The occurrence of areas of apparent roughness or uneven sheen in a matt or mid-sheen paint finish, especially when the surface is viewed at a low or glancing angle.

When the sheariness is evident, it is often along the ‘laps’ of joins between adjacent sections of the work and a common cause is the failure to join up before the ‘wet edge’ has set. Variations in the porosity of the surface may also be responsible for sheariness.

Light flatting and a further coat, avoiding the previous fault in application, (if this was the cause), will usually remedy the defect.  On large areas, roller application is often less likely to result in sheariness than using a brush.