Newbie here with a ? about BM Aura vs PPG Pure Performance - Paint Talk

mamabirrd · 11-19-2009, 11:48 AM

Hello!

I have X-posted this on the GW painting forum in case any of you go there

We have a masonry business that is over 15 years old and recently expanded into general contracting. Painting is something that our crew has always done, but i'm hoping to learn more about the trade in general and possibly help take charge of that part of our business from my husband. Or at least any contracts that require "green" paint choices.
We are close to completing our own new home and I want to test my skillz by painting the home myself.
I was pretty much set on BM Aura. I want a no-or-extremely-low VOC paint because I have small children and birds. I have been trying to make as many "green" choices in building materials as possible.

I was interested in BM Natura until I read somewhere that it was extremely thick and hard to roll. I haven't actually tried it. Aura has had such great reviews it seemed like the obvious choice.
Until I spoke with my local PPG Pittsburgh Paint salesman today and found out about Pure Performance. No VOC and about 1/2 the price of Aura.
I can get Aura at a contractors price of 47.99.
Going with PPG PP would save a fortune since I have a whole house to do.
Will I need primer with the PP paint? I was told that Aura requires no primer for drywall and then just 2 coats.
I also think there are only about 1/2 as many paint colors with the PP compared to the 3000+ that Aura is available in. Am I wrong?
If anyone has experience with both, I'd love to hear your opinions. Hope you don't mind helping a new gal on the block

Thank you!

BMDealer · 11-19-2009, 01:02 PM

This coming from a biased Moore dealer.......

Natura is not that thick but like Aura there is a learning curve on using these type waterborne products. PPG PP I am not familiar with but I will say, check on this, that its may be no voc until they put in the glycol based colorants. Very similiar to the old Eco-Spec line where as you were limited to lighter colors because the darker you went the more VOC's were added to the can, therefore restricted to a more pastel color pallette. Natura on the other hand starts no voc and ends no voc no matter what color you choose and is pretty much odorless.

Coverage - Aura will give you great coverage, no more then 2 coats. But I will admit that I have had a couple reds that did not cover in 2 coats even with the foundation. Many times, if this occurs, its because the product is being applied thinnly. I believe though that there may be some more opaque colorants in the GenX platform that make certain colors under perform.

Cost - PPG PP, there may be a perceived cost savings on the surface, materials, but if you could get away with 2 coats of Aura on bare drywall verses priming and 2 to 3 coats of PPG, the savings in materials may, in essence, be eaten up by your labor cost.

plainpainter · 11-19-2009, 03:25 PM

I like both products. But from my memory Pure Performance doesn't spread nearly as much as Aura. I helped another contractor apply rhubarb red, mixed in Aura, over yellow walls. The aura did not hide the yellow in two coats, it took a third coat of this deep red color to finally hide the yellow.

On the other hand this was a woman contractor and she tended to shy away from 'manly' tools like using 3/8" roller sleeves and such. When I used aura on my own jobs - I would use a 3/4" polyamide cover and would get perfect one coat coverage.

George Z · 11-20-2009, 08:08 AM

We have been using a lot of Natura lately.
We had to use some Pure Performance in some offices last week.
There is no comparison in quality, Performance or even...smell
Natura is way superior.

mamabirrd · 11-20-2009, 08:25 AM

Thank you to all three of you for your informative replies!

George, that is wonderful to hear about the Natura. Since that is what I originally wanted to use for this job, I really appreciate your opinion on it and plan to get a sample to try. I did a lot of research last night and it sure seems like the best choice for me. I was just so hesitant because I hadn't read any good reviews from "real" people or professionals like you, but your post really has helped me out.

Would you be able to tell me if new drywall would need to be primed before applying Natura, or is it similar to Aura with "self priming" properties?
I did see that the Natura line carries a primer.

Thanks again!

plainpainter · 11-20-2009, 08:46 AM

What the major paint manufacturers don't tell you is that all their high end stuff is self priming on drywall. I found this first hand with Pratt&Lambert Accolade eggshell. Definitely a self priming product on drywall. But they don't tell you this, because they'll lose a lot of primer sales.

George Z · 11-20-2009, 09:06 AM

You should use a primer on new drywall.
Never used the Natura one. If it is too expensive, the Pure Performance or the old Ecospec should be ok for that, there are no universal colourants added to them, they should still be low VOC.
But even Superspec primer is quite low on VOC if cost is a concern

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamabirrd

Thank you to all three of you for your informative replies!

