Interior painters, painting, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur

Sherwin Williams Eminence Review

As a high end painting company in Atlanta, we like to use the best quality paints and coatings on our projects.  Part of using the best products is always trying and testing new products.  Sherwin Williams helps this process by giving us demo products to use and provide professional feedback.

Today, we are reviewing Sherwin Williams’ Eminence.  Eminence is a high performance, interior ceiling paint.

We used to use ProMar 200 flat on ceilings until recently, when the 0-VOC reformulation rendered a flat with high angular sheen.  Having any sheen associated with your ceiling is asking for trouble due to the typically mediocre drywall work on ceiling.

Choosing the “right” ceiling paint can be challenging.  You don’t need any durability because ceilings get no traffic.  Your first instinct is “get the cheapest flat paint they have.”  This can cause problems because the cheap paints look cheap and have an ugly finish.

So what do you do?

Use Eminence.

The Upside:

Eminence is an acrylic latex paint which gives it low-VOC and water clean up properties.  It comes in a clean, bright white.  Eminence is a thick, sticky paint that prevents it from misting paint all over the painter and floor.

Upon drying, Eminence reveals an exceptionally smooth and flat finish.  This finish does a fantastic job hiding tapes lines and other substrate imperfections common with ceilings.

The Downside:

Eminence’s only drawback is it’s perceived cost.  We painters are used to getting our ceiling paint cheap; like $10/gallon. When you pay nearly $30/gallon for ceiling paint, it is tough to swallow.  However, the finished product speaks for itself so I guess we must revert to the old adage, “you get what you pay for.”

The Verdict for Eminence high performance ceiling paint is…Awesome!

I love this product, my painters love this product, and most importantly, my clients love this product.  Eminence’s ease of application and outstanding performance makes it worth the extra money it costs.  Hopefully, Sherwin Williams will give us some special pricing after reading how much GreenWave Solutions loves their Eminence coating.

Right, Johnny? 😉

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GreenWave Solutions is the best painting contractor in Atlanta.  Our painters perform high-quality painting and drywall work in Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur, Doraville, Milton, John’s Creek, Dunwoody, Grant Park, Virginia Highlands, Smyrna, Vinings, Marietta and many other metro Atlanta cities.

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Professional interior painters in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Chamblee, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Buckhead

Product Review: ProMar 200 Waterborne Alkyd

Water based Alkyd?

That’s impossible, isn’t it?  Apparently not.  Sherwin Williams released its line of water based alkyds about a year ago and they are pretty amazing.

Based upon my chemistry background, I’m pretty sure that these products are not true alkyds.  I deduce this from the fact that water is both the solvent and reducer for these products.  I think that the moniker “water based alkyd” means “alkyd performance from a waterborne coating.”

We have used both the ProMar 200 and ProClassic water based alkyds.  I am reviewing the ProMar line because my painters reported better results from it.

Inside the can…

Upon opening the can of ProMar 200 wb alkyd, you will notice a smooth textured coating and a mild, sweet smell – like banana Laffy Taffy.  Because we have only been using this product on trim, we have not poured it into a roller pan.  We have either brushed or sprayed it from buckets.

Application characteristics…

ProMar 200 WB alkyd has a thin body.  It loads into your brush very nicely.  It releases smoothly and evenly.  For a thin bodies coating it covers well.

Another advantage of this coating is its adhesion.  ProMar 200 WB alkyd can be applied onto minimally prepared oil paints without needing a primer.  You should give the existing oil some profile by either scuff sanding or liquid deglosser.

The one pitfall that I saw was the urge to apply it too heavy or over working it.  It levels extremely well for an acrylic coating.  In order to avoid any runs or brush marks, apply it at a normal thickness and go.  The paint does the rest.

The finish…

The cured finish of ProMar 200 WB alkyd it what makes this coating so impressive.  It dries to a smooth, hard block resistance finish like an alkyd.

