High gloss of semi-gloss?

[zhuzhu]

Hi All!

Can you tell me if you use high-gloss finish or semi-gloss finish paint for your bathrooms and kitchen? I was told it needs to be at least semi-gloss, but Homedepot people don''t seem to be able to tell me the pros and cons of one vs the other.

Thanks!

 

[neatfreak]

High gloss is SHINY-think lipgloss. I have it on my door because I like it but I would never use high gloss on a wall personally. Most people use semi. That being said, if you get a high quality matte (washable!) paint you can use a matte paint too. We did and love it. But it needs to be a really nice quality paint and a washable matte-not all are.

 

[PaulaW]

The only thing I would not use is a flat finish in a bathroom or kitchen. I always use satin finish for walls, semi-gloss for trim and oil-based semi-gloss on cabinets (if they''re painted) for added durability. I would steer clear of high-gloss.
If you do not have adequate ventilation in your bathroom (i.e. condensation on your walls/ceilings) I would go with a paint that has something to deter mold as well.
Hope that helps!

 

[radiantquest]

I use high in the kitchen and bathroom and semi everywhere else.

There is a website called yahoo answers and someone asked the high or semi question and it was unanimous that high in kitchen and bath is the best. The reason is that it can hold up to the heat and humidity in the bathroom and is easily wiped clean in the kitchen area.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I stick with semi-gloss in kitchens and bath and eggshell everywhere else. high gloss is a little more durable and scrubbable than semi gloss but it looks really really shiny. I don''t like that look, so I stick with semi-gloss which is still quite durable and scrubbable...

 

[jet2ks]

Date: 1/12/2010 12:56:16 PM
Author:zhuzhu
Hi All!

Can you tell me if you use high-gloss finish or semi-gloss finish paint for your bathrooms and kitchen? I was told it needs to be at least semi-gloss, but Homedepot people don't seem to be able to tell me the pros and cons of one vs the other.

Thanks!

That doesn't surprise me, most people at HD don't have a clue about how to do projects with the stuff they sell.

Generally, the higher the gloss, the easier the finish is to clean and more durable. The biggest downside is the amount of glare and reflection. I personally would only use high gloss for accents & small areas of trim that you want to stand out. Most semi-gloss enamels are more than durable enough for kitchen and bath. The other advantage to semi-gloss is that it is easier to repaint later. If you have a high gloss finish, you need to sand it or use a de-glosser to get a new finish to really adhere well. A good primer will stick to a clean semi-gloss finish without the extra prep work.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 1/12/2010 12:57:44 PM
Author: neatfreak
High gloss is SHINY-think lipgloss. I have it on my door because I like it but I would never use high gloss on a wall personally. Most people use semi. That being said, if you get a high quality matte (washable!) paint you can use a matte paint too. We did and love it. But it needs to be a really nice quality paint and a washable matte-not all are.

neat, which high quality matte did you use?

mz

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/12/2010 1:18:23 PM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 1/12/2010 12:57:44 PM

Author: neatfreak

High gloss is SHINY-think lipgloss. I have it on my door because I like it but I would never use high gloss on a wall personally. Most people use semi. That being said, if you get a high quality matte (washable!) paint you can use a matte paint too. We did and love it. But it needs to be a really nice quality paint and a washable matte-not all are.

neat, which high quality matte did you use?


mz

Benjamin Moore. We've also used Behr's highest quality paint/primer with a lot of success too. Washes really easily as I have learned quickly with dogs and kids!

 

[Callisto]

Just wanted to note that in addition to high glare from high gloss, if your walls have imperfections (bumps, old nail holes that weren''t sanded 110% smooth after filling, dents from things running into them etc) it will show TONS more with high gloss since the light will reflect differently off of the different surfaces. Just something to consider.

IMO I would use semi-gloss. I think high gloss looks odd on anything besides doors and occasionally trim especially in darker colors. Just keep the color mixture numbers so that if something really bad happens to an area and it doesn''t wipe off as well... you can just paint over it haha.

 

[gemgirl]

We use satin finish or eggshell for walls, and semi-gloss for moldings and doors even in the bathroom. Paint is very washable these days.

