Thank you. The contract just says BM paint and since BM owns Coronado, he is saying it is BM paint (even though the name BM doesn't appear anywhere on the the can of Coronado).

Hmm. Maybe it was just Regal Select (for paint & primer) vs. just Regal for the plain paint, though I thought the man said classic but I could be confusing the classifications of colors. The man in the paint store said if I didn't like the Coronado, it would be like a primer and we could put just one coat of the new paint on it.

Yes, I know that the low VOC doesn't have half the paint, but in this instance where we know that there are fewer paint solids in the Coronado, I was wondering if that contributed to a lower VOC. Is there any quantitative measure of % of the paint solids to compare across the different lines?

Which line do you think we get the most bang for our buck. The bulk of the cost of the professional side of painting is the labor, not the paint, so, all things equal we'd want the paint to last a long time 10 years? In some spots 15? Granted the kids rooms would have to be touched up every year by us and their tastes will change every 5 years as they grow. But bedroom, living room, dining room, basement we really would like to last as we're not the type that just changes decor for the sake of change. We have a 5 bedroom house in a very nice neighborhood. We wouldn't need Aura, especially for the colors we chose but not sure if SuperSpec is a good compromise for us and the contractor. I think all in one can of Coronado was $23 vs. the $40 or $45 for the Regal Select. Maybe Regal was $5 less per gallon than the Select.

Also, do you think the paint line affected the color? We wanted a two tone in our foyer. The bottom part is Athena 858 and the top Collingsworth 859. However, they look like the same shade, even though they looked different on the chips. Not sure if it is the lighting, or the paint choice or the paint itself. The paint #s were one digit apart

Thanks!

Yea, Benjamin Moore has a 'Classic' color collection. That is probably what you were thinking of. And, just because BM bought Coronado doesn't mean the painter should be able to say that it's all BM. I mean, that is a really weak argument. It's obvious that he just wants to spend less money per gallon. When it comes to accent colors, just because they look different on the color chip doesn't mean they always end up looking totally different when you put them on the walls because of light and shadows. But, you can always put a little of the paint on the color chip to see if it matches. The more expensive the paint is, the more solids it will have and this is directly related to the cost of the paint for the consumer. Regal Select is a pretty good high end paint for those that are not interested in the Aura.

OK. Thanks for your help! I will ask that he use Regal for the rest of the paints. I looked on the Ben Moore website and even under contractors, it does not show Coronado. The price is $17 a gallon plus tax. I think the Regal was $38. I'm guessing he has about 11 more gallons of paint to buy. Maybe I offer him $10 per gallon more but DH thinks we should just offer to cover costs. I really don't want to pay the entire load since he should have factored this in. However, he could easily just switch to a low end Ben Moore if we don't offer enough and consider it checked off. We don't want the SuperSpec because of the VOC and it is unclear how much the SuperSpec Green which is low VOC costs

The other issue is that there's more rooms I want to have him do (with another contract) so he could just charge me more for those if he thinks I am being unfair with the paint. As you know, labor is far more expensive than paint. I only hired him for a portion of the room as we're doing the floors in two stages and I wanted to see the quality of work. It was so hard to find a painter that actually had insurance so I don't want to start another search at this point.

I did notice he used Natura for the trim.

So, thinking as I type, we should just cover his costs.

Thanks for your help!

FYI - I offered to pay the upcharge and the painter graciously said he would take care of it especially since we have additional business for him. He likened the Coronado to a Toyota - not the brand cache as a Mercedes or BMW but a very good product. That said, he said since we specified Ben Moore and wanted Regal he would take care of it.

My friend said her painter and the person who helped her select colors recommended Regal Select. Not sure if her walls needed the paint plus primer or if they just felt it was a better product (and it does have 50 VOC vs. 100 for the plain Regal.) I also heard the sales rep in the Ben Moore store telling someone else, most people are upgrading to the Regal Select (vs. Regal) but obviously, sales reps might have a bias. I think our painter is right in that most of our walls don't need the primer so I'm happy now with Regal.

