It's pretty rare that you can cut and roll one coat and call it good as a professional painter selling a professional job. That being said, two coats is the standard, but some jobs are fine with one, same/similar color. As long as the client is aware of what they are paying for. I agree, SW products do have problems hiding in very white and very dark colors.

 

Benjamin Moore specifically states in their spec sheet, (apply 1 or 2 coats) Where as SW is 2 coats minimum and almost always its a 3rd coat. Huge labor killer when you have to apply a 3rd coat

 

I use Sherwin everyday, emerald matte on walls, emerald urethane semi gloss on trim, painters edge flat on ceilings, and gallery on cabinets. I haven’t noticed a decrease in quality. The only time I ever need three coats is when changing from a color to an off-white on walls.

 

You might want to prime first when changing from a color to lighter like off white.

 

It's pretty rare that you can cut and roll one coat and call it good as a professional painter selling a professional job. That being said, two coats is the standard, but some jobs are fine with one, same/similar color. As long as the client is aware of what they are paying for. I agree, SW products do have problems hiding in very white and very dark colors.

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I use Sherwin everyday, emerald matte on walls, emerald urethane semi gloss on trim, painters edge flat on ceilings, and gallery on cabinets. I haven’t noticed a decrease in quality. The only time I ever need three coats is when changing from a color to an off-white on walls.

That is wild. We have only used SW for the past 15 years as those were the only stores available in are area unless a customer bought Behr or something. But even behr I believe is better than SW now.

The past 3-4 years SW has gone from OK to worse. We just finished a job with Emerald Satin on walls with a deepbase color with a 3/8th high quality sleeve and even at the 3rd coat it dried uneven and splotchy where you could tell the difference so badly from brush to roll.

That is not worth the time IMO

 

I will never willingly use Sherwin. Garbage paint, garbage company. That said, their high end lines are good, but comparing equivilant products, Ill take any other real paint company over SW. Everything but duration and emerald should be thrown in the trash.

So, BM beats sherwin in every way.

 

I'd like to hear your opinions on the brands particular coverage and quality. Price isn't an issue.

What is the best Benjamin Moore product vs what is your best Sherwin-Williams.

We noticed alot of Benjamin Moore cans specs say 1 coat (second coat if desired) this is a huge labor savings if true. Do you go by it?

Benny vs SW.

We have seen such a dramatic decrease in quality in Sherwin Williams over the past 4 years it's really insane. I don't think I can
recommend there products to any customers anymore. We have had multiple jobs where it has been 3 coats with SW and I am talking the Emerald Wall paint/ Duration. Not the cheap promar200 contractor grade.

Haven't had any issues with Benjamin Moore but I'd like to hear your guys experience with them. Scuff x is our favorite for walls.

Let me know in the comments below.

Scuffx and Regal Select are my 2 favorite products. Ultra Spec Flat on ceilings.

 

I will say that with the trend to whites with very little tint, we are finding primer and 2-3 coats is needed sometimes with our usual Regal and even Aura. Frustrating but I think color is the problem. Fun fact: super white is less white than Distant Gray.

 

We Just Used Clark Kensington Today and was very pleased with it. Customer bought the materials and We have actually never tried that product. Then I looked up JDPower reviews and it's actually rated higher than SW and BM. Was very surprised.

 

I tell you what, I'm done with both of em!

 

I used Sherwin Williams once and I got burned so never again. I used their oil based primer on a TV cabinet and it took two weeks to dry enough that I could work with it. In the meantime, the customer was screaming for their cabinet! While sanding it with my 220 grit paper, it kept "gumming" up the paper, which told me that it still wasn't totally dried out and It made no sanding dust at all. I sanded the best that I could, vacuumed it off, then applied the first coat of Sherwin Williams water based paint. It went on smoothly and looked great - until the next day. On that day, I went into the garage to scuff sand, vacuum, and apply the 2nd top coat, and was greeted with separation issues. The entire 1st top coat had separated and it looked like hell. What a mess. I then had to sand the entire unit down with my random orbital sander and then I re-finished it by using Benjamin Moore products.