George, that is wonderful to hear about the Natura. Since that is what I originally wanted to use for this job, I really appreciate your opinion on it and plan to get a sample to try. I did a lot of research last night and it sure seems like the best choice for me. I was just so hesitant because I hadn't read any good reviews from "real" people or professionals like you, but your post really has helped me out.

Would you be able to tell me if new drywall would need to be primed before applying Natura, or is it similar to Aura with "self priming" properties?
I did see that the Natura line carries a primer.

Thanks again!

chrisn · 11-21-2009, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainpainter

What the major paint manufacturers don't tell you is that all their high end stuff is self priming on drywall. I found this first hand with Pratt&Lambert Accolade eggshell. Definitely a self priming product on drywall. But they don't tell you this, because they'll lose a lot of primer sales.

If it was me( and it is) I would rather spend $22 for a gallon of primer that is manufactured to prime drywall than $38 for a finish paint that is manufactured to be a finish paint.Prices are just made up.

Also would it not be in the best interest of the manufacturers to proclaim that all their high end paints are self priming and sell that product and just do away with the primers all together? More profit.

NCPaint1 · 11-23-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plainpainter

What the major paint manufacturers don't tell you is that all their high end stuff is self priming on drywall. I found this first hand with Pratt&Lambert Accolade eggshell. Definitely a self priming product on drywall. But they don't tell you this, because they'll lose a lot of primer sales.

Almost...

Any 100% acrylic product is self priming. ( BEHR seems to be the only company right now pushing this concept.)

Yes Natura makes a primer.....as does BEN, BEN also has a deep base primer for deeper colors. That could help keep costs down a bit and stay low VOC. Super Spec is still pretty low VOC but if it's not on the label, most H.O's are skeptical. Im sure the label will change to advertise that fact when the line switches over to the GENNEX tint system.

plainpainter · 11-23-2009, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisn

If it was me( and it is) I would rather spend $22 for a gallon of primer that is manufactured to prime drywall than $38 for a finish paint that is manufactured to be a finish paint.Prices are just made up.

Also would it not be in the best interest of the manufacturers to proclaim that all their high end paints are self priming and sell that product and just do away with the primers all together? More profit.

Firstly you are looking at a $14 price spread and not labor spread. Once you apply primer - you start from ground zero, if you needed 3 coats for coverage. Once you lay down a primer you'll still need 3 coats. Aura has the ability to go on drywall and cover in 2 coats. Sure, that initial coat will soak up much more product. But if you prime - it's not like you won't get away with one topcoat, you'll still need two coats, especially since you are trying to hide a white undercoat instead of a light grey/tan. And the result of all this, is that you have expended more labor.

As to the profitability of the manufaturers, the more paint they sell the more money they make. If they push the 'primer' concept in a can of finish paint - they'll lose all their primer sales.

**slickshift** · 11-24-2009, 05:35 PM

With Aura on new drywall, as with most "self-primers", the finish will still come out better if primed first
(not so on plaster...just go right to it in those cases)
However, Aura does have other advantages
Like ultra-low VOCs, burnish-resistance, wash-ability, durability, color-retention, and downright beautiful display of rich and/or complex colors
You might "get-away with" one coat over tinted primer, but the other attributes could suffer

Natura, although technically not as good in the "other attributes", is no slouch
It does require primer (as in this case I'd recommend priming the "self-primers" anyway), but has it's own No-VOC primer
It's not any thicker or harder to roll than any of the other Low/No-VOC or "EPA Reformulated" acrylics*, but if one was used to the watery DIY/Homeowner paints on the market, I could easily see where someone would think it was "thick" or "hard to roll"

Either are great paints, it's more a matter of which one has more of the features you desire

I've not used the Pitts No-VOC

*Inside Jokes:
PAINT REP: Here's your sample of the reformulated product! Isn't it great!
PAINTER: Uh...seems kinda thick...
PAINT REP: Oh yeah...the other benefit is you can apply it with a trowel
PAINTER: Uh...I usually use a brush
PAINT REP: Oh...how quaint... actually we recommend a trowel

PAINT REP: Here's your sample of the reformulated product!
PAINTER: It goes on like peanut butter
PAINT REP: Wha...let me see that jar...(reads label) Hmmm..Choosy Mothers choose JIF?! Sorry that's for my lunch! (pulls another jar out of his briefcase) Here's the sample.
PAINTER: ...I can't tell the difference

PaintMe201 · 12-01-2009, 01:17 PM

an interior/exterior primer is not as good a product on interior work as an interior product only. Same concept when it comes to paints and primers. Primers are made specifically to grab on the surface not to be a finish coat. finish paint is made to lay on top. also a tinted primer almost to the color cuts down on a coat of paint.