# Waterproof Semi-Gloss?



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

No paint is water proof.
What is it your trying to do?


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## hellohello (Oct 17, 2013)

joecaption said:


> No paint is water proof.
> What is it your trying to do?


Painting kitchen cabinets. Painted it with flat first, and every bit of water that got on them made a splash mark that wouldn't wipe away. So I painted them again with semi-gloss, and now I don't have that problem. So I was curious why this was so. Is semi-gloss more waterproof (or should I say more water resistant) than flat?


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

hellohello said:


> Painting kitchen cabinets. Painted it with flat first, and every bit of water that got on them made a splash mark that wouldn't wipe away. So I painted them again with semi-gloss, and now I don't have that problem. So I was curious why this was so. Is semi-gloss more waterproof (or should I say more water resistant) than flat?


 
yes:yes:


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## hellohello (Oct 17, 2013)

chrisn said:


> yes:yes:


Thanks Chris, it seems to be. Any idea why? What's in the paint that makes it like this?


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

If it's enamel it's a hard surface think of your teeth.


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## hellohello (Oct 17, 2013)

chrisn said:


> yes:yes:





ToolSeeker said:


> If it's enamel it's a hard surface think of your teeth.


But aren't there flat enamels also? Would they have more water resistant properties than regular flat?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Flat sheen paints will trap every hand print.
No way would I have chosen a flat paint for cabinets.
Higher the sheen the easier to clean.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

http://www.housepaintingguide.org/what-is-enamel-paint/


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Have to ask why would you put flat on cabinets?


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## hellohello (Oct 17, 2013)

chrisn said:


> http://www.housepaintingguide.org/what-is-enamel-paint/


Thanks. Good info.



ToolSeeker said:


> Have to ask why would you put flat on cabinets?


Had some leftover in the basement and thought I'd be saving money and time by not getting the right stuff. I was wrong


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## Will22 (Feb 1, 2011)

Flat paint is more porous than semi-gloss, which has a smoother profile.


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## darren222 (Apr 11, 2014)

Dude i think color is water proof not gloss i have never hear before that gloss is water proof but i do know much that may be water proof gloss is launched if have then what is the price?


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

hellohello said:


> But aren't there flat enamels also? Would they have more water resistant properties than regular flat?


Here is what manufacturer's mean most of the time nowadays, in my experience. There is a sheen between flat and eggshell called "matte". Previously, matte meant basically "flat" (this term was used in the art world). But then when paint manufacturers wanted to market a "scrubbable flat", they added a little sheen to flat. There really isn't any such thing as a scrubbable flat that I'm aware of. The more sheen, the more scrubbable (and water resistant, etc). It's a hard resin in the paint, and the more of it, the more of those qualities you get. They figured if they added just a little resin/sheen to flat paint, it would still look "flat", but still be a little scrubbable. Hence Matte finish was born.

This is also called "flat enamel" by some manufacturers (for what should now be obvious reasons.) So the answer to your question is "yes - slightly".

If you look at flat paint under the microscrope, it has many nooks and crannies. It looks like a Thomas' English Muffin. The more sheen a paint has, the flatter and smoother it looks under a microscope. That's why it reflects more light, and that's why it holds less dirt, and also less water. Also, the resin itself tends to be water resistant, while flat paint is more "chalky" (less resin means more exposure of the regular solids in paint which hold water more easily.)


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

darren222 said:


> Dude i think color is water proof


??? Not sure what that's supposed to mean


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

jeffnc said:


> ??? Not sure what that's supposed to mean


Jeff, I think Darren is due back at the "nervous hospital.":laughing:


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

joecaption said:


> No paint is water proof.
> What is it your trying to do?


I think I want to disagree with this. Put a sweaty glass on a clear finish it makes a ring, put that same glass on a painted table no ring. If put it on to the correct millage on the exterior of a house with wood siding or clapboards, if it wasn't water-proof after 10 years of water getting behind it everything would be rotted. Usually it only rots if there are caulk failures or cracks.
I also feel the paints with the higher resins are less prone to moisture intrusion than the cheaper paints. In other words a hard surface like enamel is more protection than say a flat. But to a point even the flat is water proof.


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## Will22 (Feb 1, 2011)

The term "enamel" traditionally referred to alkyd (oil-based coatings), due to their hard film and durabilty; some acrylic products with a sheen also have had this term on their labels. Enamel has nothing to do with product formulation content.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

jeffnc said:


> ??? Not sure what that's supposed to mean


 
he doesn't either:laughing:


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

ToolSeeker said:


> I think I want to disagree with this. Put a sweaty glass on a clear finish it makes a ring, put that same glass on a painted table no ring. If put it on to the correct millage on the exterior of a house with wood siding or clapboards, if it wasn't water-proof after 10 years of water getting behind it everything would be rotted. Usually it only rots if there are caulk failures or cracks.
> I also feel the paints with the higher resins are less prone to moisture intrusion than the cheaper paints. In other words a hard surface like enamel is more protection than say a flat. But to a point even the flat is water proof.


There are plenty of actual water-proof paints but typically your latex paints, even the higher gloss is just water resistant. I am not sure where the water based 2 part epoxy paints stand but most of the true water-proof paints are going to be oil like the Sherwin Williams Marina line.


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