I've been painting professionally since 1985 and I've always used Benjamin Moore products without any issues, worries, etc... and every time I've switched brands I've had issues. I also never switch brands unless the customers specifies it. Products I've had issues with besides Sherwin Williams, include Behr, PPG, Zinsser, and Glidden. I'm lucky enough to be at that point where I can reject jobs if I don't use the products that I want and I do! For me, it's Benjamin Moore's full line or nothing! Thus, I use their primers, their Regal Select lines in both Eggshell (walls) and Semi-Gloss (woodwork), and their Muresco Ceiling Paint. I never have any issues with their paint on coverage (I always do two coats) or with blisters, peeling, fading, etc....

 

We do commercial work and use Benjamin Moore exterior/Sherwin Williams interior. From experience and reading I trust BM products color and gloss retention outside more than SW. On interiors we tend to use SW Promar 200 and WB alkyd urethane because it works well and SWs inventory and availability is so much better on short notice. Question: I see a lot of shade thrown at Promar 200 (egshel). We have good luck with it in commercial uses (good coverage, good workability, price point, decent touch up, nice finish). Can someone explain this products shortcomings as they see it? Thanks

 

I have never, in my life seen promar touch up worth a damn. Its usually dries different colors between the brush and roller coming out of the same bucket.

 

I have used sherwin for years, mainly because they were besides behr the only paint around and where I live you have to travel and their stores are ever where. I use cashmere low luster a lot as it looks good, easy to work with and touches up very well. I use latitude as well because it dries fast and is pretty tough stuff. I have used the pro classic hybrid on cabinets as well for the same reasons that it dries and is tough. Pro classic latex semi-gloss is what I use on trim. All companies make good and bad but sherwin has worked for me but I use and like ben moore as well. I tire of all the bitching about sherwin pricing but all companies raise their prices so get over it or just work for someone and listen to them complain about it.

 

Have you tried the BM Super Hide? In my area last year, they were doing a test launch of the new Super Hide and I did several jobs with it and it worked great. I believe they are doing the full launch of it around mid-year. Just curious, what is it you like about the Pro Classic Hybrid?

I once used Superhide a decade ago when I first started painting just helping with someone who did work on a church owned apartment. I don't really have anything to say except I have used it once. One surprising paint I did also use was BM Ecospec, which had surprisingly good coverage but I think was less color accurate than Regal/etc in the same color (gray looked more blueish ala SW.) With BM dropping Natura we used it in a pregnant woman's house. Ecospec felt surprisingly like Promar 200 in how it rolled/brushed out, which confused my boss immensely that it wasn't drying as fast as Regal/Aura did.

To address PM200, it's not the worst paint ever, but I actually think depending on your price point, it's worth it to just pay extra for Superpaint or Cashmere and get a much better paint. My pricing is only $3-5 less than Superpaint/Cashmere. I also think BM is rather odd in that Ultra Spec is a LOT better than PM200, and PM200's crossover is the little known PM200 HP, or High Performance, meant to meet the MPI High Performance spec like Ultra Spec already does, but at a price point usually closer to Ultra Spec. (My price is $34 for eggshell and US spec egg is $42 here at Ace) As a kind of experiment I used both spare gallons of Ultra Spec and PM200 in my dad's shop where stuff is pretty highly abused with grease stains/etc, and the PM200 did perform significantly worse under outright abuse like that, whereas the Ultra Spec performed very admirably and had zero peeling/etc. But then I don't really understand why Ben even exists when Ultra Spec totally smokes it.

I have used sherwin for years, mainly because they were besides behr the only paint around and where I live you have to travel and their stores are ever where. I use cashmere low luster a lot as it looks good, easy to work with and touches up very well. I use latitude as well because it dries fast and is pretty tough stuff. I have used the pro classic hybrid on cabinets as well for the same reasons that it dries and is tough. Pro classic latex semi-gloss is what I use on trim. All companies make good and bad but sherwin has worked for me but I use and like ben moore as well. I tire of all the bitching about sherwin pricing but all companies raise their prices so get over it or just work for someone and listen to them complain about it.

I'm kinda ambivolent about SW. Where I am I found my personal SW store had 100% top notch service, and my local BM stores were snobby and had very mediocre service. But then in actual paint quality, imo SW is good on ceilings and walls, but on trim it's very hard to trust SW for adhesion in the same way you can trust BM. And Proclassic latex is garbage, and I would say Regal semi-gloss is a better trim paint. Pricing I have no complaints about SW, as they kept my prices pretty low and similar to almost a decade ago when I started, whereas at BM I had enormous increases at my local stores due to a merger/buyout, even pre-COVID.

I think mainly too it's a style thing, my boss really liked the quick drying qualities of BM paints and learned to work with them well, but I find SW mostly easier to work with because it is slower drying and has more open time generally.

