ppg pure performance vs bm aura - help needed

14 years ago

Hello!

I am preparing to paint my entire new build and 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 paint with. Aura has had such great reviews it seemed like the obvious choice.

Until I spoke with my local PPG Pittsburgh Paint store 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.

Thank you!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

begoniagirl
14 years ago
I have no experience with the Pittsburgh product, however we just painted our living/dining/foyer area with 10 gallons of Aura (matte) and couldn't be happier with the results. The odor was gone completely within a couple of hours (I am super smell sensitive) and the paint looks so rich that even my husband noticed the depth of color. I say "price be damned and only cry once"....go for the Aura matte.
paintguy1
14 years ago
Pure Performance is the equivalent of BM's EcoSpec WB; both are geared for commercial application, not residential. The difference is that PPG adds VOC's with colorant and BM does not. As for Natura, not sure where you heard about application, but it goes on very easy. Buy a quart and try it first - something you should do to validate your color anyway. As with EcoSpec, both Aura and Natura use 0 VOC colorants so they stay at 50 and 0 respectively after tinting.
Related Discussions
Pittsburgh Pure Performance vs. SW Harmony
Q
Comments (6)
Truly, I don't spec BenM because it's not uber convenient for me. That's the only reason. Sure would if I could. I could walk to the ICI store from my house if wanted to and I adore the full spectrum paints from Ellen Kennon which are mixed via ICI. The Pittsburgh Paints store is right down the street from the Design Market Place where I rent space. In Ohio there's a Sherwin Williams store on just about every street corner (well it feels like it any way) and I have a lovely, brand new ACE hardware that carries the ACE Paint brand, Cabinet Coat, Pratt & Lambert and Ralph Lauren. I like spec'ing a mix of all different brands. Keeps me from getting bored, love a lively diverse network of people too and I think the mix lends each project I do some individuality in some way which may only be noticeable to me. But that matters. :-) Waiting for the BenM resource that is within a reasonable distance to me to offer Aura, at least I hope they will. Would love the opportunity to try it. As of now, I just don't have a reason to make a special trip to the BenM store because I have so many other wonderful options that I just happen to like more.
...See More
AuraLast and Jeld-Wen 'conspiracy'
Q
Comments (56)
I've been reading the fascinating debate above. Can someone in the business help or guide me? i work for a small Italian company that has been designing and building quality wooden windows for over 40 years. i think our prices are good and certainly competitive with what has been quoted above. The $1000000 question for us is whether there would be a market for us in the US. Looking for what the "Made in Italy" can offer, I could suggest our ecological leather lined windows, available in a wide range of colours. Our priority remains the quality of our product, including the question of heat and noise transmission. Any opinions are welcome, thanks
...See More
Need help matte vs satin white cabinets for stain resistance
Q
Comments (14)
"They will be shop painted - not on site That's better, right?" Peacecorp: It is all in the look (and budget) that you are after, site painted has its place for sure....some of the highest end (priced) brands are all site painted. The look is certainly not for everyone, but I don't think that this is one of those situations where one is better then the other Because it is shop painted, the more important question to ask him is what type of finish is he using...based on your description of his shop I am assuming that he is not using a BM paint out of the can, he will be making the color of your choice in a something in either a water base or solvent based lacquer... If it were me I would be asking what the make up of the finish is that he is using...ideally you would want a post-catalyzed finish or maybe a high performance acrylic urethane Samples for sure can be a pain from the shop, it is not like going to the paint store and ordering a sample size and brushing it on...this is all hand made, with dry times between priming, painting and top coating
...See More
Aura vs Ellen Kennon ICI paints (cross post)
Q
Comments (5)
Hunzi, I've spec'd and painted with Aura and ICI mixed FS a lot. Rarely do I spec or use anything but those two. I like ICI's LifeMaster in eggshell. It, IMO, has a comparable *hand* to Aura Matte. ICI's Velvet Sheen and LifeMaster are similar to SW's Super Paint in that just about anyone can paint with them and end up successful -- they are very DIY friendly. Can't say that about Aura. It takes a certain knack and many DIYers (and painters) have to rethink and then adjust how they brush and roll the paint. There are several threads about that on here already. When it comes to color, there is nothing like full spectrum. Nothing. FS is an age old topic around here. Full spectrum mixed in Aura paint would indeed be it-on-a-stick and then some. Don't see that happening any time soon. :-D Affinity is the name of the color palette designed to go with the Aura paint. There are 22 colorants. Having had a handful of *regular* colors mixed in Aura I can say that 22 colorants does give the mixer person a better shot at getting a good match, but 22 colorants in the wrong hands can be about 20 colorants too many. As we all know from the years and years of full spectrum color discussions, it's as much about how all those colorants are balanced and mixed together as it is about the actual number used. Once you gets passed the basic spectral seven, one has to question what is necessary -- if ya need more representation in a color than the basic seven, maybe it's time to revisit color mixing philosophy and/or skills... or, maybe not. IMO, more is not always better. Which leads me to my critique of Affinity colors. They are rich, they are complex, they are pretty, they can have an edge of deadness and a feel of limited dimension. They are not full spectrum color. Having *regular* color mixed via Affinity processes can leave you with a can of paint that looks *puddled* with colorant, overworked, overdone. Totally depends on the color. Restraint with all that color power at one's fingertips is paramount. Doubtful that there are too many other people on the planet who would share that opinion with me. A lot of people really want Aura to be it-on-a-stick, all that and a bag o'chips in its own right. I think it's great stuff, lots of positives, but it does not hold all the allure and wonder of color to be had in the universe. Just like every other brand, it has pluses and minuses. At the end of the day, having to make the decision between Aura paint and full spectrum color is a pretty darn great place to be!
...See More
paintguy22
14 years ago
I don't think you can really compare Aura with these other high end brands. Aura is really in a league of its own. I'm not saying you will use Aura and have a WOW reaction...you may not. As far as the primer goes, Aura is self priming but there is no reason to spend $48 per gallon for primer. I would recommend primer with any paint because the primer is cheaper than the paint itself.
mamabirrd
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you for your replies!

