I've used a fair bit of it in our house. It's good paint, probably better coverage than anything else I've tried.
The reason to use a polyurethane over paint is to improve it's scratch resistance. I wouldn't use an oil-based polyurethane though, because they impart a yellow tone that will probably make you unhappy about your paint. The water based polyurethanes use an acrylic resin which is clear.
No matter how hard the Benjamin Moore paint, the acrylic will be harder and provide better scratch resistance. Just make sure you've given the paint a few days to dry before applying the acrylic, or you'll get unhappy little bubbles.
Clay, have you found that the Advance is better than the Aura paint from Benjamin Moore? I tried Aura satin finish last year for my kitchen cabinets and LOVED it because it went on so smooth and dried so fast. I also coated mine with some water based Poly after glazing, for extra protection. It was super expensive (almost $60 per gallon here in Md) but it really went a long way so I think it worked out OK cost wise in the long run. Haven't tried the Advance yet - how long does it take to dry? Thanks! :) J
I'm not familiar with the differences between the Advanced and the Aura lines. In general a slower drying time will mean fewer brush marks showing. The good coverage is typical of all Benjamin Moore paint I've used over the past 15 years. The increased cost has been repaid by faster painting and less need for recoating.
Clay - The Advance is actually a waterborne alkyd enamel paint. It is a totally new technology that differs from acrylic/alkyd hybrids. It has many of the properties of oil paint, but cleans up with water and is low VOC. It is supposed to be fantastic for furniture, cabinetry, and trim. From what I have read, it produces a hard coating and should make the addition of coats of poly unnecessary. I was hoping for some confirmation on that point though.
JES - According to the BM website and tech specs, dry times are 4-6 hours to touch, 16 hours to recoat, 3-5 days before use, and up to 30 days to optimum hardness and sheen.
So it sounds like it would take more actual time, but be less work as one should only need 2 coats and no poly.
It sounds like we should be asking you questions about this product, not the other way around. I've used alkyd/enamel combos before (Beyr makes one) and I was happy with the surface properties. I used it for a bathroom ceiling, and it is more durable than other paints, but a ceiling doesn't have the wear that furniture will have.
In any event, I'd say run with it. You seem pretty well convinced that this is a superior paint, and you have better information than most of us, so I'm inclined to go with your assessment. If you're wrong, you can always repaint and put a sealer on it.
I did end up using this paint and I love how the finish turned out. I used two coats of the Pearl.
I have no experience working with oil paints which is apparently how this one acts. I originally tried to roll it on with a foam roller (which I also have no experience with) and I didn't like how it looked. I ended up rolling the entire bed with a microfibre roller and brushing it out right away. You can see some brush strokes, but I like the texture. I didn't find the paint very easy to work with and I had to be quick and leave a very wet edge and brush it with a very wet brush. It also cost me $70/gallon here in Alberta. It does look great though and I did only use 1/2 of the can. Hopefully it lives up to the advertised durability.
An oil-based alyd enamel has a very long dry time, so you have a lot of time for your brush marks to settle out. This sounds closer to the water bourne polyurethanes. You can thin that with water, and there are also some additives like flo-trol which make it smooth out better.
I recently redid my entire kitchen cabinets. It worked beautifully. I did use TSP cleaner before painting to clean them and then I primed them using BIN primer first as I had some raw wood mouldings and trim added. I would recommend it.
claydowling
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 12:36
Benjamin Moore Paint
I've used a fair bit of it in our house. It's good paint, probably better coverage than anything else I've tried.
The reason to use a polyurethane over paint is to improve it's scratch resistance. I wouldn't use an oil-based polyurethane though, because they impart a yellow tone that will probably make you unhappy about your paint. The water based polyurethanes use an acrylic resin which is clear.
No matter how hard the Benjamin Moore paint, the acrylic will be harder and provide better scratch resistance. Just make sure you've given the paint a few days to dry before applying the acrylic, or you'll get unhappy little bubbles.
JES
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 16:51
Is Advance better than Aura?
