Which paint for skirting boards and door frames?

[BluePheasant]

Help! The more I try and research this, the more confused I’m getting! I’m just going in circles.

We’ve sanded and undercoated some old skirting boards and door frames. Now need to finish painting so we can move on to next stage. But has all come to a halt as I don’t know what paint to buy!

I know I definitely don’t want shiny gloss as don’t really like it and plus it will show up every dent and bump of which there are many!

I’ve read eggshell is a good option but I seem to be getting confused between eggshell and satinwood? Sometimes the names seem interchangeable I’ve used satinwood before and it wasn’t very durable at all. Looked awful after a year but maybe it wasn’t very good paint or we didn’t prepare it properly.

Please can someone recommend a really reliable paint for woodwork, with an eggshell finish. I don’t mind on price as long as it lasts and doesn’t need redoing every couple of years!

I've used egshell & am really pleased with it. I was just looking at the door to the utility room & back garden (v heavy use) & thinking it could do with repainting in the spring. It was last done 5 years ago.

You don't have to sand again before you paint, which is great. Marks wipe off it really easily.

I have no DC at home & only occasional grandchildren.

Thanks magi good to know it’s wipes ok!

What make did you use?

We've just finished renovating a 1930's house. Dulux eggshell ( solvent, not water based) is the best we've found. Go to a dulux decorator centre. They're not for trade only, It's much better quality paint than you can buy in DIY shops, and you can choose any colour in any quantity so no waste!
You can even take along a Farrow and Ball colour chart and they match it.

We use Farrow and Ball interior eggshell. Stays the same colour, is matt and is as tough as teak and wipes down. Prepare the wood very thoroughly though. Don’t skimp on a primer and undercoat. We use Wimborne White everywhere. Inside and out so no colour matching problems. The eggshell is also water based so it is easier to clean brushes and more environmentally friendly.

Satinwood has a sheen. It’s ok but depends on the look you want. It’s a bit dated in my view. You are absolutely right to avoid gloss.

We used Dulux eggshell (waterbased), with a wood priming undercoat, on all our skirting, doorframes, stair rail and banisters. We did sand thoroughly, as the old paint was ancient, thick and yellow and had been painted over multiple times - it needed a proper refresh. It's still white two years on, and hopefully shouldn't go yellow like gloss does for a while. I think it looks modern and not at all shiny. My dad was horrified I wasn't using gloss :D

The only place I'm not happy with the finish is the knob on the banisters at the top of the stairs - it gets dirty easily and is tricky to clean as the paint starts to rub off. However, I'm resigned to re-painting that every couple of years, while having the finish I want everywhere else.

I used Albany which is the trade paint from Brewers decorating supplies:

Great paint & easy to apply. I did sand down the old gloss before applying the paint for the first time (about 11 years ago) but when re-painting have never sanded, just washed well with sugar soap first.

Vickie - I'd 100% agree with you about stair knob - mine needs doing every 2 years or so.

Benjamin Moore if you want the best that puts all the others in the shade.

Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell. But as it's water-based maybe not as 'tough' as oil-based. But we didn't want oil-based.

www.littlegreene.com/paint/finish/intelligent-eggshell

Thank you for these replies, this has helped massively! Wish I’d asked on here sooner!

Satinwood is a bit more durable than eggshell. Prep is very important. Oil based are supposed to be tougher but take longer to fully dry and yellow more over time than water based.

If it's a fairly modern house 1970/80s or newer then I think they only look right with satinwood (gloss is too dated but you want some sheen to the woodwork in a fairly modern house).

If it's an old period property then eggshell - it's the most forgiving of lumps, bumps and other uneven areas and somehow just looks better in a period property.

Farrow and Ball have their original chalky eggshell and their newer modem eggshell. The modern eggshell is still water based but it has a teeny bit more sheen. It is not chalky and flat like the original and therefore does not mark as easily and it easier to touch up.