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Choosing the right paint colour is perhaps one of the most difficult challenges facing any home improver. After choosing the perfect colour however, there’s more decisions to make. Deciding which type of paint you use to revamp a room is just as important as selecting the right colour, so what different types of paint can be used in the home?
Matt is perhaps the most commonly used paint in UK homes, and for good reason. This non-shiny emulsion is a great option for the walls and ceilings of living spaces, but most matt paints generally need more maintenance than other paint types.
With this in mind, you can purchase matt paint in flat or vinyl. Flat matt needs additional upkeep to look good as it can easily become marked, especially in heavy traffic areas. Vinyl matt on the other hand provides a tougher, wipeable alternative without the high sheen look that comes with gloss.
Satin paint offers the best of both worlds, giving a soft sheen finish and a clean matt look. It is more hardwearing than flat and vinyl matt paint, which means it looks great for the long haul, even in busy family homes.
Silk is a matt paint that offers the look and durability of gloss. It’s the best option for high humidity areas as a result, with kitchens and bathrooms both benefitting from a sleek silk finish.
Gloss paint is used on interior and exterior woodwork, including windowsills, shelving, skirting boards, doors and door frames.
It’s generally solvent-based, which makes it particularly durable and able to be used on a multitude of other surface types, such as metal. Due to its solvent content however, it has a very strong smell and takes quite a while to dry – some products take up to 24 hours to become touch dry. Water-based varieties are becoming increasingly available but do take longer to dry.
Like matt, gloss paint comes in many variations, liquid gloss being the most traditionally used. One coat gloss is a more popular product thanks to it only needing a single coat and requiring no undercoat.
A type of gloss paint, satinwood offers all the perks of liquid gloss without the dated high sheen finish. Instead it has a subtle sheen that suits both modern and traditional properties. It is however not as durable as liquid gloss.
Another gloss paint that’s a popular choice is eggshell. Eggshell gloss is durable but provides a flat finish that looks and feels like matt paint. Like gloss, eggshell is also wipeable making it a great option for heavy traffic areas.