It is best to always seal furniture you paint where you used a low sheen paint like flat, matte, eggshell, or chalk paint. These finishes are easy to scratch and smudge and hard to clean. Sealing them makes the surface easy to clean and will keep the piece looking nice.
With all this said, however, eggshell paint finishes aren't as durable as others. While they do hold up well on walls and can handle the occasional cleanings, they are extremely susceptible to scuffs and marks from the occasional bump or scrape.
Because eggshell is less lustrous than satin, it is also slightly less durable. That being said, it will still hold up better than flat or matte finishes would. Eggshell paint is a great option for walls in medium- to low-traffic areas, and can be easily cleaned.
'Eggshell paint can be applied by brush, roller or spray. For best results, paint on to untreated, bare wood. Wood surfaces should be prepared with primer, such as our Multi-Purpose Primer and lightly sanded prior to application. We recommend following this with two full coats of eggshell.
Providing a protective seal will make the painting last longer because you're protecting it from dust, debree and some fading from UV Rays. There are some varnishes that can be removed years later so you can re-varnish a painting and make it last even longer!
It is very important to make sure that you let your last coat of paint dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding with Clear Coat, otherwise you may end up with a streaky finish.
Permanent varnish
Before varnishing, ensure paint surface is fully dry (72 hours-two weeks depending on thickness) and your space is well ventilated and dust-free.
Wash Your Walls
Dip your non-abrasive sponge into the bucket with dish soap and wring it out well, so your sponge remains slightly damp. Work from the top of the wall down in small sections, cleaning in a circular motion. Rub gently. Be careful not to scrub the wall too hard; it can lift the paint.
Eggshell is durable and washable, but not as much as high-gloss paint. It adds more dimension to a room compared to a flat finish. Flat paint is not easy to wash either. You can say eggshell is the best of both worlds.
Eggshell paint sheen is popular for many good reasons. It is an attractive, one-size-fits-all paint sheen that draws out the best in a paint's color. At the same time, eggshell is cleanable and somewhat resistant to wear and tear.
Eggshell paint drying times
In a typical scenario, these paints will be touch dry in 4-6 hours and ready for you to apply a second coat in 16-24 hours. It's probably even more important to sit on your hands and remain patient with these paints before your second coat because they're much more prone to pulling.
Satin is more durable—an advantage in high-traffic spaces.
This is why satin paint is more resistant to dents, divots, scuffs, scratches, and stains, and more durable on the whole. Eggshell paint is more likely to become damaged by these impacts and abrasions because it has fewer binders and more pigment.
Yes, all types of paint go bad eventually. A previously opened can of paint lasts 5 years on average if properly sealed and stored.
Patchiness usually happens if you don't use enough paint, or apply it unevenly. Using a touch more paint, and painting in small sections one at a time, usually does the trick. Also, rolling in a grid fashion will get you an even finish too. But, sometimes, changes in the gloss level leave things patchy.
FLAT, EGGSHELL, OR SATIN PAINT
To apply flat, eggshell, or satin paints and stains, a knit roller cover is recommended. Knit roller covers can pick up and release higher amounts of paint than woven fabrics because the fibers have a looped backing with a single pass-through process resulting in a more “open” fabric.
Possible Cause
Use of a lower quality paint that has inadequate adhesion and flexibility. Over thinning the paint or spreading it too thin. Poor surface preparation especially not applying a primer before painting. Poor adhesion of the underlying coats.
For paint that will provide decent durability without the reflectivity of high-gloss finishes, choose a satin finish. Cost: Eggshell paint is more cost-effective than satin paint. Homeowners looking to save at the paint store or repaint large areas are better off going with an eggshell finish.
From the perspective of a Color Designer/Consultant, I typically specify eggshell on walls for multiple reasons that benefit the people who are dwelling in the home. Eggshell paint cleans easier, covers better, wears better, and lasts longer than flat paint.
We recommend two coats of this eggshell interior paint in order to achieve full depth of colour. Each coat of Interior Eggshell will be surface dry within one hour, and ready for a second coat after four hours of drying time.
However, if satin or eggshell is used, those spots generally cannot be touched up, so the entire wall has to be repainted. This is not cost-effective for the general contractor, the painters, or the homeowner. Therefore, builders use low-grade flat paint we painters refer to as builder-grade flat.
Interior eggshell paints are moisture resistant which makes them ideal for use in bathrooms and kitchens where condensation levels are high. Exterior eggshell paints are moisture resistant , however are rarely waterproof as to be considered a waterproof paint, a paint must repel moisture.
Using a varnish or enamel spray is a very common way to seal all kinds of art work. They can be a very good option if you need your finish to be as affordable as possible, if you do not require an ultra high gloss finish or if you require a quick turn around.
In general, you want to apply furniture sealer using multiple thin, even coats. At least two thin coats of sealer is recommended but I usually apply 3-4 coats of sealer on high-traffic pieces. If you are using a brush to apply furniture sealer, brush it on in long, even strokes.
Shellac Primer
Shellac has been used for centuries to seal wood and other surfaces. Good for interior paint jobs, shellac-based primers are possibly the best stain-blocking primers, working well on severe water and smoke damage to walls and surfaces — they even seal in smells from smoke damage.