Here’s a very informative description of the various types of sheens available when selecting your paint. Professional painter, Perry Martin, in Orange County, California has done a fabulous job in outlining these options.
Quality Painting
High-Quality Residential Interior and Exterior Painting
In this volume we’re going to explore the various finishes paint comes in, where they are most commonly used and the pluses and minuses of them.
What Is Sheen?
I’m sure you’ve heard the term “sheen” before. Quite simply it refers to the shininess, or lack of, of the various paint finishes. There are five basic sheens that paint comes in, although different paint companies tend to vary these sheens somewhat. (Wish they wouldn’t do that!). They are Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss and Gloss – - or High-Gloss as it is sometimes called. There are practical reasons for the various sheens, as well as aesthetic. In recent years the aesthetic has sometimes won out over the practical, particularly when someone is going after a certain “look”. I’m not saying this is right or wrong but, as you’ll discover in this article, there are definite advantages to keeping the practical aspect in mind. Okay, let’s have a look at these finishes.
FLAT:
As its name would suggest this finish has a smooth, dull, non-shiny appearance. It’s commonly used interiorly on ceilings, bedroom and living room walls, closet interiors, entryways and hallways. On an exterior it can be used on wood and stucco and there are surface specific products that come in this finish. It’s not recommended for use on metal, however. The advantages of this finish are that it is better at hiding surface imperfections, touches up well, is non-reflective (which can be more desirable in a living room or den where you want a more relaxing, muted surface finish) and is generally easier to apply than semi-gloss and gloss finishes, which can be a little tricky. The main disadvantage is that it is not washable, which is why it’s just as well that it touches up easily.
EGGSHELL:
Eggshell is sometimes mistakenly thought to be a color when, in fact, it refers to the finish which is somewhat like an eggshell which tends to have a slight sheen to it, sometimes called a “side-sheen”, which means the sheen is more noticeable if you stand alongside a wall and look down it’s length. It gives the smooth look of a flat while providing a bit more protection and a more washable surface. It can be used pretty much anywhere you would use a flat paint.
SATIN:
This is the next step up in sheens and, while not as shiny as semi-gloss, does have a more noticeable sheen. It is scrubbable and particularly useful in children’s bedrooms, high traffic areas and can be used in kitchens and powder rooms. It’s not generally recommended for use in bathrooms but, and here is where the aesthetic clashes with the practical, some people are not big fans of the “shiny” look and are willing to sacrifice protection and longevity for the lower sheen appearance of a satin. Satin is available in exterior products, too, and can be used on stucco and wood. It’s not the most ideal product to use on metal surfaces but, provided the surface has been properly prepared and primed, it can be used.
SEMI-GLOSS:
This is the finish most companies recommend for kitchens, bathrooms, laundries or any room or area that is subject to moisture and condensation on a regular basis. It’s protective qualities are excellent and it is very scrubbable. It is also commonly used on doors, cabinets, baseboards and other interior trim. On an exterior I like to use it on fascia boards, (as they are continually exposed to the elements), exterior doors, window trim (metal or wood) etc.
GLOSS:
The shiniest of them all it is rarely used inside (it’s just so dang shiny!) but, sometimes used on front doors, exterior metal or trim, it dries the hardest of all the sheens and offers excellent protection. Nevertheless, some people like the ultra-shiny look and sometimes use it on interior doors and cabinetry. At this point it’s just a matter of personal preference.
As I mentioned earlier, the aesthetic sometimes wins out over the practical and I have, at the customer’s request (or sometimes the interior decorator’s) painted kitchens and bathrooms using a flat, because that’s the “look” they were going for. On the other side of the coin, practical over aesthetic, I have also done a whole house in semi-gloss (although I tried to talk the customer out of it) because he didn’t care how it looked, he just wanted it to be washable. In the end, achieving a balance between practical and aesthetic is probably the best – - if you can do it. The various finishes were developed for specific reasons to be the most optimum for the surface they are being applied and the rooms they are being used in.
Okay, that’s it for this week. I hope you found this information helpful and remember, when all else fails, call a Pro – - namely me!
Perry Martin
Professional Painter – Orange County, California
Perry’s email: perry801@hotmail.com
My Sister emailed me a bunch of awesome Kitchen & Household Tips, so I thought I’d pass them on to my readers. May these make your life a little easier!
BANANAS TIP
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won’t have to pick the little ’stringy things’ off of it. That’s how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
CHEESE TIP
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
PEPPERS TIP
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
EXCESS FAT TIP
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up
BROWNIES TIP
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
GARLIC TIP
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
HALLOWEEN CANDY TIP
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!
PIZZA TIP
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. This was on the cooking channel and it really works.
NO-MESS DEVILED EGGS
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
FROSTING SAVER TIP
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can’t see easily.
Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Saturday, November 8th, 2008,
by The Advisor,
Filed under: Kitchen| |
No Comments
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material … I’m sure you know what your dryer’s lint filter looks like. Well … the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn’t go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that’s what burns out the heating unit.
You can’t SEE the film, but it’s there. It’s what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free … that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box .. well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it … the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn’t any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
How about that? Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn’t know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I’d share!
Saturday, November 8th, 2008,
by The Advisor,
Filed under: Laundry| |
No Comments
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants They eat it, take it ‘home,’ can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
Saturday, November 8th, 2008,
by The Advisor,
Filed under: Bugs| |
1 Comment
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2′ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Saturday, November 8th, 2008,
by The Advisor,
Filed under: Bugs| |
No Comments
