Matt vs Silk Paint

theonenonly

Time to update the walls and bring the house into the 21st century 😎

Currently we have garish bright green walls. I'm looking at going a light grey colour for the dining room. Back in the day paints used to be either Matt or Silk, is this still the case. Is there much difference between the two?

Worried about stains too considering the dining room is open to the kitchen

koalakoala

I much prefer silk as I like the sheen and it can be wiped. It does however show up imperfections on the walls more

Doozergirl

Whereas I hate silk because it's shiny and shows every imperfection. 

So there we go.  

Jeepers_Creepers

Fortunately, you can get tough and scrubbable paints these days, which means you don't need to go 'silk'. Because, really, you shouldn't.

That ain't a matter of preference - it's a matter of fact.  

TONO, you wanna be dragged into the 21st? Well forget silk on walls...

Carrot007

I though silk was a better alternative to gloss not a substitute for matt.

Though I am not tasked with the painting tasks!

Rosa_Damascena

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Fortunately, you can get tough and scrubbable paints these days, which means you don't need to go 'silk'. Because, really, you shouldn't.

That ain't a matter of preference - it's a matter of fact.  

TONO, you wanna be dragged into the 21st? Well forget silk on walls...

I too like the shimmer and that's what I'll be applying to my newly built and skimmed walls     

I applied it to my new walls in 2001 and maintain it looked great.

GSDMum

What about going for 'middle of the road' > eggshell?

Personally I'm not a lover of matt, I like to see light reflecting on surfaces, whereas matt appears to absorb light.

https://shorelinepaintingct.com/blog/choosing-perfect-paint-finish/

Niv

GSDMum said:

What about going for 'middle of the road' > eggshell?

Personally I'm not a lover of matt, I like to see light reflecting on surfaces, whereas matt appears to absorb light.

https://shorelinepaintingct.com/blog/choosing-perfect-paint-finish/

Normally eggshell is for metal and wood. I did follow your link and saw it mention walls so tried to buy some. Well, its very slim pickings (I found white) on a casual glance so it may be that eggshell for walls is not popular enough to have a decent range of colours commonly available?

Jeepers_Creepers

Rosa_Damascena said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Fortunately, you can get tough and scrubbable paints these days, which means you don't need to go 'silk'. Because, really, you shouldn't.

That ain't a matter of preference - it's a matter of fact.  

TONO, you wanna be dragged into the 21st? Well forget silk on walls...

I too like the shimmer and that's what I'll be applying to my newly built and skimmed walls     

I applied it to my new walls in 2001 and maintain it looked great.

I could go off you... :-)

neilmcl

Carrot007 said:

I though silk was a better alternative to gloss not a substitute for matt.

Though I am not tasked with the painting tasks!

I think you're confusing silk with satin which is the alternative to gloss on wood. SIlk is for walls.

GSDMum

Niv said:

Normally eggshell is for metal and wood. I did follow your link and saw it mention walls so tried to buy some. Well, its very slim pickings (I found white) on a casual glance so it may be that eggshell for walls is not popular enough to have a decent range of colours commonly available?

Thank you, didn't know it's for metal and wood. But yes, you can use it on walls. I understand Dulux can mix the colour of eggshell paint for you.

Can't load a print screen, so I'm copying from a webpage. 

"Can Dulux Eggshell be used on walls?

Eggshell has less of a sheen than silk or satin and it does look like the surface of an eggshell (the clue's in the name). It sits somewhere between matt and a silk finish and gives a beautiful classic look to woodwork – and can also be used on walls when you want a heritage style look with a tough finish.

Dr Dulux: Paint Finishes Explained | Dulux"