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Best Paint for Skirting Boards and Door Frames 

Thanks for taking the time to read our review on the Best Paint for Skirting Boards and Door Frames. Old school painters will all recommend that you use "hard gloss" paint for this application but I would say that is becoming a thing of the past and less than 50% of people using that now. We can have a look at the various types of paint on offer and you can make your own mind up.

The options are gloss, satin matt and of course some people like to use eggshell. When all's said and done, everybody thinks differently and all these paints will produce a good finish. The only difference is that gloss paint can be a bit harder wearing, though I find it much harder to use.

Gloss Paint Finish

A gloss finish, is still the traditional look and with this you will be getting a very shiny surface that will be hard wearing and is easy to clean. 

Picture of gloss paint finish

The attraction of hard gloss is it's durability as once its hard it is extremely strong and resistant to wear. If you have young children or animals you might consider this for frequently used areas like the hall or living room.

Other paints have been catching up on this legendary strength for a while now so there are alternatives these days and most painted surfaced are ok to clean vigorously. Though I still find that with gloss it is much easier to keep that newly painted look. 

Gloss paint is totally unforgiving so whatever you are painting needs to be properly prepared. This paint will show every mark and imperfection so If you are painting old skirting boards or door frames you need to make sure they are really well sanded and there are no marks at all. If there is, you will see them as gloss paint won't cover much up, even with 2 coats.

The only thing I don't like about this type of paint is that it is normally oil based. This makes it harder to use, it smells quite strong and you will have to buy solvent to clean your brushes. There are some water based gloss paints available now so it's definitely worth shopping around. The water based paint tends to keep it's colour better too so it is a better option.

Best Gloss Paint Comparison Table

BEST SELLER

1.25L Size

92% buyer satisfaction based on 40,000+ buyer reviews

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

1.25L Size

92% buyer satisfaction based on 7,000+ buyer reviews

BEST QUALITY

1.25L Size

96% buyer satisfaction based on 3,000+ buyer reviews

Satin Paint Finish

A satin finish is becoming a lot more fashionable and you get a semi-gloss or light sheen finish. So more or less it's in between full gloss and matt.

Picture of saton paint finish

For me, this is a much more modern finish and it' what I would normally use myself. I find it contracts much betterwith strong wall colours and it looks a lot richer as it doen't reflect the light so much.

This type of paint is also much more forgiving compared to glss paint, so you won't have to be quite so fussy with the prep work. That definitely appeals to me as it saves a serious ammount of time.

The satin finish is very easy to keep clean and maintain. It's also very easy to match or touch in if you do get any damage on the wood.

Satin Paint Comparison Table

BEST SELLER

2.5L Size

92% buyer satisfaction based on 40,000+ buyer reviews

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

5L Size

92% buyer satisfaction based on 2,000+ buyer reviews

BEST QUALITY

2.5L Size

94% buyer satisfaction based on 300+ buyer reviews

Eggshell Paint Finish

An eggshell finish is pretty much totally matt and has very little sheen whatsoever.

Picture of eggshell paint finish

In the past eggshell paint was mostly used on larger surfaces but with the rise in popularity of "shabby chic" it is now being used for many more applications, including skirting boards and door frames.

Again it's good for high use areas as it is more durable than emulsion and is easily maintained and kept clean.

Eggshell Paint Comparison Table

BEST SELLER

2.5L Size

92% buyer satisfaction based on 40,000+ buyer reviews

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

5L Size

92% buyer satisfaction based on 7,000+ buyer reviews

BEST QUALITY

2.5L Size

96% buyer satisfaction based on 3,000+ buyer reviews

Thanks for reading. I'm going to give you my personal recommendation on these three types of paint. This is not my normal philosophy but the cheapest option in these paint types is the one to go for. They are all good quality brands that cover and last really well. There is no need to go for the most expensive choice on this occasion.

About Us

enda

Enda

Geoff Magee

Geoff

As well as our many tool reviews, we have also included a whole range of articles, on how to use them. This will include the many tasks that you may have to do at home. That could include putting up a shelf, drilling through tiles, drilling through concrete, laying carpet, fixing a leaking tap, and just about any other thing that you can think of.

The site is managed and run by myself Enda, an electrician by trade, and by my friend Geoff, a painter with many years of experience. We have done house renovations, construction builds and extensions, loft and garage conversions, conservatories, fencing, path making and just about any other job in the construction and building industry.

Between us, we have a lot of experience, and we are more than happy to share that with you here.

Thanks for reading our best paint for skirting and door frames article and we hope it has given you a better insight into the world of painting. If you are using MDF you might want to consider checking out the Best Primer for MDF before ypu start any painting.

If you would like some more information on painting equipment you could have a look at our article on Painting and Decorating Tools.

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  1. I am taking on a new challenge I am going to decorate my whole house not very big ceilings and all paint work looking for a few o how to go about it where to start and what tools to buy brushes and paint any ideas would be appreciated

  2. Hi

    I've recently had renovation work done and as part of the process the walls were hacked off and new plaster was put on. After that all new door frames and skirting boards were fitted. After the walls were painted and they dried, darker areas started appearing above the skirting boards.

    I don't know what the skirting boards were fitted with but I don't think it was nails or screws. Do you have any ideas what might have caused this and how it can be rectified please.

    Thanks

    1. Hi, sorry to hear that. I would be very tempted to get a damp meter and try it on the darker areas. They are pretty cheap ( under £20 ). Its unlikely that whatever way the skirting boards are fitted would cause this. How long is it since the plastering was done?

      1. Hi Geoff

        Thanks for your response.

        The plastering was done October/November time last year and the house has had external insulation put up.

        The dark mark is only round the skirtings and architraves. The architrave has the dark mark not only all the way around the sides but also around the top.

        Thanks

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