Ellen Kennon Paint Problem!

10 years ago

Hi,
I posted this on the decorating forum and they advised me to post it here as well.

Just wondering if anyone else has had the problem of Ellen Kennon's paint fading and burnishing. I painted my spare bedroom H2Ahh last summer. I noticed that when a chair hit the wall it left a dark mark. The same is true for fingerprints, etc. It's called burnishing I learned. So I tried to touch it up a few months later and I was upset because the paint didn't match. When removing pictures from the wall, I realized the paint had faded. I contacted Ellen and she said she never had the problem and couldn't understand it. That didn't do much for me however. In the meantime, my neighbor also used her paint and the burnishing was horrible. She used Lichen and it looks like she hasn't painted in years. It's horribly discolored. She also just used H2Ahh and after seeing her color I realized my room color was much lighter, almost looking like a different color. So, I decided to remove the pictures once again, and it continues to fade and looks terrible. There is no way I can touch up so it looks like I have to repaint. The cost of paint isn't the problem as you all know, it's the labor. I will have to hire someone cause after Hurricane Sandy, we are exhausted from all the "necessary" work. I didn't expect to have to re-paint a good intact room! I didn't even show my husband because he will say "I told you so". He wanted me to use Benjamin Moore and now I feel I should have listened to him. See photo below. Has anyone else had these problems with her paint??? My friend just repainted and used Sherwin Williams out of fear of it happening again .I just want to add that I painted with Ellen's Edgewood Green and didn't have a problem, but someone on the board just realized this is happening to her also. If Ellen says she never heard of it happening is it that people haven't realized it, told her, or could it be where it was mixed? Ellen is seriously looking into it right now.
{{!gwi}}

This post was edited by scanmike on Mon, Sep 16, 13 at 17:07

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Comments (5)

geoffrey_b
10 years ago
It is the pigment. Apperently it is light sensitive. In the art industry these are referred to a fugitive pigments.

I think you should atleast get your money back.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fugitive Pigment
PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
10 years ago
and I am betting that you did not actually speak to Ellen, if there really is such a person. :-)

also, if "Ellen " is denying the problem, that should tell you something
like, listen to your husband, ha!
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scanmike
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Geoffrey for the info and to you Christopher, yes there really is a person named Ellen Kennon and she is stressed out because she feels her companies' reputation is at stake. I never intended for this to happen. She is not denying the problem at all because there are a few cases of it and she wants to get to the bottom of it. She is trying to figure it out and working with the company. It appears that it may have been a bad bath of paint, which apparently happens within all paint companies.

This post was edited by scanmike on Tue, Sep 17, 13 at 17:24
PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
10 years ago
Well, maybe something good will come out of it after all, good luck.
rococogurl
10 years ago
I purchased EK color in ICI Dulux paint 8 years ago and it's held up beautifully. The two colors I used have no color shift so it was essentially a custom color purchase. But I expect the base is different today as there was a good deal of off-gassing for several weeks back then as the paint cured.

Wondering if the problem you encountered could be the paint store? I'd take the paint back there with the photos for replacement. Kennon basically sells her color formulations for a surcharge. She's not furnishing the base.

I know everyone loves Ben Moore paints and I found great colors with them. But two years later the color had pooped out, some of the paint was peeling and we had to repaint.

I went with Farrow and Ball which is mixed in their factory, not any paint store. It provides the best surface texture and wears beautifully and is so low VOC there is no odor whatsoever. It's more expensive but worth it in my book. The estate/matte paint will burnish if scrubbed (thought not otherwise) and I was able to spackle and touch up ook paint hanger holes. The F&B eggshell is bulletproof.

This post was edited by rococogurl on Fri, Sep 20, 13 at 10:38