Along with its closest sibling, satin, eggshell is the one to pick if you have to use it for the walls on nearly every interior surface. In fact, except for the ceiling, no surface is wrong for eggshell sheen paint.
Ideally, eggshell paint is best suited for ceilings, bedrooms, dining rooms and living areas where there is not a lot of dirt build-up or traffic. In addition, its medium-level durability provides added protection that a flat finish does not. For areas such as walls, eggshell works best and is easier to clean.
Eggshell Finish
The Cons: It is very hard to touch up. Because it has the slight sheen to it, it's almost impossible to only add a new layer in small areas without it being visible. Usually a “touch-up” of eggshell means re-doing a full wall. Best For: Walls in any room where you want a little more sheen.
Eggshell Finish
"It is the easiest paint to wipe clean and is great for all areas of the home, including bathrooms and kitchens," she says. "I only use a gloss or semi-gloss paint on base, case, trim, and cabinetry."
Eggshell, as its name suggests, is a no-shine finish with very little luster to it. While this paint isn't as durable as the higher gloss products, it covers wall imperfections very well and works on walls that don't get a lot of bumps or scuffs.
When to Use Eggshell Paint. Eggshell is commonly used in living rooms and dining rooms, as it is durable and does not pick up dirt easily. If your walls have bumps or imperfections, an extra coat of eggshell can disguise them more easily than satin or high-gloss finishes.
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.
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.
Often brush marks at the cut in around doors or windows, and roller marks are also quite visible with satin or eggshell sheens because the chemicals manufacturers add to the paint to give it the shine and added washability also refract light. This is unavoidable.
Of the two, satin is more durable and is slightly less likely to scuff or mark than eggshell and it's easier to clean when it does get marked. This makes it a better choice, especially for woodwork such as painting skirting boards, than eggshell for high traffic areas like hallways and living rooms.
'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.
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.
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.
Generally, surfaces which have a solvent based paint on already will need to be prepped and primed with the correct primer so that the water-based Eggshell adheres. This is because the old gloss paint will form a barrier to the water-based paint.
Yes, all types of paint go bad eventually. A previously opened can of paint lasts 5 years on average if properly sealed and stored.
Eggshell. An eggshell finish has a subtler shine to it, so it's a great choice if you're not ready for satin. It offers what you may expect - it's shinier than flat (but not as glossy as satin), and it's easier to clean than flat (but not as easy to clean as satin).
Satin and low-lustre paints have a slightly higher sheen than eggshell finishes. Paints in this category are warmer and provide a greater appearance of depth than flat paints. They also resist stains better than flat paints.
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.
Once dry give the painted area another light sand to remove any bubbles or dust. Repeat the process for the first coat again. Once finished allow your second coat to dry! Usually this should provide good coverage but if not you can always apply another coat.
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.
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.
The Best Oil-Based Eggshell Paint
When it comes to this, Dulux Trade Eggshell is a paint that ticks all boxes. Dulux Trade Eggshell is touch dry in 4-6 hours, has an excellent coverage of up to 17m2 per litre and leaves a professional finish that lasts much longer than others on the market without yellowing.
Eggshell Paint:
Not only is eggshell paint durable but it is good for bathroom walls and suits the walls that are bumpy, damaged, or warped. As the eggshell paint provides your bathroom surface with a smoother texture and low sheen, this will hide imperfections very easily.
An eggshell finish will be more forgiving when it comes to imperfections on your walls, and is durable and easy to clean. Semi-gloss finish: This is the best finish for your trims such as baseboards, mouldings and even cabinets and doors.