kitchen wall paint- Eggshell or soft sheen.

[Stringman_uk]

Hi All
Our kitchen has been painted in Johnstones durable matt.
It looks nice but is not very hard wearing at all.
I am looking at repainting it (same colour so would prefer Johnstones) and am not sure which would be better Soft sheen or Eggshell.
I know that eggshell will be tougher but more expensive. I am also not sure which has the "mattest" finish?
If Eggshell is tougher and more wipeable and matter then its a given to choose that, but if soft sheen is much more matt and still wipeable then the cost might factor in.

Any thoughts and recommendations are appreciated.
Thanks

 

[JohnD]

I find eggshell difficult to clean.

Kitchens are prone to splashes and marks.

 

[Stringman_uk]

Thanks for that.
I thought eggshell was wipeable?

To be fair there is only one area that gets splashed a fair bit.
Have just see Johntones do a matt could everlast that is supposed to be durable and wipeable.

 

[aveatry]

I used this on my kitchen last year and it has a soft Sheene https://www.thepaintshed.com/johnst...HzigMVBp1QBh32UTb2EAQYASABEgLBxfD_BwE#223=404 its even supposed to be scrubbable - let alone wipeable.
I always go over with a foam roller for a final finish which give it a flat smooth surface rather than an eggshell. It was the hardest wearing wipeable paint I could find. Mat is never any good to try and clean no matter what the tin says.

 

[Stringman_uk]

I used this on my kitchen last year and it has a soft Sheene https://www.thepaintshed.com/johnst...HzigMVBp1QBh32UTb2EAQYASABEgLBxfD_BwE#223=404 its even supposed to be scrubbable - let alone wipeable.
I always go over with a foam roller for a final finish which give it a flat smooth surface rather than an eggshell. It was the hardest wearing wipeable paint I could find. Mat is never any good to try and clean no matter what the tin says.

Thanks for that. that goes with my thinking but goes against JohnD's thoughts. when you talk about the finish (using the the foam roller) are you referring to the finish via the roller (orange peel effect) or the actual paint finish/sheen?
Thanks

 

[opps]

I would use a mohair roller rather than a foam one. Foam rollers can leave tiny air bubbles which blister when they burst.

An alternative, very durable finish would be something like Zinsser BIN (a shellac based paint). It can be tinted but there are no guarantees about the colour accuracy. Expensive though.

A problem with waterbased finishes is that splashes of cooking oil will soften the paint if left sitting on the surface too long.

Years ago I painted my kitchen walls with oil based eggshell. I could use a green scouring pad to remove hardened splashes. Big downside- the room stank for a few days. Mind you, much less smelly than the 2K lacquer that I sprayed the worktops with.

 

[aveatry]

Thanks for that. that goes with my thinking but goes against JohnD's thoughts. when you talk about the finish (using the the foam roller) are you referring to the finish via the roller (orange peel effect) or the actual paint finish/sheen?
Thanks

I lay on with a mohair and cut in with a brush and then very very lightly go over it with a foam roller meant for gloss paint. I dont think the "egg shell" describes the texture of the paint but rather it describes its slight sheene. I am very pleased with it so far. I was painting bare new skim so i first used the johnson joncryl under coat- wattered down as per for new plaster

I would use a mohair roller rather than a foam one. Foam rollers can leave tiny air bubbles which blister when they burst.

Yes that is right but not if you dont lay it on too thick in the first place trying to do it in 1 or 2 coats. I also thin it down a bit and end up doing about 3-4 coats.
I use the foam roller on top because I do not like the texture left behind with any "normal" rollers

 

[opps]

I lay on with a mohair and cut in with a brush and then very very lightly go over it with a foam roller meant for gloss paint. I dont think the "egg shell" describes the texture of the paint but rather it describes its slight sheene. I am very pleased with it so far. I was painting bare new skim so i first used the johnson joncryl under coat- wattered down as per for new plaster

Yes that is right but not if you dont lay it on too thick in the first place trying to do it in 1 or 2 coats. I also thin it down a bit and end up doing about 3-4 coats.
I use the foam roller on top because I do not like the texture left behind with any "normal" rollers

When trying to maintain a wet edge with waterbased paints, Floetrol is great (as is propylene glycol). Nothing wrong with a tiny amount of water, but too much will thin the paint and mess with the curing process and the level of suction. PG is far cheaper than Floetrol, but not quite as good. Neither "thins" the paint though.

 

[aveatry]

When trying to maintain a wet edge with waterbased paints, Floetrol is great (as is propylene glycol). Nothing wrong with a tiny amount of water, but too much will thin the paint and mess with the curing process and the level of suction. PG is far cheaper than Floetrol, but not quite as good. Neither "thins" the paint though.

Yes the wet edge issue - I try to work really fast and only water down as per manufacturers info but that additive sounds interesting.

 

[Stringman_uk]

That sounds ideal, I was thinking of this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Special-Ingredients-Mono-Propylene-Premium-Quality/dp/B01C1LBCZC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3KJ44KJJBCNCB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LIPHGDJLBKE6DB83a5fGpJP6cuV7UdKz1CczMlkBbrTykckteSSLphBRFsuopifIis03zI-Q_o5iEoUboqEQWTDKvyqAAdeWn0q9QyFyBYQp92FJaxQR2_VF30aUJzgF86P5yLBVB5314Ju8kxIXkdNDY77DfX3ucTwzQUmq9SfjNUiiGduQurjTTXjbK5xa.lHWXSw6LaV7-P3CPoickXtSmRHnuW0mQ1clcMSsYTDw&dib_tag=se&keywords=propylene%2Bglycol%2B500ml&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1736868251&s=kitchen&sprefix=propylene%2Bglycol%2B500ml%2Ckitchen%2C97&sr=1-4&th=1

as its about half the price of floetrol.
So I think it will be the acrylic eggshell for the kitchen and if its to shine we will try everlast matt in other rooms