Paint Brands, Finishes, and Other ?

10 years ago

We are finally going to fix our basement this week w/new paint and carpet.

I am at a loss re: the finish of the paint. I used Behr (Premium Plus Ultra) for my living room in eggshell. My painter said it was very hard to use and not to buy it again. It is far shinier than I thought eggshell would be, too, so I will be repainting (nevermind the fact that the color is awful!).

I am thinking of using Sherwin Williams this time-- if you are a fan, what would you recommend? Emerald? I would prefer matte this time and it claims to be washable. (I have 5 kids, so this is an issue.) Would satin be better? Wondering just how much of a shine factor there is.

Just for comparison, would you recommend Aura by BM as "the best"? I'd be open to using that for the LR and DR when I repaint those in the near future. Again, interested in hearing about BM finishes.

Finally, I am going to use a light color on the walls (undetermined). Since the ceilings are so low, I was thinking of using the same color but lightened on the ceiling. How much does one generally do this-- 50% or 75% lighter?

Thank you!

Featured Answer

Gooster

10 years ago

The pro painters I used hate Behr; they used Sherman Williams (note a big sale this weekend). My GC also used BM Aura and it is great -- I used some leftovers to touch up another room and the coverage is great. I had been using Behr in the past.

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Comments (6)

theclose
10 years ago
Well, I can help with one aspect of your question! We used BM Aura Matte in almost every room of our house (painted in April). Really, really love it. The Matte was recommended by the paint colorist that I met with. I am so glad I went with it. I used Eggshell is my former residence (BM Natura line) and I like the Matte so much more. I did express concern that I have two young children but he said it doesn't matter - easy to clean, etc.
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anele_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
Mamorella and Gooster-- so glad to hear Aura is great. We used it in our LR in our last house, but only lived there a yr after we painted, so no idea how it would hold up.

Gooster, I saw that about the SW sale. It seems BM never has them?

So, I think for the basement SW will work, and I'll stick to Aura for the LR/DR.
cat_mom
10 years ago
BM Aura Matte all over our house as well. We used it in the Satin finish on the base molding in the same color(s) as the walls in each room.
fnmroberts
10 years ago
If you have C2 merchant nearby, check out their paint. It is all I use anymore and I drive 90 miles round trip to purchase. It has a wonderful finish, no splatter application, no off-gassing and less costly than Sherwon Williams or BM. Personally I don't like the way SW or BM dry with their new formulations but I'm a DIY'er so lack professional experience.

Just another opinion. BTW, we use egg shell finish.
williamsem
10 years ago
When I was picking paint, C2 was highly regarded in the paint forum. I ended up going with Pittsburgh Paints (PPG) Manor Hall line on their recomendation and I'm really pleased. The painter loved it too, and specifically commented that the primer was very good.

I normally only use SW, which has been great, but I was encouraged to try something else by my GC because he feels they are pricing themselves out of their market category. With the great sale this week, I wouldn't hesitate to go SW. I buy at the SW store, and they always help me pick an appropriate line/finish for my project. I LOVE their trim paint, I've finally used up the gallon I had and need to buy some more soon.

My past SW projects I did myself, and had no problems with any color in the standard primer/two coats method. I did not personally use the PPG, but it covered beautifully in the primer/two coats, even as a medium color (Montego Bay). The painter had nothing but good things to say about it. I plan on trying the PPG myself in a few months for another room.