No experience with Painter’s Edge, but we did ProMar 200 in eggshell. With three kids, I knew I wouldn’t want flat on the walls. The ProMar is a good product. Sorry I can’t help with the Painter’s Edge.

in my home we used Duration satin finish so easy to clean.

I was advised to use Benjamin Moore Advance alkyd, which is an oil-based type of paint, but you can clean up your brush with soap and water. Dries really hard and very washable. We have big dogs that like to sleep propping themselves up against the wall in the hallway and I'm constantly washing the wall. The BM Advance has held up really well.

@paintguy22 (or others) - having the paint choice conversation now with my builder and painter. He has suggested that we go with the Emerald in flat from SW as he says it is super washable (just as much as eggshell or a higher sheen) but you still get the benefits of flat in hiding imperfections, lower sheen look, etc.

I noticed you recommend Emerald but you also say never use Flat. What do you think about this recommendation? It is apparently about a $1600+ upcharge for the paint, about $35 more a gallon.

Emerald Flat is not the same as regular flat paint (dead flat). I know it's confusing but it is true that the Emerald Flat is actually a washable product. I have only used it a couple of times so I can't really comment on how washable it is, but most paint manufacturers make a washable flat paint these days, sometimes called matte, and usually they are not as washable as the eggshells even though they are all marketed as if they are. It's really going to depend on how washable you want your walls to be which depends on how many kids and dogs you have and how hard you are on your walls.

Why don't you use an eggshell?

Karl, what kind of house are you building? Does it involve high ceilings and stairwells? We own several properties, and experience has taught us to use top quality paints, usually BM, although SW in one property.

Top quality paints will last for years and hold up to washing. The extra paint cost is dwarfed by the cost of labor to repaint sooner. Think about setting up scaffolding or climbing a ladder in a stairwell.

Unless you choose trendy paint colors which you plan to change every couple years, you will be very happy you spent the extra money for better paint.

I worked at Sherwin Williams. A lot of our painters have a great price for Super Paint Velvet, and they love it. We just painted my daughters house with it. Great product, just a little shine. Personally I would never use flat on walls. If not Super Paint, then Promar 200 eggshell has always been first choice for contractors at our store.

One thing I would insist on in a new home is a premium drywall sealer, not just the cheap PVA contractors normally use. Primer is almost more important than the paint itself. It binds to the drywall paper and mud. If a bad bond is had, it can never be cured. Also, a premium drywall sealer will allow the paint to dry to a more even and higher sheen( paints hold their sheen according to how well sealed the wall is).

If the primer is to be sprayed, make sure that it is "back rolled". This manual back rolling forces the primer into the drywall paper and binds any dust that may have been left on the mudded seams.

In my own home, I use Behr Ultra Matte on all walls, including the baths. Using a matte in baths would be a no-no with a lesser paint. Ultra uses nano technology, which results in a very dense, moisture resistant coating. The nano particles are zinc. The zinc makes Ultra inherently extremely mildew resistant.

Over smooth wall, a single coat of primer and one coat of matte should suffice. Over textured walls, two finish coats would be advised, due to the extremely porous nature of the texture, which is basically chalk.

I personally don't like glossier sheens, so matte suits me well, while giving me great washability and scuff resistance and giving me a soft patina to the walls. Even in the hallways, where scuffing would normally be a problem with flat paints, The Ultra Matte holds up well.

I have never hid the fact that I now sell Behr paint, after 4 decades as a painting contractor. The fact that I use Behr in my own home is its own testimony. And no, Home Depot employees do not get any personal discounts.

That's right, most people want washable paint but hardly ever wash walls. When people ask me for a washable flat, I insist on Benjamin Moore Aura Matte since I know that this is somewhat washable, but this paint is the same price point as Emerald. Emerald was actually launched to compete with the Aura Matte. The washable flats in cheaper lines are just not durable, so I think you need to decide if you want to step it up to an eggshell or low-sheen or just hope that you will not need to do much wall washing. The Cashmere is a medium grade SW paint that I use a lot but I have had customers complain that the flat just doesn't clean well.