The Verdict…

I love ProMar 200 WB alkyd.  For the price, it’s top of its class.  It’s application, performance and finish are all comparable to a true alkyd, without the smell, slow dry time and messy clean up.  I recommend this for trim, doors, windows and cabinets.  (Note:  This product is for interior use only).

GreenWave Solutions is proud to serve the greater Atlanta area including Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs painter, Vinings and more.

GreenWave Solutions is the best painter Sandy Springs has to offer.

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Interior and exterior painter Sandy Spring ga

Product Review: ProMar 200 0-VOC Interior Paint

The ProMar line is one of Sherwin Williams flagship contractor brands.  Centered on overall value, the Promar line offers great application and performance characteristics at very competitive prices.  Sherwin Williams has numerous products within the ProMar brand; 200, 400, 700, alkyds, acrylics, lacquer undercoater, and even the new waterborne alkyds.

This review is about ProMar 200 0-VOC interior latex.  ProMar 200 is the highest quality coating in the ProMar line (400 and 700 are lower quality.  It’s like golf, the lower numbers are better when dealing with ProMar).

ProMar 200 has been in Sherwin Williams’ arsenal for a long time – at least 15 years.  This paint has been the contractor’s choice when he needs a good “all around good product.”  The iconic 200 line got an upgrade a few years ago.  Sherwin Williams put ProMar 200 on steroids and released ProMar 200 0-VOC.

200 0-VOC offers these enhancements:

  • 0-VOC resin formulation
  • Improved hide
  • Better leveling
  • Compatibility with 0-VOC colorants
  • Improved durability

 Inside the can:

Upon opening a can of 200 0-VOC, the first thing that you will notice is the smell; or lack of it.  This is what ‘0-VOC’ means in English.

The paint’s body is normal; not unusually thick or thin.

Application:

ProMar 200 0-VOC applies easily.  It releases from the brush or roller well without much drag.  What I like most about it is that it comes in an ultra deep base and has incredible hide.  Hide refers to how well it covers existing colors.  Coverage refers to how much surface area it covers per gallon.

200 levels nicely and dries to a smooth, durable finish.

Pricing:

Pricing can be misleading in our reviews.  Because GreenWave Solutions is the best painter Atlanta has, we get outstanding pricing from Sherwin Williams.  Our pricing, along with ProMar 200 0-VOC outstanding performance makes it one of our favorite products when clients want a great job at a lower price.

The Verdict:

ProMar 200 0-VOC is all around awesome.  When you want value, check out this interior paint.

 

GreenWave Solutions is proud to serve the greater Atlanta area including Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs painter, Vinings and more.

GreenWave Solutions is the best painter Sandy Springs has to offer.

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Deck, wood, and cedar staining and sealing

Product Review: DeckScapes Revive

Within the last decade, cedar shake became a popular building material for high end homes.  Cedar is a beautiful wood, however; it does have some drawbacks.  The most noticeable is it’s high tannin content.

From a practical and chemical standpoint, cedar tannin are beneficial.  Tannin protects the wood from water, UV light, and even insects.  From an aesthetic standpoint, tannin causes ugly stains.  You can read about this in more detail in our “How to clean and stain cedar.” article.

This article is a review for Sherwin Williams’ DeckScapes Revive product.  We have used Revive on several jobs this year with fantastic results.

Revive is an oxalic acid solution.  It is easy to apply and relatively non-toxic when compared to other acids.

When applied per the manufacturer specifications and pressure washed off, Revive will remove even the most stubborn tannin stains in cedar, redwood and any other type of wood.

Revive costs between $20-$30/gallon and covers approximately 150 ft2 depending upon the wood’s roughness and porosity.  If you have an entire home that needs treatment, this can get expensive.  However, there are no alternative options as effective as oxalic acid for this application.

DeckScapes Revive is an excellent product for preparing wood prior to staining.  I recommend this product.

GreenWave Solutions is proud to serve the greater Atlanta area including Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs painter, Vinings and more.

GreenWave Solutions is the best painter Sandy Springs has to offer.

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Paint Product Review: Sherwin Williams Cashmere

The review of Sherwin Williams’ Cashmere interior enamel.

