If you’re thinking about painting your interior walls and ceilings, you might have come across the paint ‘vinyl matt’ during your research.
In fact, you have probably come across various other types of matt paints on the market, and whilst it might seem confusing (why not just choose a matt emulsion and stick it on the walls, right?), being more specific in your matt paint choice is going to yield better results for you.
With that in mind, we’ve created a guide to vinyl matt paint in particular, covering topics such as what it is, what it should be used for, and which brand you should go with should you opt to use vinyl matt in your home.
What Is Vinyl Matt Paint?
Vinyl matt paint is simply matt emulsion that has a resin added to it with the goal of making it more hardwearing than typical matt paint. With this added durability, some vinyl matt paints can withstand thousands of wipedowns without any colour fade.
What Is Vinyl Matt Paint Used for?
Vinyl matt paint is used in mid-traffic areas where you’re expecting to be wiping down the walls more often. For example, it would be a good idea to use vinyl matt paint in hallways of homes with young children and you’ll be accepting to wipe away mucky hand prints regularly.
You can also use vinyl matt paint on ceilings within your home and many do especially in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. The added durability of vinyl matt paint means it can last longer in more humid conditions than regular matt whereas, in the kitchen, food stains are easily wiped away without causing any damage to the paint film.
Vinyl matt paint is also now recommended for use as a mist coat. This means that if you have fresh plaster, adding a watered-down coat of vinyl matt will prime the surface for future top coats. You can find the perfect mist coat ratio for your project here.
Is Vinyl Matt Paint Washable?
Vinyl matt paint is indeed washable and, depending on the quality of the paint, can even withstand thousands of wipedowns.
In order to clean vinyl matt paint it’s important to let it fully cure first which can take as much as 4 or 5 weeks.
Does Vinyl Matt Paint Have A Sheen?
In general, vinyl matt does have a slight sheen when compared to normal matt paints however, high-quality brands have recently been able to manufacture vinyl matt paints that are much flatter than they typically were years ago and can even produce a chalk-like finish.
Don’t let the slight sheen put you off though – this is what gives it its durability.
One thing that is worth mentioning is that vinyl matt paint can sometimes have issues with flashing when applied to ceilings. Just be aware of whether your lights point at your ceiling, and if they do, it’s probably better to use a flatter matt like Tikkurila Anti-Reflex 2.
Vinyl Matt or Matt?
There are certain occasions where I would advocate for vinyl matt over regular matt and vice versa. The main occasion to choose vinyl matt is when you need to paint an area that comes into light contact regularly and find yourself having to give those areas a light wipe down.
Vinyl matt will withstand the wipedowns without too many problems whereas regular matt would be prone to colour fading in these situations.
Which Vinyl Matt Paint is Best?
If you’re looking for the best vinyl matt paint and aren’t worried about spending a bit more to get that extra level of quality, look no further than Teknowall 05 by Teknos.
Application: 9/10
The consistency of this paint is really spot on with it not being too thick on not too thin. This means the roller can pick up quite a lot of product which results in a faster, and ultimately smoother application and reduces the chances of getting roller edge marks.
Durability: 8/10
In terms of durability, Teknowall 05 scores highly as it can withstand multiple washing without a significant loss of paint film meaning your walls will still look as good as new even after hundreds of wipe-downs. It doesn’t last quite as long in environments with high humidity such as bathrooms however which is what stops us from giving it a 10/10.
Opacity: 9/10
Vinyl matt paints are known to be less opaque than their flat matt counterparts and this sometimes means you having to put on an extra coat or two than you would’ve wanted to. Teknowall 05 doesn’t have the issue and the times I’ve used it I’ve been able to put any colour over another in a maximum of 2 coats. I’ve quite literally never needed to use a 3rd top coat thus is Teknowall’s opacity.
Finish: 10/10
The finished product of Teknowall 05 is hands down the best you can get for vinyl matt. Once fully cured, it dries to a flat matt finish which essentially means any surface imperfections are hidden from people at a distance of 2 metres or more.
Upon closer inspection of the walls, you’ll find it dries with a slightly chalky finish which is what you can expect from the more opulent paint brands.
On top of this, I’ve never experienced any problems with flashing, unlike with some of the more popular paint brands.
Overall rating: 36/40
Final Thoughts
If you’ve made it this far (and well done if you have!), you should now know that vinyl matt is a matt paint with an added resin which gives it an ever so slight sheen and ultimately more durability. This means it’s suitable for use in high-traffic areas and areas where you anticipate wiping often. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea as to whether you need to purchase vinyl matt or regular matt!