Should I Use Flat Or Eggshell Paint In My New Home?

There are many reasons that builders use flat paint to paint their new homes. You have a brand-new home and it is beautiful. It is your largest investment. Your family has saved for years to be able to afford this. You thought through every detail of the layout, furniture, and every nook and closet. While the movers are carrying your sectional sofa into your basement, they leave marks on the walls all the way down. Now this is a problem. You just signed off on your home and you are very happy with it.

Our Indianapolis painters offer four major reasons why you should go with flat paint. Keep on reading for more!

Reason #1 for Why Builders Use Flat Paint – Builders use flat paint so that they can touch-up the walls easily. Flat paint, although it is inferior in many ways, is the best at touching-up. The lack of shine make the paint blend better with the previous paint. Builders do not like to have to paint walls edge to edge, so they use flat paint. During the building process, there are many trades that come into the home and damage the paint job. This makes it easier to fix.

Reason #2 for Why Builders Use Flat Paint – Some builders use flat paint because it is just easy to remember and dictate to their homeowners. There is no confusion if all paint is flat.

Reason #3 for Why Builders Use Flat Paint – Some builders use flat paint because they just do not build a very good home. Poor quality of some trades, like drywall contractors, or framers, can make imperfections pop out if there is a sheen in the paint. Using flat paint keeps imperfections from being so noticeable. Unfortunately, there are some builders that really do not do a very good job.

Reason #4 for Why Builders Use Flat Paint – Flat paint is the cheapest paint. Cost is always a thought in the building process. Flat paint costs significantly less than eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss.

If I were building a new home, I would want eggshell painted on my walls. Eggshell is wipeable, and is also stronger on the walls than a flat paint. You can see drywall imperfections, but there really should be very few drywall imperfections in a new home.

In review, there are many reasons that builders use flat paint. It could be that they are lazy, they want to save you money, they do not do a great job, or it could just be that unless there is a discussion…. they use flat paint by default. The best builders give you an option to upgrade your paint for a certain cost. If flat paint is dictated, I would recommend that you keep looking for builders.

Elite Pro Painting is a family-owned painting business that serves people in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. To schedule an appointment with our team, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 317-406-9599 !