Choosing Different Kinds of Indoor Paint and Finishes Near West Haven, Stratford, Milford

Types of Paint and Finishes in Connecticut

Paints are so varied anymore in type and color that it’s often overwhelming trying to choose just one for each room. (What’s often helpful is weeding out what you don’t want so you can whittle down the list of what you do want in your home.) The good news is there are no shortage of options!

Below are interior paint options to consider to help you make your home exactly what you’re looking for.

1) Water based or Latex paints are based with water, not oil so they clean up much easier and are easier to apply when painting. Latex paints tend to have lower amounts of VOC.

2) Oil based paints are based with oil so theystand up to wear and tear but are much harder to work with. Just like on a canvas, oil based paints can be messy, hard to clean up when wet and take longer to dry. Oil paint is great to use on high traffic areas like baseboards, cabinets, bannisters and trim and give a great, glossy finish. Oil paints tend to have higher amounts of VOC in them and drying time is longer since they tend to be a thicker paint.

3) Enamel paints are a water based solution that stand up to high traffic areas and tend to have a glossy finish. Plus, enamel paints typically clean up well so it’s often used in bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms that get a lot of house traffic.

What is a Paint Finish and What are the Different Kinds of Paint Finishes?

A paint’s finish is how it looks and feels after it’s been applied and has dried on the wall or surface. Below are different kinds of paint finishes in order of increasing durability.

Mattes: a matte paint finish has very little gloss and is instead purposely flat since it absorbs light. Matte paints look great on large walls and ceilings because the color comes through rich and even. Many people like it because this finish hides flaws in walls very well and touchups are a breeze when painting. The only down side to this finish, is that it can be hard to clean once the paint has dried on its surface. Because of that it’s not ideal for high traffic areas like kitchens and children’s rooms.

Eggshell and Satin: these paints are like a matte finish but have a little more shine to them, similar to how an eggshell looks. Eggshell has less shine and satin has more shine to it. These paints have more of a gloss but still give great coverage and is easy to clean once dried. Satin finish paint is one step glossier than eggshell and goes on smooth (much like satin, lending to the finish’s name) with a medium amount of shine. Since eggshell and satin paints are a little bit thicker in their application, they stand up well to high traffic areas like kitchens, bathrooms and hallways and can be easily cleaned once dry.

Semi Gloss and High Gloss: gloss paints as the name implies, is thick and finishes with reflects a lot of light (or has a high shine) and a hard surface which makes it a very durable paint. Gloss finishes are similar to oil paints so they tend to be thicker and used on trim, doors, cabinets instead of full walls. This means cleaning cabinets, doors, and trim is easier since the paint is thicker and easier to clean than the previous finishes. Since gloss finishes are shinier, wall imperfections may show more than if you’re using a matte finish.

Other Kinds of Paint Finishes and Uses

No Drip or Dripless paints are great to use on ceilings and other hard-to-reach areas so you can paint without looking like you fell into the paint bucket yourself. These paints are thicker to make them easier to apply.

One Coat paints are made with more color pigment in them, so application can be done with just one coat of paint. Just like anything, often you get what you pay for so make sure you understand exactly how your one coat paint will finish up and work to avoid unnecessary frustration with your end-product.

Rubberbase paints contain a liquefied rubber so it is waterproof and very durable. Its main advantage is it can be used on concrete, masonry and other hard to work surfaces. This kind of paint does need special prep work of the surface area and can be expensive.

Textured paints often contain sand and other abrasive materials to give the walls and ceilings more definition and feel.

Textured paints or "popcorn ceilings" can create a unique atmosphere in a room and is great for long-term application since removal of this kind of paint can be difficult.

If you're painting over textured paint, be sure to budget for additional paint since the texture crevices add to your surface area.

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