 

I once used Superhide a decade ago when I first started painting just helping with someone who did work on a church owned apartment. I don't really have anything to say except I have used it once. One surprising paint I did also use was BM Ecospec, which had surprisingly good coverage but I think was less color accurate than Regal/etc in the same color (gray looked more blueish ala SW.) With BM dropping Natura we used it in a pregnant woman's house. Ecospec felt surprisingly like Promar 200 in how it rolled/brushed out, which confused my boss immensely that it wasn't drying as fast as Regal/Aura did.

To address PM200, it's not the worst paint ever, but I actually think depending on your price point, it's worth it to just pay extra for Superpaint or Cashmere and get a much better paint. My pricing is only $3-5 less than Superpaint/Cashmere. I also think BM is rather odd in that Ultra Spec is a LOT better than PM200, and PM200's crossover is the little known PM200 HP, or High Performance, meant to meet the MPI High Performance spec like Ultra Spec already does, but at a price point usually closer to Ultra Spec. (My price is $34 for eggshell and US spec egg is $42 here at Ace) As a kind of experiment I used both spare gallons of Ultra Spec and PM200 in my dad's shop where stuff is pretty highly abused with grease stains/etc, and the PM200 did perform significantly worse under outright abuse like that, whereas the Ultra Spec performed very admirably and had zero peeling/etc. But then I don't really understand why Ben even exists when Ultra Spec totally smokes it.



I'm kinda ambivolent about SW. Where I am I found my personal SW store had 100% top notch service, and my local BM stores were snobby and had very mediocre service. But then in actual paint quality, imo SW is good on ceilings and walls, but on trim it's very hard to trust SW for adhesion in the same way you can trust BM. And Proclassic latex is garbage, and I would say Regal semi-gloss is a better trim paint. Pricing I have no complaints about SW, as they kept my prices pretty low and similar to almost a decade ago when I started, whereas at BM I had enormous increases at my local stores due to a merger/buyout, even pre-COVID.

I think mainly too it's a style thing, my boss really liked the quick drying qualities of BM paints and learned to work with them well, but I find SW mostly easier to work with because it is slower drying and has more open time generally.

One difference is our Promar/Ultra price is $21/gal whereas SuperPaint and Cashmere closer to $45. And we opt for the Promar over Ultra because of inventory and the Ultra eggshell is way too shiny. I’ve heard that Ultra low sheen eggshell is better in that regard. You’re dead on with so much of that post. Definitely trust the adhesion of BM paints more than SW and it really matters on trim/doors.

 

ProMar 200 eggshell was used in my church when it was newly built. It does not hold up well at all to hallway traffic or kids area. SW, at least in my area, also seems to have a really hard time making two gallons match. Color consistency between gallons is awful. Touchup issues as well with inconsistent sheen and/or color. We have repainted most of it with Scuff-X but I will admit we have had some color consistency issues there too when but that is when we do more work a couple years later, not on gallons bought at the same time.

 

We are currently using BM Ultra Spec eggshell and it's absolute garbage. The color is Pure White, it's actually a SW color and should be a breeze to apply. We are dealing with flashing and just general issues. I couldn't be less impressed.

I'm shocked that people here think Ultra Spec is superior to Pro Mar 200??? I would strongly disagree; the Pro Mar 200 is MUCH more painter friendly. Another note, the Ultra Spec eggshell is a very high sheen, looking more like a satin finish.

 

Wen considering Ultra Spec is the lowest cost, lowest quality BM line, I’m not surprised at it having shortcomings. It’s almost as cheap at Behr (which is garbage). I use BM Regal.

 

I like Ben Moore Regal for interiors, and I always use two coats if the color is close to what I’m covering. For color changes I use Ben Moore Fresh Start primer (tinted if it’s a big change like green to orange), the two coats Regal.

 

I am a Benjamin Moore girl...it never let's me down.

 

Hi Ben Moore girl all the way. New construction Ultra spec 500 great hiding and coverage, and good price point. Higher end Scuff x ben & regal. Advance for trim and cabinetry. Aura is pricey but no more than Emerald depending on your cost, but never more than two coats even on tricky color changes, beautiful stuff. Use on exterior doors all the time too for deep colors. plus doesn't
fade out like sw

 

Ppg and Benjamin Moore all day . Keep that overpriced sw crap away from me lol