eggshell reveals I suck at drywall
 

hi all - just finished a small bedroom - new drywall + Ben Moore Eco Spec paint - primer and eggshell topcoat. I had the primer tinted to match the topcoat color (light sage). I like the color and the primer seemed to go on really easy. I primed the whole room, patched a couple spots, re-primed those patches and then top coated with the eggshell.

It looks pretty good - however my drywall "skills" showed up in the bright light of day (large window, south facing - sun really blasts in for a couple hours). Nobody else seems to notice - my wife thinks I'm nuts - but when I walk in at the right time, there's a couple spots that kinda bug me.

I did the hallway - new drywall, same primer, paint (eggshell) but a darker color - came out much nicer. This area does not get daylight like the bedrooms, though, so maybe it's just luck that I don't see the imperfections?

Before I start the next bedroom, even brighter than the first (terrace door + large window) and my incredible (not) drywall skills in play, I'm wondering about a different finish maybe?

Eggshell has always been talked up as a sort of "all purpose" choice (durable, but not too shiny) but is there any real / practical advantage to going with the eggshell as opposed to the flat finishes available today? How well do BM flat finishes hold up in that regard?

Thanks

i'm a flat finish guy. if there's a defect in the wall, sheen and light will find it. if your looking for ease of clean there are flats that do well, also if you do repairs on a sheen figure on painting the whole wall. I used to finish walls in flat oil in high traffic areas but i doubt thats out there still

thanks tpolk - I'm almost tempted to do the bedroom over with another coat in a flat finish - if not now then for sure, next time we paint the place. Is there any problem going over a shiny finish with a flat paint? I just didn't realize the eggshell had enough shine to it to make things stand out.

I think the next bedroom (and living room after that) will have a flat finish.

you will need to reprime imo for paint to adhere to the sheen

A "matte" finish will hide more imperfections
It's flat, but washable
I don't do much flat on walls anymore (can't remember the last time) with the mattes they have these days

The BM mattes are excellent

Well, if you mean over eggshell than you won't need a primer
Mmmmm....well....if the eggshell made imperfections stand out, you might want to try and "step up the prep" as it were
Not always possible or practical I know, but eggshell isn't like a pearl, satin, or semi-gloss in drawing the eye to imperfections

Paint is really not meant to hide imperfections in the surface
But yeah, going with a matte will make them less noticeable
Less enough for you?...can't say from here
Might be worth a quart to try it and see

thanks tpolk / slickshift - i really appreciate the feedback.

yeah my prepwork could be better but it's not for lack of trying - building my own addition - and from the foundation to the roof I can honestly say the most frustrating part is the drywall. It's not terrible but after all the work leading up to this stage, it kinda frustrates me when I walk in the room and see any mistakes - but it does give me a newfound respect for the guys who do this for a living.

I'm thinking the EcoSpec again but in a matte finish on the next rooms, and maybe some dark curtains all around :laughing:

on a side note, a friend (severe allergies) came over and commented on being able to walk into the place an hour after I painted and - no paint smell. the ecospec was pretty nice to work with in that regard - no fumes or headaches or anything working with this stuff all day - bonus...

I'd recommend a Matte finish ceramic paint in this situation. You get some of the best washability you can get in a matte finish this way. It may be hard to find the right product depending on your location though. We use a lot of Davis Perfection here in my part of Virginia, but Davis is a VA based company. You do get ceramic finish, zero VOC, and Microban protection for about the same as you would pay for Regal though and it covers great.

Hey poppameth - I'm in Ontario, Canada - long way from Virginia (although I have been there - around Fairfax - beautiful country)...

Seems to me there have been a few regional brands kicked around on these forums and message boards and most got pretty good reviews. Big box paints - not so much. We have a couple of paint stores here (they sell Sherwin Williams, Para paints, Benjamin Moore) - the ones that I know of. I went with the Ben Moore based on all the great reviews I've seen and it was a zero voc. I don't even know what a ceramic paint is, to be honest...:huh: