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polie_gw

Aura by Benjamin Moore: For bathrooms?

polie
15 years ago

Hello. Does it make sense to use the "Aura" paint by Benjamin Moore for bathrooms? If yes, what's the best finish: matte, eggshell, or semigloss?

Comments (15)

  • richardkittyhawk
    15 years ago

    I would use the Zinsser PermaWhite Satin in a bathroom. They also make an eggshell and semi-gloss finish. This paint covers well and is very durable and a lot cheaper than the Aura.

  • denali2007
    15 years ago

    I used Aura eggshell in my bathroom and love it. Always looks nice even after I wash the spit off the wall!

  • ummm
    15 years ago

    i am going to use aura eggshell in the bathroom. got the paint, haven't painted yet (need to take down wallpaper first, argh).

    was going to use PermaWhite but i want a dark color, and they can only tint to pastal colors... the original color i chose wasn't even that dark, it's a medium color, but they can't tint to that shade.

  • cindy_socal
    15 years ago

    I just did a remodeled bathroom in Aura, over 1-2-3 Primer. It has developed the sticky, drip-stain (don't know how else to describe it!). I'm so disappointed. It's a combination of new drywall and old, but was very well cleaned, primed, sanded, painted with two coats. I *really* wanted these walls to look great. It seems like something is seeping up to the surface where moisture has hit the walls.

  • paintguy22
    15 years ago

    Yeah that is most likely surfactant leaching if the drips are sort of brownish. You need to let the paint dry completely before showering or shower with the door open and make sure you use your fan. You may actually get more leaching with Aura because the colorants are waterborne so try your best to keep moisture off the walls while the paint cures which can take up to a month. Also, you may want to make sure your fan is the proper size for your bathroom and that it is functioning properly. Many builders throw the cheapest fans that barely meet code in their bathrooms.

  • cindy_socal
    15 years ago

    thanks for the explanation....We have a great Panasonic fan that we chose over the contractor's choice, but had a bit of a learning curve with the kids remembering to use it. I think the walls did get wet too soon.

    Any cure?

    Cindy

  • paintguy22
    15 years ago

    The only cure is letting the paint cure completely I believe.

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    15 years ago

    If it is colorless then it is Water Whitening. The "sticky" part is a little concerning. I've seen a lot of Water Whitening both on the forums and in real life. Don't recall it ever being sticky.

    The water trails typically are very noticeable right after the shower is used and then they dissipate. Time and use of the bathroom enables the surfacants to work their way out of the paint film and the problem corrects itself.

    With Aura being so new and not much of a track record, hard to say without someone looking at the walls what the stickiness is.

  • sharon_va
    15 years ago

    Cindy, I have the same sticky drip stain in my master bath (great description by the way) but I used Benjamin Moore Regal paint with a colorwash over the top, so I don't think it's the Aura. I would love to know what it is though, and how to fix it!

  • blurgle
    15 years ago

    I put one coat of Aura on the bathroom in my old house and it covered wonderfully. I needed three coats the last time, and it began to look bad within a couple of years.

    And Benjamin Moore has the advantage that you can get it everywhere. (I love when people recommend some "great, easy-to-find" brand that's only available in the suburban US.)

  • abbycat9990
    15 years ago

    I like Aura too, but you can't get it everywhere-LOL!

    We have to drive 50 miles to the nearest metro area to get Aura at the one BM store that invested in the necessary equipment. So, if you live in a metro area, then maybe it's easy to find, but not in rural areas or small towns!

  • georgemcintyre_rogers_com
    15 years ago

    Two weeks ago I had the bathroom done with the aura eggshell paint, and now it has developed the "sticky drip lines" (great description). I have a teenager who likes to take long long hot showers, and the lines appear more and more after each shower, even when the fans is on or was said to be on. If anybody has come up with a solution or more of an explanation I love to hear it.

    Thanks.

  • susanlynn2012
    15 years ago

    I used BM Pearl paint everywhere in my home (looks nice but will use a no VOC paint next time since I could not breath for days and could not sleep in my bedroom) and BM Semi-Gloss in the bathroom and I also have the sticky drip lines and next time I repaint the master bathroom, I will make sure I do not use the shower for one month and force myself to use the guest bathroom's whose walls look nice still.

  • jelambin_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    I am re-painting a basement shower made of cinder blocks. Would the BM aura work in the shower where the water would hit it?