Key FAQ Points
- Yes, you can paint matte over silk paint – though there are some stipulations.
- Some paints won’t adhere well, leading to an uneven finish, cracking or crazing.
- You can avoid this by using a high-quality matte paint with a high resin content like Chalk Wall Paint.
- Alternatively, you’ll need to sand the surface to remove the sheen.
- With either approach, you’ll need to clean the surface with Sugar Soap to remove dust and debris.
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If you prefer matte walls, you might want to paint over a silk finish to change the look. However, painting straight onto this finish without understanding a few stipulations may leave you with a less-than-perfect finish that’s hard to remedy.
Issues with adherence
The sheen of a silk finish can cause issues with adherence for some paints, as can some mid-sheen finishes such as eggshell.
Painting directly onto it can result in an uneven finish. There’s also a risk of the new topcoat cracking or crazing – where a series of small lines appear. While paint might go on fine, the problems occur when it dries. If it doesn’t adhere properly, it can leave splits and flaking across the entire surface of the wall.
There are two ways to avoid this…
Using a quality matte paint
The first (and easier) option is to use a high-quality matte paint with a high resin content. Frenchic’s Chalk Wall Paint is the perfect example, providing a smooth ultra-matte finish on a variety of surfaces – including silk finish walls.
More thorough preparation
Alternatively, if you have a lower-quality paint, you will need to ensure very thorough preparation. You’ll need to sand the entire wall to take off the sheen, before moving onto cleaning.
A note on cleaning
Whichever method you choose, make sure you clean the surface before painting. We recommend cleaning with Sugar Soap to remove dust and debris from the wall’s surface. This will avoid anything getting trapped in the paint, ensuring a smooth finish that adheres properly to your walls.
