When a potential customer walks into your Puget Sound-area business, your paint instantly tells them a lot about you.

What colors is it? Does it look fresh or is it scuffed and dirty? Are the lines crisp and clean, or are they sloppy and dripping?

But one of the most overlooked—and most important—factors in keeping your paint looking good for the long run is the paint’s finish. Finishes like eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss not only change how your commercial or industrial space looks, they change how well your paint will hold up over time.

Especially in the Pacific Northwest. Any good commercial painter in the area will tell you how our wet winters and hot summers put particular stresses on your paint.

That’s why it’s so important to choose the right finish at the beginning. Which is exactly what this guide helps you do.

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One Size Does Not Fit All

The first thing to know about paint finishes is that there’s no “best” finish.

An industrial warehouse manager will probably choose a different finish than a retail store owner. Even within your business you might choose different finishes for different rooms and spaces like the reception area vs. the employee bathroom.

It can sound like a complex choice until you understand the basic trade-offs of the different finishes.

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Sheen, Concealment, and Durability: How to Find the Right Balance

“Sheen” or “gloss” are words you’ll often hear used interchangeably with “finish.”

It describes how much light the paint reflects once it’s dry. Higher-gloss paints tend to be more durable and easily cleaned. But lower-gloss paints help conceal the small imperfections in the surfaces you’re painting, so the end result looks more polished.

That’s the basic equation you need to keep in mind when you’re choosing paint finishes:

• As gloss goes up, you get more durability but less pleasing aesthetics.
• As gloss goes down, you get less durability but better aesthetics.

As with most general rules there are some exceptions. 

For example a lower-gloss paint might be more durable than one with higher gloss if it’s a higher-quality product. Or if you want to highlight small architectural details, you might choose a higher-gloss paint specifically because it doesn’t conceal the small things.

But for most purposes you can trust the trade-off between durability and aesthetics.

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Choose the Right Finishes for Your Business

That trade-off translates directly to choosing the right finishes for your business.

Some spaces in your business need to prioritize aesthetics because they represent your brand to prospective customers. These might include your reception area, showroom, or front office.

Other spaces take a lot of wear and tear from employees, for instance factory floors, breakrooms, and employee bathrooms. For these areas you often need to prioritize durability.

Here are the best finish options for your business, and where you should consider using them.

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Eggshell

An eggshell finish has about 12%–20% reflectiveness. This makes it relatively low-gloss. So it does a good job hiding small flaws and imperfections in your walls and other surfaces. But it’s less durable and less easy to clean than higher-gloss finishes.

Where You’d Use It: 

Eggshell is a great choice for areas where aesthetics are important, and/or that get relatively low traffic. Depending on your business this might be:

• Your front office
• Apartment bedrooms and common areas
• Executive and managerial offices
• Conference and meeting rooms

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Satin

A satin finish has 25%–40% reflectiveness, putting it in the middle of the gloss range. It strikes a good balance between hiding minor flaws while still being relatively durable and easy to clean.

Where You’d Use It: 

Satin is a great choice in spaces that get relatively high traffic but also need to prioritize their appearance. So you might choose a satin finish for:

• Your reception area
• Apartment bathrooms
• The interior walls of your retail floor
• Common areas like breakrooms open-office spaces

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Semi-Gloss

A semi-gloss finish has 40%–85% reflectiveness, making it one of your higher-gloss options. It tends to be extremely durable and easy to clean, but it makes small imperfections easy to see.

Where You’d Use It: 

Semi-gloss is a great choice in spaces where you need to prioritize durability and maintenance, and where the aesthetics of the space are less important. This might include:

• Industrial and manufacturing spaces
• Employee bathrooms and other spaces exposed to moisture
• Exterior walls and other spaces exposed to the elements

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High-Gloss

A high-gloss finish has at least 85% reflectiveness, making it your highest-gloss option. It maximizes the durability of your paint but tends to be higher-cost, and sacrifices the aesthetics of a space.

Where You’d Use It: 

High-gloss is a great choice for small areas that need maximum durability and stain-resistance, or for larger spaces that experience significant wear-and-tear and need maximum protection and longevity. These might include:

• Doors, cabinets, and trim in high-traffic areas
• High-traffic industrial spaces that need frequent washing and scrubbing 
• Industrial structures exposed to harsh elements

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Save Money by Choosing the Right Finish Up Front

When you choose the right finish for your commercial or industrial spaces, you minimize maintenance costs while still giving your prospects and customers a great experience.

So not only do you save money in touch-ups and repairs. You increase your prospect conversion rate and grow customer loyalty.

If you want to make sure you’re picking the right finishes for your spaces, fill out the quick form on our homepage and we’ll make sure you get started with the best finishes for all of your business spaces.

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