Which Paint Sheen Should You Use?
Which paint sheen should you use is the question Blair answers in this clip, and he will not give one finish for every wall. He stands in a black Castle Painters polo, logo on the chest, and opens with, "Hey Knoxville, this is Blair with Castle Painters." Then: "I quickly wanted to touch on something that I feel like we get asked a lot and that's what kind of painting sheen should we use in the home."
His next line is the method. "Well, it all depends on the type of home that you have and the foot traffic that you have within your home." The description under the video says the same thing more briefly: it depends on your home and how much foot traffic it gets. He does not name a paint brand, a product line, or a price.
It depends on the home and the foot traffic
He calls this something "we get asked a lot," and later "some of the stuff that we get asked on a day-to-day basis when we go into homes to do the paint work." The burned-in caption says "paint work" as two words.
He then recommends eggshell, matte or flat, and, on certain surfaces, semi-gloss or gloss. The YouTube title says "Flat vs Eggshell vs Semi-Gloss." On camera he also says matte, and he says gloss on doors and trim. The title is not the full spoken list.
This page stays with what he says here. The longer version is the Sherwin-Williams paint sheens guide. This post does not repeat that guide, and it does not add a finish he does not name. Sheen names and place names below follow the burned-in captions. The automatic caption file mishears several of them.
Eggshell
Around 0:16 he says, "we like to recommend eggshell." He calls it "kind of like a medium between something that's durable and still like a little bit more luxurious and washable," for "high traffic areas," and for a busy household where walls take scuffs and bumps.
The description calls eggshell "our go-to for busy homes, high-traffic areas," and "a balance of durable, washable, and a little luxurious." "Busy homes" is the description's phrase. On camera he talks about high traffic and about walls getting scuffed. Kitchens, doors, and trim get their own lines.
Matte or a flat
Around 0:40 he says, "For families that are maybe semi-retired," and for homes where people are not running into things and scuffing the walls, "we like to recommend a matte or a flat." The burned-in caption reads "a matte or a flat."
He gives that finish two traits: "this actually hides imperfections a lot more" and "it also gives a very luxurious feel."
The description says matte or flat "hides wall imperfections and gives a rich, luxurious finish," for "semi-retired homeowners." On camera the words are "very luxurious feel" and "maybe semi-retired," set against walls that get scuffed.
Kitchen spaces
Around 0:52 he says, "in kitchen spaces we like to recommend maybe a semi-gloss or an eggshell." Then: "Both of those are very durable and they're easy to wipe down." He repeats the pair for a reason: "in the kitchens if you get like any oil splatter or anything like that, a semi-gloss is a really good option or an eggshell."
The description adds "grease and oil splatter." He says "oil splatter," and he does not say grease.
Doors and trim work
Around 1:10 he says, "you would want to use on doors or trim work, we want to recommend using a semi-gloss or a gloss depending on the look that you're going for."
That is the whole answer. He does not pick semi-gloss over gloss, and he does not name a style. The description matches him: "Doors & trim — Semi-gloss or gloss, depending on the look you want."
Asked on a day-to-day basis
He wraps the sheen talk with, "I just wanted to address this quickly," and "this is some of the stuff that we get asked on a day-to-day basis when we go into homes to do the paint work."
If you want the interior work itself, see interior painting in Knoxville. The description, not this speech, also names exterior painting and deck staining: exterior painting in Knoxville and deck staining in Knoxville. He does not say those two out loud here.
The title calls this FAQ #2. The description calls it episode 2 and points back to episode 1, the first FAQ video.
The room on camera
He never names the house or the town behind him. There is no street.
The room is tall, with a white angled ceiling and a pale yellow section high on the right wall. An arched window sits over an extension ladder, with a ceiling fan in that opening. Grid windows and French doors look onto trees. Furniture, including a wooden chair, is under clear plastic. The Castle Painters logo, a blue castle on a paintbrush, stays in the top right.
Early on, a painter in a white shirt and jeans is high on the ladder near the fan. Later the ladder is empty and two painters in white shirts are in the room: one with a beard, working at the left by the covered furniture, and one turned so the logo on the back of the shirt shows. Blair never says which sheen is on the walls in the shot, including the yellow section. The picture is not a sheen sample.
Where he says we work
Just after 1:28 he says, "Anyway, I'm Blair with Castle Painters and we service Sequoyah Hills," then "the greater Knoxville areas," Tellico Village, "we go all the way out to Kingston," "a little bit of Lenoir City," and "we try and stay within a 30 mile radius of our hub." "A little bit" is part of what he says about Lenoir City. He does not give the hub a street. The burned-in caption makes "areas" singular and can add "TN" after Kingston. The automatic file hears Sequoia, Teleico, and Lenor.
Pages for the places he names out loud:
- Painters in Sequoyah Hills
- Knoxville house painters, for the greater Knoxville area
- Castle Painters in Tellico Village
- Painters in Kingston
- Painters in Lenoir City
The description's place list is wider
Under the video, the description prints "WHERE WE WORK (about a 30-mile radius of Knoxville)," then Knoxville, Sequoyah Hills, Farragut, Maryville, Tellico Village, Loudon, Lenoir City, Clinton, Karns, and Kingston.
That is not the sentence he speaks. In this clip he does not say Farragut, Maryville, Loudon, Clinton, or Karns. He does not say the radius is of Knoxville. He says it is of "our hub." The description lists Lenoir City without "a little bit." On camera, those words are part of the line.
What the end card puts on screen
Around 1:46 the room cuts away. The card shows a painter in a white cap, white shirt, and white pants, on a ladder against light blue-grey horizontal siding with white trim, brushing up near the soffit. On the card:
- "Castle Painters — Because your home is your castle."
- "Thanks for watching! We appreciate your support."
- "Family-owned local painters"
- "Reliable service you can count on"
- "Quality results that last"
- "Call or visit us today! 865-606-6999"
- "Visit our website Castlepainters.com"
The bottom banner says, "Like, comment & subscribe! For more painting tips & home inspiration."
"Family-owned local painters" is on the card. Blair does not say it before the cut. The same is true of "Reliable service you can count on" and "Quality results that last." He does not give the siding in that still a sheen.
When you want to talk
His last spoken line is, "Anyway, I'm Blair and we hope to chat with you soon." The card shows the phone. Call or text 865-606-6999, or request a free estimate and say which rooms get the foot traffic, which spaces are kitchens, and what look you want on the doors and trim.
More from the series will sit on the Knoxville painting blog.
FAQ
Which paint sheen should you use?
It depends on the type of home and the foot traffic in the home. He recommends eggshell as a medium between durable, a little more luxurious, and washable, for high-traffic areas and busy households where walls take scuffs. For families that are maybe semi-retired, and for homes where the walls are not getting scuffed, he recommends a matte or a flat, because it hides imperfections and gives a very luxurious feel. He does not name one sheen for the whole house.
What does he recommend in kitchen spaces?
Maybe a semi-gloss or an eggshell. He says both are very durable and easy to wipe down, and he uses oil splatter as the example.
What does he recommend on doors and trim?
A semi-gloss or a gloss, depending on the look you are going for. He does not choose between them.
Where does he say the company works?
Sequoyah Hills, the greater Knoxville areas, Tellico Village, all the way out to Kingston, a little bit of Lenoir City, and a 30-mile radius of our hub. He does not give the hub a street. The description's town list is longer, and it is not the same sentence.
What does the end card say?
A painter on light blue-grey siding, "Because your home is your castle," and the lines "Family-owned local painters," "Reliable service you can count on," and "Quality results that last," plus 865-606-6999 and Castlepainters.com.