Clay, have you found that the Advance is better than the Aura paint from Benjamin Moore? I tried Aura satin finish last year for my kitchen cabinets and LOVED it because it went on so smooth and dried so fast. I also coated mine with some water based Poly after glazing, for extra protection. It was super expensive (almost $60 per gallon here in Md) but it really went a long way so I think it worked out OK cost wise in the long run. Haven't tried the Advance yet - how long does it take to dry? Thanks! :) J
claydowling
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 20:23
Individual product lines
I'm not familiar with the differences between the Advanced and the Aura lines. In general a slower drying time will mean fewer brush marks showing. The good coverage is typical of all Benjamin Moore paint I've used over the past 15 years. The increased cost has been repaid by faster painting and less need for recoating.
DirtSquirt
Mon, 09/12/2011 - 21:59
Clay - The Advance is
Clay - The Advance is actually a waterborne alkyd enamel paint. It is a totally new technology that differs from acrylic/alkyd hybrids. It has many of the properties of oil paint, but cleans up with water and is low VOC. It is supposed to be fantastic for furniture, cabinetry, and trim. From what I have read, it produces a hard coating and should make the addition of coats of poly unnecessary. I was hoping for some confirmation on that point though.
JES - According to the BM website and tech specs, dry times are 4-6 hours to touch, 16 hours to recoat, 3-5 days before use, and up to 30 days to optimum hardness and sheen.
So it sounds like it would take more actual time, but be less work as one should only need 2 coats and no poly.
claydowling
Tue, 09/13/2011 - 05:28
Advice going the wrong way
It sounds like we should be asking you questions about this product, not the other way around. I've used alkyd/enamel combos before (Beyr makes one) and I was happy with the surface properties. I used it for a bathroom ceiling, and it is more durable than other paints, but a ceiling doesn't have the wear that furniture will have.
In any event, I'd say run with it. You seem pretty well convinced that this is a superior paint, and you have better information than most of us, so I'm inclined to go with your assessment. If you're wrong, you can always repaint and put a sealer on it.
DirtSquirt
Tue, 09/13/2011 - 09:09
I am just a good researcher!
I am just a good researcher!
In reply to I am just a good researcher! by DirtSquirt
DirtSquirt
Thu, 12/01/2011 - 22:35
Update...
I did end up using this paint and I love how the finish turned out. I used two coats of the Pearl.
I have no experience working with oil paints which is apparently how this one acts. I originally tried to roll it on with a foam roller (which I also have no experience with) and I didn't like how it looked. I ended up rolling the entire bed with a microfibre roller and brushing it out right away. You can see some brush strokes, but I like the texture. I didn't find the paint very easy to work with and I had to be quick and leave a very wet edge and brush it with a very wet brush. It also cost me $70/gallon here in Alberta. It does look great though and I did only use 1/2 of the can. Hopefully it lives up to the advertised durability.
claydowling
Fri, 12/02/2011 - 06:11
Paint properties
An oil-based alyd enamel has a very long dry time, so you have a lot of time for your brush marks to settle out. This sounds closer to the water bourne polyurethanes. You can thin that with water, and there are also some additives like flo-trol which make it smooth out better.
Crafty Newf
Thu, 01/08/2015 - 09:46
Benjamin Moore Advance Paint
I recently redid my entire kitchen cabinets. It worked beautifully. I did use TSP cleaner before painting to clean them and then I primed them using BIN primer first as I had some raw wood mouldings and trim added. I would recommend it.
mikepattenson
Sat, 03/21/2015 - 17:54
Here are the two brands I
Here are the two brands I usually used: I can match up the two:
BENJAMIN MOORE
- cheaper ($56 a gallon vs $71 a gallon – I got the Sherwin Williams paint 30% off during a sale, so it ended up $49 but whoa)
- ended up with a harder finish
- factory looking finish (even though it was really hard for us to apply correctly with the sprayer)
SHERWIN WILLIAMS PROS
- great consistency
- great coverage
- faster drying
- easy to spray