Thanks for the advice!

There is NO primer in the select, it is just higher quality. In most cases the plain Regal is a fine product and all you would need

These types of products do not actually have primer mixed into them. The âÂÂPaint and Primerâ products use quality resins that allow for good adhesion. This helps to eliminate the use of primers in some circumstances.

This post was edited by christophern on Wed, Sep 18, 13 at 4:01

Benjamin Moore Regal Select is now labeled paint & primer in one. The other Benjamin Moore Regal is called Regal Classic. The difference between the two is that Regal Select is now NO VOC even after tinting using Benjamin Moores Gennex Zero VOC colorant system. Eventually Benjamin Moore will be discontinuing its older products that uses the universal colorant such as Regal Classic, Super Spec, Super Hide and so on. As these products are converted to the newer Gennex Platform. Super Spec replacement is Ultra Spec, Super Hide replacement is Super Hide Zero, Regal Classic replacement is Regal Select. Super Hide Zero is not recommended and should not be sold for residential painting but for places that get painted often such as apartments or schools for example. Also since Benjamin Moore owns Corotech Coatings they will be discontinuing most of there industrial products or relabeling some of them with the Corotech label. Corotech is a blend of there best products from Benjamin Moore, Coronado, and Insl-x. Benjamin Moore interior wood refinishing is moving to there Lenmar product label. Coronado is a lower price point which in the Tough Walls line it is a quality between Benjamin Moore Super Spec and Regal Classic lines. Coronado Super Kote 5000 is a quality between Super Hide and Super Spec lines. Its not always about the solids in these paints there are other factors such as the resin and grade of ingredients. I recommend looking at the tds (technical product data sheets) for more information. Benjamin Moores architetural coatings (Aura, Natura, Regal Select, Ultra Spec, ben, Super Hide Zero) are moving to all be Zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) which is why products such as Super Spec and Regal Classic will be discontinued. If you look at the back of the cans on the bottom they do say manufactured by Benjamin Moore & Co. Montvale, NJ. For more information of products look at the product data sheets www.benjaminmoore.com , www.coronadopaint.com , www.lenmar-coatings.com , www.insl-x.com , www.maxumstains.com , and www.corotechcoatings.com . All of these products are manufactured by Benjamin Moore. Regal is out of your price range I would use Coronado Tough walls. Coronado Tough Walls is a scrubbable, high hiding, low odor, and spatter resistant paint. Also make sure you are using the correct roller cover and brush, it does make a big difference. I am a manager from a Benjamin Moore Paint store. We try to offer you a product that can meet any budget. Which is why these other products are now available at our stores. I hope I didn't confuse you. If you have any questions you can call Benjamin Moore directly at 855-724-6802 or Coronado/Corotech/Insl-x/Lenmar/Maxum at 800-225-5554

Thanks for the great info @markwb78. Shared on facebook.

all that information on paint is mind boggling. besides the boutique full spectrum colors, ben moores paints are the best. Mark is an amazing source of information.

here's a question I'd like to know is the BM paints manufactured exclusively in the US. and the titanium oxide is that mined here too. I'd like to tell the customer with confidence this is a product Made in the USA.

Sorry for the late response. Raw materials are purchased from various suppliers. All Benjamin Moore paints are manufactured in the USA.

So is Coronado a good choice or should I spend a little more on Regal?

I used to use Coronado in my interior house. I switched to Benjamin Moore Regal Select. I do not think it has held up as well as the Coronado. It does not wash up as well and burnishes more, leaving spots where I cleaned it. The Coronado I used many years ago was called Ceramaguard. Maybe this is their Tough Walls now. All that to say, I'm thinking of going back to Coronado. BM is so expensive and I haven't seen the benefits.

Do not use Coronado paint. Very poor performance for exterior even though it says "interior/exterior". I painted my front door over a good coat of primer and it bubbled and faded in 2 weeks from very light moisture hitting the (recessed) door. Long pale streaks down the entire door! Stick to Classic. Coronado is a paint company BM bought out. Not real Benjamin Moore.