to use one or another type of paint.

Different types of paint surfaces reflect light differently, and this affects the perception of the color we choose. Matte surface paint does not reflect light very much, so matte paint perfectly masks imperfect wall preparation or, in other words, gives a greater guarantee that the painted surface will look more even. As we move through the gradation further to semi-matt or satin-surface semi-matt paints and further to glossy paints, we get a greater reflectivity of the paints, which gives the walls or painted surfaces a silky feel and a lighter or stronger sheen.

Paints with different surface finishes also wear out differently during use. So when choosing a type of paint based on gloss, we are actually choosing how long our walls will look fresh and new. After all, the greater the gloss of the paint, the easier and with less effort it will be cleaned or washed afterwards.

So, we come to the fact that we need to choose between different types of matte or glossy surfaces, not based on love or dislike for matte or gloss, but on the basis of the requirements for paint resistance, depending on the room in which we will be apply paint. Once again, the greater the gloss, the harder the film forms on the surface of the paint after application. And the harder this film, the greater the resistance of the paint to abrasion or tearing on the surface of the cracks. Matte paints, respectively, are more porous, so they absorb dirt more and are harder to clean.

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each type of ink in a slightly more extended format: high gloss, gloss, semi-gloss, satin, semi-gloss and matte. The description below can be easily correlated with the table at the beginning of the article.

- High Gloss, or High Gloss finish - produces the highest degree of gloss and the hardest film on the surface, making these paints the easiest to clean. At the same time, high-gloss paints reflect light the most and emphasize all the smallest surface imperfections, making such paints very difficult to apply. Surface preparation for high gloss and painting itself is best left to professionals. High gloss paints are best for walls and surfaces in high traffic areas. Glossy paints are also ideal for accent painting moldings, profiles or details that you want to highlight in your interior. Wooden portals of fireplaces (if they are to be painted), wooden accent decorative details, exclusive panels, details of cabinets and built-in furniture, which are supposed to be painted with accent colors, should also be painted with glossy paints of these accent colors.

- Semi Gloss - Slightly less reflective than High Gloss and still fairly resistant to stains. These paints are a good choice for spaces designed for small children, playrooms, corridors or passageways.

- Satin - Semi Gloss - Has a softer, lower sheen and does not shine to the same extent as high gloss or semi gloss paint. Satin is semi-gloss, still cleans well, and is quite resistant to abrasion, making these types of paints practical enough to be used in almost all areas of a house or apartment.

- Semi-gloss eggshell eggshell - has a soft sheen like the surface of an egg. This type of paint is good for walls, but not for door frames and frames, and not for moldings or profiles on walls. Such a surface can still be washed without damaging the paint surface, but the paint can accumulate dirt on the surface of the decorative elements and profiles protruding from the passages.

- Matte paints - have a surface that does not reflect light, thus allowing you to hide surface preparation imperfections (minor, you should not take matt paints as a panacea for poor surface preparation for painting).

- High matt - ideal for ceilings or walls in low traffic areas (eg bedrooms). Highly matte paints are also good for rooms with deliberately uneven walls (damaged), or with embossed wall finishes (the notorious “fur coat” or walls with the “bark beetle” finish effect, etc., are usually painted with matte paints).

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