I like a matte finish for walls but in my experience there is a difference between matte and flat at least to my eye. BTW accent walls are pretty much done in most instancess o be careful beore adding them

All of our interior was painted a couple months ago in matte Emerald and I had them repaint because of the sheen the week after. We have textured walls that I hate so I try to not emphasize the texture and it was awful in certain rooms, The house was repainted in Sherwin Williams Duration Flat. I was going to use Emerald but our store had run out and I didn't have time to wait for the next order, push to set the house back up before Thanksgiving. After my freak out round one, I called Sherwin Williams and they sent me this sheen chart and I think it's a great resource. My 6yr old had an epic stomach issue last night all down the hallway with new-ish paint and it cleaned up perfectly.

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Your wasting your money if you insist on flat walls. First every brand and every product line of that brand have different sheens.

Matt or flat walls show every mark no matter what you do so to me I would just buy an extra can and touch up as needed. Yes, the better product lines do allow some scrub ability but the problem is when you scrub a flat or matt surface you actually polish it by removing high spots as micro small as they may be. This creates a slightly polished look at that spot. So yes you can clean the stain but it usually leaves a shinier mark.

I think SW Cashmere is there best looking paint and it cleans beautifully. Another greta part is it is easily touched back up. I like an eggshell and since you have a child you better get used to compromise in regards to design. Lets be serious a flat vs an eggshell wall isn't worth the yelling all day to get off the walls.

Cashmere is the way to go and about 35%-40% less then Emerald.

Gloss level choices in different brands and grades is *almost* as difficult as color itself. FWIW my favorite these days is PPG's Pure Performance in eggshell. It's not too shiny, not too flat. 2 dogs, 2 kids in a 1,600 sq ft condo. Used it in the bathrooms and kitchen too. BreakThrough in satin for inside closets, on cabinets, doors, trim. Reasonable price points IMO, both are a great value for the $$.

(I know it's now too late for the OP but just saw this thread so figured I'd chime in to try and help others reading this thread in the future since I am forced to use this "painters edge" paint almost every day while painting houses for Schumacher, Wayne, and others)....

This Paint is pathetic... The Pits...Worst I've ever used along with "Sher Scrub" and "Builders Solutions".. We get this painters edge paint for like $10 a gallon and you would probably have better luck using paint bought from your local "Family Dollar".... This stuff is so bad that if you look at the wall after the finish coat is applied and completely dry you always see a 'halo' effect where the rolling stopped and the top was brushed in up to the ceiling.... The only way to clean any marks off a wall painted with "painters edge" is to touch it up with more "painters edge".... because if you even attempt to clean it with a damp rag you will wipe the paint right off the wall and probably damage the drywall from even the slightest rubbing friction...... I cannot stress enough to all new homeowners to upgrade your paint... Most people do not realize how huge a difference there is between cheap paint and high quality paint nor the effect of residing in a home (especially a brand new house) with el cheapo flat paint on your walls thus they choose to cut costs by foregoing the use of quality paint.... if I was building a new house for myself, I would certainly use SW- "Duration" or "Cashmere" paint (or PPG "Manor Hall" or Ben Moore "Aura") but at a bare minimum, If using S-W paint, one should go no lower than "Pro Mar 200" or even a small upgrade to "Superpaint"...

In general, it completely disgusts me how most builders take such little pride in the work they and their subcontractors do and how most of these large home builders spec the junkiest cheapest garbage materials for their homes thus putting their profit right at the top... To get anything decent is an upgrade and from what I have seen in the last couple years you better upgrade EVERYTHING important because with some of the materials I have seen, even the "upgrade" is decent at best and many times it's basically the same thing as the "included" item only fancier... People just don't care about quality like they used to many years ago... so sad.........