Cashmere is a premium, low-VOC interior coating.  It comes in three sheens; flat, low-lustre, and medium-lustre.  Cashmere has excellent hide, coverage, and durability.  It is available in a white and deep base.  Cashmere is not available in the darkest colors.

We have been using Cashmere for over 5 years and have had only great experiences.  The paint has a thinner body, like Duration Home, which makes its load and release buttery smooth.  It also has very low odor and impressive hide.  Hide, often confused with coverage, refers to a paint’s ability to cover existing colors.  Cashmere has excellent application properties.

Cashmere dries to a very smooth, very durable finish.  It levels extremely well and roller and brush marks virtually disappear once the film dries.  All three finishes are washable and will not burnish with ‘normal’ wiping.

Overall, Cashmere Interior Enamel is a great paint.  Its low-VOC formulation combined with exceptional application properties and a beautiful durable finished product makes it a good choice for most interior painting projects.  It retails for $40-$50 per gallon, which is about average for premium interior products.

By 

President of GreenWave Solutions, the best Atlanta painter and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

GreenWave Solutions – Simply the best painters in Atlanta.

Stain Product Warning: Semi-transparent Stains are Horrible

I like to keep my product reviews positive, however, I must be honest and objective to provide value to my readers.  I want to discourage all humans from ever using a semi-transparent deck stain (STS).  This is not manufacturer specific as I have never seen any semi-transparent deck stain look good, even when applied by professionals in perfect conditions.

If you go into any paint store that has a trained and knowledgeable staff (typically not a big box) and ask them if they recommend a toner or a STS product, they will tell you to use a toner.  If you push and ask them why, they will tell you things like the toner looks better or some customers complain that the STS didn’t look good, etc.  They are just being polite because the manufacturer of that STS signs their paycheck.  I can be honest.

Semi-transparent stains suck.

This is a product that really shouldn’t exist.  The philosophy is to provide consumers with more product options, but that shouldn’t mean terrible options.  When it comes to painting, consumers already have a plethora of options, each boasting that it is the best.  It must be incredibly overwhelming for a “non-paint” person to walk into a paint store and know what to buy.  The following narrative of a husband and wife choosing a stain is common and reveals the allure of the dreaded semi-transparent stain.

Wife: I want a solid color stain so that the deck that matches the accent color of the shutters and doors.

Husband: We already have enough color and we paid extra to use the better wood for the deck.  Why would we cover the grain that you thought was so pretty with a solid stain.  Let’s use a toner that brings out the wood’s natural beauty.

Wife:  I changed my mind.  The toner looks boring.

Husband:  What about this semi-transparent stain?  This is perfect.  We can choose a color, but you can still see the wood’s grain.  We get the best of both worlds.

Wife:  That is perfect!  Let’s go to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate semi-transparent stains!  We can say it’s your birth and get free ice cream.

I hope they enjoy the Cheesecake Factory because the fun will be over after they put that STS on their deck.  The idea of STS is good.  You use color to enhance wood’s natural beauty.  The problem is that semi-transparent stains are either too semi or too transparent which results in an incomplete and uneven appearance.  I worked for Sherwin Williams for 5 years and have operated GreenWave Solutions for 5 years and the most common complaint I got was about semi-transparent stains looking bad.  Customer’s being unhappy with STS is so common that we will not use semi-transparent stains on any project, even at a client’s request.

I have done this long enough to know that no matter how well you apply them, they always look bad and I don’t want people thinking that GreenWave Solutions does work that looks hideous.  Clients think they want a semi-transparent stain, but what they really want is a colored toner.  That is where I steer my clients that ask for STS deck products; to colored toners.

I’m sure that there are some people that think semi-transparent stains look great and they are entitled to their opinions.  There are also people that think “Honey Booboo” is a good show.  Some people just have bad taste.

Please save yourself, your painting contractor, and your paint store a lot of headaches and don’t choose semi-transparent stains for your deck staining projects.  Instead, use a toner that has the color you like.  And remember, because all wood accepts stains differently, DO A SAMPLE TO SEE IF YOU LIKE HOW IT WILL LOOK BEFORE DOING THE WHOLE DECK.

