Is Benjamin Moore 'Ben' paint low end?
jamie81
12 years ago
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jessicaml
12 years agoRelated Discussions
best indoor paint? benjamin moore, lowes, home depot?
Comments (17)I'll second the flashing assessment of C2. We had our whole apartment - walls and ceilings - painted with it. We hired professionals (the same guys that paint for Thomas Pheasant, if you know who that is), so I'm pretty confident that it was applied correctly. And yet, the flashing is extraordinary. And not just the ceiling. The walls too. I have windows that are huge (14' wide, 7' tall, stretch across the entire width of the room) and the walls show as much flashing as the ceiling does. Coat after coat, couldn't get on top of it. Finally called it a day (I was leaving for a couple months and will be mostly gone for the next year), and will try some other brand - ANY other brand - when I get back. Kudos to the paints guys for trying everything in the book, and the paint store who also tried to help solve it, and NO THANKS to C2, who denied even the possibility of such a problem. But no, I would never ever EVER recommend C2 to anyone. YMMV, but our windows proved its downfall. Oh yeah, and C2 matte burnishes so easily: my husband brushed up against the wall and the seam of his cotton button-down made a burnished drag mark in the middle of the wall. His shirt seam (regular dress shirt, regular seams, nothing weird) kind of "polished" the paint right there, making a streak of "shiny" in a splotchy, flashing wall of "matte." (And the paint job was four months old when he did this, so yes, it had time to cure.) So, ya know, not so impressed with C2's durability either. Maybe Aura isn't "all that," like the way people wax lyrical over C2, but my Aura kitchen is perfect, no burnishing problem, no flashing....See MoreCan I use Kilz as primer then apply Ben by Benjamin Moore?
Comments (5)TSP deglosses too. Dirtex does not. I've never had residue left after using TSP. I rinse after TSP with bleach/water (I imagine ammonia would work too but I find the fumes are worse). Then quick rinse with plain water. I work on one patch at a time then move the scaffolding. So TSP the entire wall, Then one section at a time, rinse with bleach and wipe down with plain water in the same section. TSP saponifies grease residue - so it leaves soap basically, that's what you're cleaning off ultimately with the rinsing. Helps to know what you're working with. Also, its not just the walls, but ALL surfaces that you need to wipe down like this when heavy smokers are involved, not to forget ductwork as well. So ceilings, floors, countertops, everything needs to be washed down. After cleaning, 2 coats of KILZ original will seal in even the smell of smoke from a fire. Then paint....See MoreBenjamin Moore’s white opulence paint color
Comments (75)It has been a while since the last activity on this thread, and I felt it might be beneficial to give my updated perspective on White Opulence #879 from Benjamin Moore as a paint color for main areas. Having lived with this color for a bit longer now since my last comment, I am beginning to understand how tightly it regulates what other colors can be placed with it for anyone who cares about a homogeneous scheme and also how undeniable the pink tone can be when applied over large surface areas. White Opulence is a tint of red, but it is so light that in ample daylight or under bright white lighting it can "read" as white. In average daylight, it produces a whisper-light pink hue. The effect of this is magnified the larger the area that is covered by it. Using this color on the walls in the main space of a large, open-plan layout with high ceilings, for example, will imbue the area with a light, yet undeniable, pale pink cast in average lighting. It would be a good idea to prepare not only yourself but also any other significant users of the space of the pink tinge before selecting this color because some people truly dislike pink, and it is courteous to work with all regular users of spaces during design planning to try to ensure no one will be overly uncomfortable with the final effect. One thing that hasn't been discussed is how White Opulence can cast a peach tone under warmer lighting colors, especially in the absence of any compensating daylight, meaning nighttime in most home spaces. If peach is a color you want to avoid and you utilize warm lighting -- that is, progressively orange-tinged the further under a 4000K color temperature you go -- then this is a paint color to avoid. The general recommendation is that 4000K is quite cool for home environments, so if you don't know what color temperature your home lighting is, you can probably assume it is warmer than 4000K if you selected average bulbs from your home supplies provider. White Opulence as a red-based white was an attractive choice for my main space because I already had a red accent in a permanent finish and personally prefer the fresh look that a red-white lends versus common alternate choices for main area wall colors like yellow-based beiges or blue-based grays. The problem is that so many home goods available are manufactured in colors that go with beige and gray wall colors rather than the faint red-white of White Opulence that color coordination requires more work than may be expected. Of course, you could decorate using pure white items, but what you really need are options for whisper pink basics which are hard to find. Adding stronger pink or red items is not always the solution either because you cannot feasibly fill the room with accents; you need some basics that blend with the wall tone. Then there is the issue of coordinating White Opulence with colors for auxiliary rooms if you wish to have some variety throughout the home while still maintaining the feel that all of the home's colors work together. Most blues coordinate with White Opulence, but if you have already used red accents in rooms painted with White Opulence, then red is challenging to pair with blue in most instances unless it is a dark, cool blue like navy. Where this has been a dilemma for me has been my hallway colors connecting the main open space to the bedrooms which are all different pastels. The color plan I have will work, and I'll enjoy the variety of colors that I have been able to make flow together, but to be honest, at times I have wondered how much easier the design process might have been if I had picked plain white for the main space. White is the ultimate neutral some might say. At the very least, a basic white for the main area would have given me more freedom in selecting fabrics and other home products for the main space as well as coordinating colors for other rooms. It is all too easy to second-guess decisions that will affect your life long-term. I am using Benjamin Moore's durable Aura formula in a satin finish, so I expect the new White Opulence paint will last decades. Had I selected a plain white or yellow- or blue-based off white, I might be back on this very forum wishing I had gone with White Opulence to add appeal beyond the standard choices. I hope this is helpful to anyone still considering this color....See MoreBenjamin Moore information: Regal vs Aura vs ben vs Ecospec
Comments (2)Hi, i’m not an expert but I've heard that Ben would be a good choice if your budget is limited or if you are repainting for putting your house on the market. if you are going to live in the home for a considerable time Regal or Aura would be a better choice. For my home I chose Regal Select eggshell and it is a fantastic paint. Beautiful coverage and washability Also, painting with it is very easy. When I was researching paints the advice I was given is that Aura is a superior paint for painting darker colors or if you want a washable matte finish. But other than that I was told that Regal Select is just as good as Aura....See Morejessicaml
12 years agoChristopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
12 years agopaintguy22
12 years agoChristopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
12 years agoChristopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
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12 years agopaintguy22
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12 years agoLori A. Sawaya
12 years agograya
10 years agoChristopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
10 years agoRudi Van Desarzio
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