begoniagirl, did you do two coats?

paintguy1, what is the difference in commercial and residential paints if you don't mind me asking? I see on the PP webpage that it is recommended for interior home application, among other things including commercial.
And thank you for that info. on the Natura. After more research last night, and your suggestion, I will definitely be giving it a try. It's what I originally wanted anyway and just seems like the best fit.

paintguy, so many people have expressed that same feeling about Aura. Even if I don't end up using it for the whole house, I sure would like to try a little.
begoniagirl
14 years ago
Greetings Mamabirrd....In answer to your question, yes we did two coats of Aura. It does cover and paint beautifully but the coverage is richer with two coats. And while I'm not a pro painter, the BM rep that mixed our paint also said that folks have had trouble with the Natura, especially homeowners trying to do their own painting.

Funny you mentioned you have birds and love gardening....we had a pair of Goudian finches until they just kept having clutch after clutch of babies (they were madly in love) at which point we gave them to a friend with a very large cage that could house all those Gouldians. I'm also a rabid gardener here in SoCal.

Good luck with your painting and again, we love the Aura in matte!
mamabirrd
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for your reply begoniagirl! I assumed by your handle that gardening, or at least Begonias, were a passion :)

Gardening is what brought me to Gardenweb so many years ago....I'm thankful for all the dear friends I've met and the amazing plants I have received from them through trades.

I love Gouldian Finches and have always wanted to give a few a home. They are so beautiful. After losing my 8 year old Parakeet, I decided that small birds w/ a short life span were just not for me. Although the tiny ones are the most hilarious.
We are owned by an African Grey, a Greenwinged Macaw, and a Cockatiel. They, along with my toddler, run the show around here. I want them all to be around for a long time, which is why this paint decision is so important to me.

So glad to hear about your good experience with Aura and I'm looking forward to trying it out. I plan to sample both Aura and Natura and will be sure to post my results.

ppg pure performance vs bm aura - help needed

Comments (6)

begoniagirl

paintguy1

Related Discussions

paintguy22

mamabirrd
Original Author

begoniagirl

mamabirrd
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

ppg pure performance vs bm aura - help needed

Comments (6)

begoniagirl

paintguy1

Related Discussions

paintguy22

mamabirrdOriginal Author

begoniagirl

mamabirrdOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mamabirrd
Original Author

mamabirrd
Original Author