Good luck and remember that GreenWave Solutions is the best painting company in Dunwoody.

By 

President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior, Painters, Painting, Paint Contractor, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Duration Home

The topic of today’s review, Sherwin Williams Duration Home, is not a new product.  This product is several years old.  It is so good, however, I thought it deserved some attention.

Duration Home is the interior line of Sherwin Williams’ Duration brand.  It was the flagship paint for high end, interior durability until Emerald was released.  Duration Home comes in matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes and has all color bases available.  This product is low-VOC and has a great finish.

Product Overview:

Duration Home:  Low-VOC

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – Granite Peak

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a flat finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 experienced

Initial Look/Feel:

Upon opening the can, you will notice that the Duration Home is not very thick.  It also has that ammonia like smell that high end, low-VOC coatings have.  Everything is pretty normal inside the can.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

As soon as you start painting with the Duration Home you know that you are using a great paint.  The thin body of the paint makes its application a breeze.  It easily loads onto brushes and rollers and transfers smoothly onto walls.  The most impressive things is that despite the thin body of the paint, its hide is as good as any paint I’ve used.  Because the matte finish has a bit of sheen, make sure that you paint into a wet edge to avoid hat-banding or picture framing.

Durability of finish:

I used Duration Home to paint a bathroom in my condo and after 6 years it looks brand new.  I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination.  The Duration Home has stood up to water, neglect, and even some abuse.  I have intentionally been rough on it to see what it can take.  This product lives up to its durable finish claims.

Pros:

  • Very durable finish
  • Excellent hide
  • Low-VOC
  • Easy to apply

Cons:

  • Expensive ($60/gallon)

Conclusion:

I am impressed with the Duration Home product.  I have liked it since Sherwin Williams released it about 10 years ago.  While it was one of the first “premium low-VOC” interior paints, it still competes with the newer products.  Duration Home prices have gone down with the release of Emerald which makes Duration an even better choice.  I like everything about Duration Home matte.

By

President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior Painting product reviews, professional painters, exterior, painting companies, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Decatur, Alpharetta, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Emerald Interior Paint

Because GreenWave Solutions is has good relationships with the paint companies, we get a lot demos and samples of products.  The most recent was a gallon of Sherwin Williams’ Emerald interior matte.  I have wanted to try this product out since they released at the beginning of 2012.  SW says that Emerald is the interior paint of champions!

 

Product Overview:

Emerald Interior 0-voc

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – French Red

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a satin finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 expert, 1 diy

Initial Look/Feel:

The first thing I noticed about Emerald was its thickness.  It is a heavy-bodied coating; thicker than SuperPaint.  Emerald has that familiar ammonia smell that is synonymous with high performance 0-voc coatings.  It has a strong smell, but they say it isn’t bad to breathe.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

We pushed this product to its limit.  We painted off white satin walls in a bathroom.  The Emerald did a good job.  Its self-priming feature did a decent job adhering to the shiny satin paint.  It did streak and smear some.  The dark red covered pretty well with one coat; however, we a second coat was needed for complete color change.  Again, I want to reiterate that I was asking this paint to do something “impossible.”  Overall, Emerald lived up to its hype.

Durability of finish:

I checked the finish after it had 24 hours to dry.  It was exceptionally hard and still very smooth.  Emerald has the most durable and smooth finish of any interior architectural coating I have ever seen.

Pros:

  • Most durable interior paint available
  • Excellent hide
  • 0-VOC

Cons:

  • Expensive ($70-$80/gallon)

Conclusion:

Sherwin Williams’ Emerald Interior product is excellent.  It delivers all of the performance that they say it will.  This performance does come at a price.  This product costs nearly twice as much as the next best interior paint, Duration Home.  If you want the best paint money can buy, then Emerald is for you.  If you want the best value, I recommend the Sherwin Williams Duration Home Matte.

By

President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!