JumpyTheFrog Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Our house has flat paint - the cheap kind where even furniture that touches the wall damages the paint. We've been here less than six months and most rooms need repainting. Today, my mostly potty trained boy peed and pooped his pants. He came down in the kitchen and was backed up against the wall. When I noticed his pants were wet, he moved away. It was then I saw the butt-shaped pee "print" on the wall. Argh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 :lol: sorry :lol: My house is the same way. We need to repaint at least half the upstairs. I hate painting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nayner Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 The house we are renting has eggshell white flat paint. Once the side zipper of athletic pants left a mark when I bumped into the wall! It's a pain! And of course we have finger prints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 My whole house is flat paint. WHOLE house. My kids also climb the walls, I have finger prints up the wall and even foot prints near the ceiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I feel your pain! We bought those vinyl-cling like stickers for the kids walls. We had used them in our last home and removed them with no problem. I went to move some in ds's room recently. I removed a layer of paint with it. :glare: I'm scared to remove any more of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I feel your pain! We bought those vinyl-cling like stickers for the kids walls. We had used them in our last home and removed them with no problem. I went to move some in ds's room recently. I removed a layer of paint with it. :glare: I'm scared to remove any more of them. I don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that you can use a hair dryer on the wall stickers and the peel off much easier. You may want to research it first.Just.In.Case. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that you can use a hair dryer on the wall stickers and the peel off much easier. You may want to research it first.Just.In.Case. LOL Thanks, I will try that! We are in a rental and I don't want too much wall damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Our entire house was done in builder's flat paint. We have painted several rooms but still have several to go. I hate painting but can't wait until it is all done. My dd managed to paint her entire house within a month of moving in before she aquired a bunch of furniture. I just don't have that kind of energy anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 What is a better alternative to flat paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Have you tried cleaning it with a diluted mixture of Murphy's Oil Soap and water? We inherited flat paint in our home. It shows every single fingerprint, smudge, etc. However, cleaning the walls with a soft cloth and the Murphy's mixture really helped. Better option than flat - eggshell or satin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I actually went with a gloss in the back hallway because of all the handprints and dirt smudges (who am I kidding, they track in manure every. single. day.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 What is a better alternative to flat paint? Most people would use an eggshell or satin but I went with semi-gloss for the bedrooms. Apparently it shows roller marks or wall imperfections more but I am very happy with it. I used a high gloss that was specially made for kitchens and baths in the bathrooms. Neither shows dirt or fingerprints much but they are really easy to clean when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 i really hate flat paint too. hate it. i never buy that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Ugh, sooo know your pain! Will never, ever, ever get why landlords paint their rentals in FLAT paint...of course, it is full of prints and dirty, it doesn't wash off!!! If they would just invest in better paint, then perhaps they wouldn't have to take money out of deposits for repainting for every new tenant! I've had minor luck with the Magic Eraser, but on the really bad walls, ie the staircase wall, it's just going doesn't wipe clean enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 We used to have satin, and it washed up wonderfully. This time, we hired a painter to get it done quickly, and he wanted to use eggshell. He assured us it would be just as good as satin. :glare: It dries faster, certainly, but it doesn't wash up nearly as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 The advantage to flat paint is that you can just paint over the small stained area, and once the paint is dry; the repair is unnoticable. If you want to paint over a problem on eggshell or gloss paint, you have to redo the whole wall. Duron by Sherwin Williams is a fabulous paint, flat and easy to clean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 The advantage to flat paint is that you can just paint over the small stained area, and once the paint is dry; the repair is unnoticable. If you want to paint over a problem on eggshell or gloss paint, you have to redo the whole wall. Duron by Sherwin Williams is a fabulous paint, flat and easy to clean! I would have to disagree completely with the assesment of flat paint. We live in probably 6 rental houses in the last 10 years. ALL had flat paint. When we move out, we patch the holes from hanging pictures (the heavy ones that require drywall thingies, so make a much larger hole than just a small nail). We patch it and paint it (there's usually paint in the garage left by owner). It always shows up. There is a very visible difference of the prior paint and the spots that we painted once it is dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 Will never, ever, ever get why landlords paint their rentals in FLAT paint...of course, it is full of prints and dirty, it doesn't wash off!!! If they would just invest in better paint, then perhaps they wouldn't have to take money out of deposits for repainting for every new tenant! I was told once that in my state, landlords have to repaint in between tenants (at least for apartments). If this is true, they probably use the cheapest paint and labor possible. Since flat paint shows fewer imperfections in the wall, they'd save labor costs by not having to bother to fix things properly. When we bought the house, we knew we'd have to repaint soon. We decided to give the kids 6 months to destroy the flat paint before redoing it with satin. They are ahead of schedule! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 When we bought the house, we knew we'd have to repaint soon. We decided to give the kids 6 months to destroy the flat paint before redoing it with satin. They are ahead of schedule! That is always sort of my plan, but I never actually get around to repainting. :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 My brother is a union-trained painter. Flat paint never even gets put in the cart! We use semi-glass here. I wash my walls monthly. I'm a touch neurotic and I do have 2 boys, in my defense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Our house came with flat paint, too. If I want to repaint one of these days, I may get the same color, but in eggshell or whatever. Then I wouldn't have to tape the edges and get in there perfectly. Maybe. This is my hope.:tongue_smilie: I forgot to say that Mr. Clean Erasers might help clean your walls. The microfiber cloths do pretty good, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Be careful with the magic eraser because they can sometimes "burnish" flat paint. If you repaint, try Benjamin Moore Aura. Expensive, but easily cleanable even in matte. Great stuff. It is also has some self-leveling properties. DH doesn't want to use anything else to paint anymore. We have it in our high traffic areas (kitchen, stairwell, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Why do kids need to hold the banister, and slide their dirty hands down the wall at the same time?! My staircase wall is terrible and it will not clean! I just thought we were extra dirty. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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