# Aura spread rates



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

How many sq. ft. per gallon are you getting out of Aura (interior)? If it is a well sealed surface, it seems difficult to put it on at 400 sq ft./gallon. It seems to go too far per gallon. Anyone else noticing this??


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

I think it gets way less than Regal in spread rate. I'm coming up short often.
Another related Q- Are you finding that when getting Aura in colors from the classic collection or HC's, they are off from the chip? Have just had that happen twice.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

How do you guys calculate square footage? Do you count up the entire wall area and deduct every window opening and door opening{net wallspace} - or do you just go off 'gross' wallspace {i.e. don't bother deducting openings}?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Gross area, unless openings are large for estimating. Will deduct when calculating sq. ft. coverage.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

DeanV said:


> Gross area, unless openings are large for estimating. Will deduct when calculating sq. ft. coverage.


I'm still confused - you said gross - then it seems you say net for the purposes of coverage? 

I once calculated the net area of a room - and it took so long to figure out, I assumed most guys probably just figured an average gross area coverage - and then accounted for areas that have more than usual or less than usual openings.

If we are talking 'net' - without posting too much information online that could be used against me - I'd say most manufacturers way way underestimate what their product will cover. 

A product totally unrelated to Ben Moore Averaging over a first coat and second coat coverage rates did about 480 - 500 sq.ft. per can - NET. And I'd say Ben Moore Aura way outperforms that based upon my experience.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

Dean I noticed i was getting 500 to 550 on maint. coat repaints. i felt silly with all the extra paint. Same thing with natura.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

That is similar to what I am seeing with a lot of waterborne products.


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## jason123 (Jul 2, 2009)

aura seems to really pack a punch with spread rate... except when your using 4b yellows even with a tinted primer!!!


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I've also noticed with Aura - just because it's a thicker paint, that if you experience the 'dribbies' on your cuts, it's not Aura, it's your brush.

I worked with a woman that was using for a long time and she always had problems with it dribbling - and so did a lot of other contractors.

So I experimented and changed out all my naps and changed to a different line of brush - and now Aura performs flawlessly! I thought they were getting coverage by having the product go on thicker - but that's not true, Aura doesn't go on thick unless you use the same sundries you were using 5-6 years ago. You need to change out your sundries, and Aura will spread out tremendously and it's the color-lock technology, whereby the pigment is actually within the resin that produces the wonderful coverage results, not a thickly applied coat like many thought.

I hated aura for a long long time until I chanced upon all this - now in some ways I think it's far cheaper to work with than cheap paint - it will go twice as far as cheap paint - so it's the same cost material wise - and with the right tools and right prep - 1 coat will look far better than 2-coat job of any other paint.


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

I use a 1/2 Pro doo-z and a stiff wooster. I usually use about 5-10% XIM ext. I think it gets less SF. What am I missing?


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## Joepro0000 (Jul 27, 2009)

Are you guys getting away with one coat on Aura or do you still put 2 coats on it. Some of the BM reps claim it will only need prime and 1 coat of Aura.

(Saying its for a new drywalled walls)


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

BrushJockey said:


> I use a 1/2 Pro doo-z and a stiff wooster. I usually use about 5-10% XIM ext. I think it gets less SF. What am I missing?



Do not thin with the XIM extender. You may be ruining the color-lock portion of the paint. There is a specific ratio of tint to resin that Aura needs to do the Color-Lock thing. Under tinting gallons and overtinting gallons ruin this, so I can only imagine what thinning with XIM extender would do.


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

But BM admits and even supplies a lesser quality (IMO) extender for aura, knowing its dry time and lack of ease of spread makes it hard to use. 
The Color Lock is because the tint is really very intense acrylic paint, so there is no tint that is not paint. 
I don't buy the logic.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Their extender is resin based to keep the balance in check. Aura will not cure the way it is intended with no tint or if over tinted because the tint and the resin form a chemical reaction that bonds the two together. In chemical reactions, the ratio is important. Natura and the other Gennex tint using paints do not do the Color lock reaction thing, so the extender should not matter for those products. I think it will still be good, but not performing to its highest level.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

BrushJockey said:


> I use a 1/2 Pro doo-z and a stiff wooster. I usually use about 5-10% XIM ext. I think it gets less SF. What am I missing?


That's a perfect recipe for Regal - or yesteryear's Regal, as I don't keep up with that constantly changing formula. But everything is wrong if you are going to work with Aura. Do you get dribbles from time to time in your 'cuts'?


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

What are you using with Aura Dan? The Aura specified microfiber covers? What brush?


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

The BM dealer here said that the Aura specific roller was recalled and they were recommending the 1/2 doo-z as the best cover for it.


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## BMDealer (Jun 2, 2008)

Joepro0000 said:


> Are you guys getting away with one coat on Aura or do you still put 2 coats on it. Some of the BM reps claim it will only need prime and 1 coat of Aura.
> 
> (Saying its for a new drywalled walls)


 
BM reps? You may, at times, get away with one coat prime and one finish coat. In essence that would be 2 coats of Aura since it can be a self priming product. As far as all the one coat coverage thing, all sell sheets and advertising has stated never more than 2 coats.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

BM makes an extender for the Aura line product #518-00....get that, not floetrol or xim...get the Ben Moore extender. Also, be sure to do ALL your cut ins before rolling and dont over roll the walls ( I found it hard to not backroll at first ) it levels out just fine. I've found that a tight nap roller works best for some reason in a 3/8" nap ( always used 1/2" or better before ) Pro-Dooz 3/8" works the best for me.


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## tntpainting (Apr 3, 2008)

similar to duration i think 3/8 is definately way to go IVE ONLY GOT AWAY W/A ONE COAT DEAL ONCE I DONT BUY IT AT ALL IT WAS AN OFF WHITE COLOR OVER A SIMILAR WHITE COLOR THE ONLY WAY I THINK ITS POSSIBLE . DONT BELIEVE IT ,DONT GET ME WRONG ITS REAL GOOD PAINT IT S SOME OF THE BEST STUFF IVE USED BUT THE WHOLE ONE COAT COVERAGE B.S. .


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