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 1/12/2010 1:35:59 PM
Author: Callisto
Just wanted to note that in addition to high glare from high gloss, if your walls have imperfections (bumps, old nail holes that weren''t sanded 110% smooth after filling, dents from things running into them etc) it will show TONS more with high gloss since the light will reflect differently off of the different surfaces. Just something to consider.
.

I learned it the hard way. I hired someone to paint the front door red, and he did not do that good of a job fill in the cracks and sand them smooth, so now the door looks even less smooth than before (I do love the color though)!

 

[Rachel9]

Eggshell

for all walls, so easy to clean! smelly high gloss for baseboards and crown molding [easier to clean and super sharp looking]

 

[soocool]

This is a very good question since we have been repainting our house over the past 2 years (1 room at a time) and I educated myself regarding paints.

You know your bathroom and kitchen best. How high are the moisture levels in these rooms? It will help determine the kind of paint you want to use.

I kept this info when I was doing my research:

Flat - Nice matte coating, but best in low-traffic areas where it is never or rarely touched. Absorbs moisture, so it is bad for bathrooms.

Eggshell - Slightly "sheeny" and more washable and scrubbable than flat. Like flat, eggshell is good for places without moisture.

Satin - Satin has a bit of a gloss, and can be used in low-moisture bathrooms, such as powder or guest bathrooms.

Semi-Gloss - Best sheen for any kind of bathroom. Repels moisture well.

High-gloss - Best for bathroom walls because high-gloss repels moisture almost as well as if your walls were coated in plastic. Downside is that high-gloss (in the opinion of some people) does not look good when spread out over large surfaces such as walls. Best for smaller surfaces like trim and cabinetry.


That said, we used a satin paint from Sherwin Wlliams specifically for bathrooms called Bath Paint. Here''s the link:
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/sherwin_williams_products/interior_house_paint/paints/index.jsp

 

[upgrade]

We used a flat in our kitchen! We wanted a Farrow & Ball colour and we tried colour matching in Behr Kithcen & Bath paint (usually a satin finish- between eggshell and semi-gloss) but I found that in the bright kitchen lighting I hated the sheen. Farrow & Ball paint is really chalky and the colour just wasn''t the same in a different finish. It''s high quality paint, though and I''ve found it to be quite washable.

I''m not a fan of glossy finishes for anything other than trim, so I''d go satin. I use eggshell for everything else, generally, and semi gloss for trim work.

 

[Kunzite]

Date: 1/12/2010 1:20:42 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/12/2010 1:18:23 PM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 1/12/2010 12:57:44 PM

Author: neatfreak

High gloss is SHINY-think lipgloss. I have it on my door because I like it but I would never use high gloss on a wall personally. Most people use semi. That being said, if you get a high quality matte (washable!) paint you can use a matte paint too. We did and love it. But it needs to be a really nice quality paint and a washable matte-not all are.

neat, which high quality matte did you use?


mz

Benjamin Moore. We''ve also used Behr''s highest quality paint/primer with a lot of success too. Washes really easily as I have learned quickly with dogs and kids!

+1 to neatfreak. We have Benjamin Moore matte finish on all of our walls, even the bathroom and kitchen, and couldn''t be happier. We''re just not glossy people

 

[Cehrabehra]

I put satin in my kitchen... I wouldn''t do high gloss except for trim - it''s just too reflective. The need for higher gloss is for cleanability - the flat paints clean for spit. But these days they''re making more and more washable paints. Also flat paint absorbs oil and humidity... but I would look into a lower threshold unless the paint is going to be right up against the oven.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 1/12/2010 1:42:26 PM
Author: gemgirl
We use satin finish or eggshell for walls, and semi-gloss for moldings and doors even in the bathroom. Paint is very washable these days.

This is exactly what we do - I had true matte in my house in Ireland and I didn''t like it - it was too dull to me. I do like the very faint sheen of eggshell on living/bedroom walls and satin in bathroom/kitchen. If I recall I think I put satin in the boys'' room too because they''re oinkers.