How do I get the lowest sheen from latex paint?
Question:I touched up some ceiling scuffs, and now you can see where I painted. The ceiling is drywall.I was using a flat (matte finish) white, latex paint. Is there a better paint that I should use? Would a paint, specifically labeled "ceiling paint", give me a lower luster finish?
Answers:
It is rather common for new drywall ceilings to be left unpainted. It is likely that what you have on the ceiling is raw drywall compound, especially if there is some kind of design in it.
If the ceiling has not been painted, you will not get a paint to match the sheen of what you have. If you really want to cover your touchups, you will need to paint the entire ceiling. Because it has not been painted, use a good drywall primer (no need for Kilz or anything that extreme) followed with a flat paint of your choosing.
Ceiling white is usually a flat paint with additional colorant added, generally white, sometimes just a touch of blue to correct color perception of light reflected from the ceiling. I like to use ceiling white because of the improved lighting, it tends to make the room look a bit bigger, but any flat will be fine.
Other than that, some brands of flat have less sheen than others. If you really want to just touch up, you may want to experiment with different brands. The difference is not very extreme.
nope. flat is as dull as it gets
just paint the whole thing
More than likely you just need two coats on the entire ceiling. Patches usually "flash through" which just means that they absorbed all the paint. You'll never perfectly match an existing coat of paint with a new paint so if you want the ceiling to look good, paint the whole thing with a good quality paint. I wouldn't recommend Glidden for one thing, you can just about get the same thing from your faucet.
Unfortunately you will always see "touch ups". Would have been better to try cleaning it first. Painters will never stop painting a wall half way through because you will always see where they have commenced painting again.
If it is very noticeable suggest you paint the lot.
Paint is sold in high gloss, semi-gloss and matte finish, whether latex or oil-based. The matte finish probably will have given you the most satisfactory results.
On the other hand, as paint ages, it loses lustre and also decomposes (which means the color will change - usually it darkens). That means that even with the matte finish, it would be obvious where you touched up, just less obvious than with high-gloss or semi-gloss.
You will probably find that repainting the entire ceiling looks far better than touch-up. That's what I'd do, anyway...
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