Bravo on your truthful comments. I just moved into a new home and it was too late to upgrade to a professional grade paint, like Duration, which I used in my previous home (inside and outside). Eventually, I will repaint the entire inside of my home due to this cheap builder's grade "paint". If I look too hard, the walls begin to mark themselves and please don't brush against the walls or you will leave a stain or even remove the paint. ANYTHING that's considered "builder's grade" is cheap because builders put profit ahead of quality for the customer. Even my A/C is a cheap builder's grade which meets minimum standards. Your last statement says it all.

Okay so first of all "Painter's Edge" is exactly what it sounds like: builder grade garbage.

If you are limited to consumer brand choices either SW-Duration or BM-Aura are their top of the line products. The cheapest paints on the market are like $30/gallon, and Duration and Aura are both like $60/gallon. Hopefully your contractor can get better inside pricing than that anyway. Yeah you'll pay a few hundred extra for it but it is WAY better paint.

Also, do NOT put BM-Advance on walls. It is tough paint but it is trim paint. It will crackle over time on walls as it is not mean to be in large sheets on walls, that is why Aura is their Waterbourne wall paint.

Quality paints can be had for around $30 per gallon. The things to watch for are 100% acryilic resin and only titanium dioxide as the white pigment. Cheap paints use lesser resins such as acetates and calcium carbonate (chaulk) as the pigment. Titanium is a metal and does not absorb water, chaulk is just that and readily absorbs water. Which do you think is going to perform better? Titanium is also a bright white. Chaulk is a dingy gray white.

If you want a quick reference as to quality, go to Consumer's Reports. The first thing you will notice is that there is not a direct correlation between price and quality. Sherwin Williams has some of the most grossly over priced paints on the market, yet you have to turn to the second page of the Consumer's listings to find even their better paints listed. Ben Moore is expensive, but at least it rates very well!

As I've stated before, the name Sherwin Williams or Ben Moore in them selves means nothing. All the jmajor manufacturers make really good paints and really bad paints. You really have to research what you are buying. It can be simply as easy as calling the dealer and asking where a label ranks on their quality scale.

Whatever paint you choose, if you go with a flat or matte finish, plan on buying stock in Magic Erasers.

We have matte finish (Benjamin Moore) in every room except the bathroom. We have a giant dog who rubs against corners, dirty hands from gardening, yard work and caring for horses, and an apparent inability to keep our hands off of the walls.

Magic Erasers (or the generic equivalent) clean without scrubbing and don't ruin the matte finish.

Never use painters edge. I just did a flip house and the guy tried to save money so he used it. I never even heard of it until i saw it used here. The painter had to use 16 gallons and theres still stops bleeding through everywhere. The paint is cracking on almost ever wall after a week! If you get up close to it it looks horrible its literally cracking everywhere. Sherwin needs to stop selling this immediately. They should pay to have this house repainted. Never use this. Dont buy cheap paint. I know poeple want to cut cost but paint is not a product that you should cut cost. At least not this cheap. There are good paints that arnt super expensive. Showcase at lowes is a great paint for only about 38 per gallon.

Everyone's a paint expert. Lol. I use the stuff everyday. Behr is horrible. I've repainted hoping for better results and then never get them. I refuse to use it anymore. I've lost money using it because it was provided and when the finish was horrible I spent my own money and time to repaint it again. I use sherwin williams paint only. Not saying it's the only good paint. I just have found the product is consistent. The result is always what is expected. Yes it's pricier but as a contractor price isn't the only "cost" factor. It's the cheapest in the long run. Duration or emerald are going to provide the happiest customer. Super paint is good also. I've had limited complaints with it and usually the complaint isn't really about the paint and more about the drywall. Usually corrected with some extra mud work and repaint. You get what you pay for and honestly people are cheap. Work is hard and if it were easy you would do it yourself. 1500 for a paint upgrade I absurdly inexpensive considering all the extra work that goes into that "simple" upgrade. It costs the contractor more than 1500 in material and labor. You can't "touch-up" a spot. You have to paint the whole wall. So after the last sub has left the home the painter goes back in and repaints the entire home damn near. 1500 is a steal. You should happily pay that and buy him a steak dinner and remember him at Christmas. A "thank you" also, believe it or not, goes a long way towards making someone's day and having them move on without any hard feelings after they had to argue and fight for a couple of bucks to take care of their family that lives in a house half the size of the one he just made beautiful for you. I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings but people need to know. We have families and we work hard to please you and a large portion of folks are just rude, arrogant and ungrateful.

