Expert Contributor Written by Tom Rafferty
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Rafferty Painting & General Contracting
Pa i n t S h een C h oi ces
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any people may not realize that there are different paint sheens that they should use for different rooms in their home. Satin or eggshell are often the only paint sheens some people will think to use because those sheens are known to be more easily wiped clean than flat paint. Yes, eggshell and satin are indeed wipeable, but the issue with those two sheens is that when you scrub a dirt or scuff mark off the wall, you often scrub off the sheen. When you look at that scrubbed wall at a direct angle, it may look clean and that it blended in well. But when you look at it from an angle, you’ll see that most areas have a sheen but some areas have no sheen at all. The other disadvantage of painting with satin and eggshell sheen is that they do not touch up well. If you have a long wall that gets scratched, you’ll have to repaint the entire wall. Such smallarea touch-ups are easy and quick with flat paint.
Woodwork on doors and trim should always have a semigloss sheen on them. These areas tend to get dirty more quickly, and with a semi-gloss coating, you can scrub without affecting the sheen. On bathroom walls, you should always put low-luster sheen or a paint specifically designed to handle the steam that often covers bathroom walls. Homeowners who are considering using a dark color on a bathroom’s walls should know that moisture can cause leeching. Leeching are streaks on walls that are either lighter or darker than the original color. Such streaks cannot be removed; repainting (and using a lighter color) is the only solution. In bathrooms with a shower, it’s not advisable to use a deep base-color paint. In powder rooms, a flat sheen should work just fine because there will be no steam from a shower that will affect the paint coating. M
Homeowners should use a flat sheen especially in high-traffic areas. This is because the paint touch-up will be relatively easy and almost effortless.
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PAINTING & GENERAL CONTRACTING
Interior/Exterior Residential Painting Specialties: Custom Colors, Wallpapering, Waterproof Coatings General Contracting Expertise Including: Additions/Remodels, Kitchens, Baths, Flooring, Carpentry, Tile, Windows, Doors and More! Powerwash & Soft Washing Services: Specializing in low pressure dryvit and stucco cleaning, Soft roof washing, Removal of mold, mildew and dirt
General Contracting • Residential & Commercial Painting www.RaffertyPainting.com • 610 - 626 - 9141 • info@RaffertyPainting.com November 2019
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