true statement: "After the last sub leaves, the whole house damn near needs repainted"

That is usually because the paint is cheap or because only one coat of good stuff was used... If you use a good quality wall paint in satin or eggshell, most (non dark) colors will touch up just fine if done properly...

true statement: "The painter's house is usually way smaller and nowhere near as nice as the one he just painted for you"

true statement: "a large portion of folks are just rude, arrogant and ungrateful"

false statement: "SW paint is always consistent"

Well on second thought I guess you are correct... There is one thing that is consistent about Sherwin Williams' cheaper product lines such as: "Property Solutions", "Builders Solutions", "Painters Edge", "Sherscrub", "Pro-Mar 400", and "pro-Mar 200" Et Al. and that one thing that is consistent is the amount of trash found in a brand new five gallon bucket of the paint... Anymore it seems like we have to put the freshly opened bucket of paint through a strainer bag before it can be used.. a lazy painter who doesn't care will not have a strain bag on hand and will only pick the largest "boogers" off the wet wall leaving the painted wall riddled with small debris.. I see it happening all the time and it really aggravates me- ("it aint my house" they say)................

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Anyway, I've learned that so many people think that paint for their new house is the obvious part of the construction process to save money... But in the long run they will find that to have been a regrettable decision. (and sometimes they find this out very quickly (like on move in day or even before).

Besides having no durability, using a cheap paint will cause noticeable differences between areas that were rolled and those brushed- especially the "halo effect" against the ceiling or crown molding.. In my residence, I used Ben Moore Aura... The walls look awesome, they feel awesome and since the paint is self leveling, areas against doorframes where the trim work was done first and the rolled area meets that brushwork, you cannot tell the difference... It blends so well and I am so happy with how it looks even 8 years later...

Lets put it this way... When I worked for a big name nationwide home builder, whenever they would have us do some painting in their model homes/offices, they would have us use SW Durations satin.... Then when we go to paint a homeowners build they would spec "Painters Edge" flat... I really hated that employment because home owners would commonly blame us for the appearance as a workmanship issue... And when it comes to "Painters Edge" and all the other cheap paints- the darker the shade the crappier the end result.

Good luck Y'all

I agree with one of the other posts. You can't go wrong wit promar 200 eggshell.

I was wondering if anyone knew a commercial replacement base for Painters Edge Plus? My builder used it as a base for our wall color. but at over $60 per gallon, when I only need a quart at a time for touch ups, it's kind of pricey from the local SW store. I tried Ovation Ultra White, but the shade is defintely off. Builder used PE Plus Extra White.

Extra White is SW 7006 Extra White. You can go to a Sherwin-Williams store and get a quart of flat Super Paint, Duration, or Emerald in this color. However, in CR's testing, none of these paints performed well (Duration was better). You could go to Home Depot and get a quart of Behr Marquis (best) or Behr Premium Plus in flat/matte sheen. HD's paint computer can mix Sherwin-Williams colors (and if it couldn't mix SW 7006 you could always go back to Sherwin-Williams).

Thanks for the response WDCCRUISE. So are you saying I could use the 7006 as a base for other colors? My actual color was 7638. When Lowes mixed that using Ultra White Ovation, it didn't come out the same.

@Christopher Yanesh: "So are you saying I could use the 7006 as a base for other colors?"

You wrote that the builder used PE Plus Extra White and it is that color that I thought you were trying to match. I believe SW 7006 Extra White is that color and you can buy it in quarts of the products I suggested.

"My actual color was 7638"

If you want SW 7638 Jogging Path just go to Sherwin Williams and have it mix a quart of that color in one of products I mentioned...or get a Behr paint in that color.

@wdccruise The SuperPaint extra white provided a good base and the color matched good. Thank you.