# Duration vs Aura



## Juker555 (Jun 20, 2011)

Although they both boast lifetime warranties, which do YOU think is better?


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## Wood511 (Dec 13, 2010)

Who wants to know?


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## ParagonVA (Feb 3, 2009)

haha! Is someone cooking up some SPAM???


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Aura hands down. Durations to gritty.


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## Different Strokes (Dec 8, 2010)

Hi Juker, welcome to the forum.


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

A friend of mine just bought a brand new Ford.

I said, "wow, nice truck, why did you buy a Ford"?

He said, "I like the Chevy's, but the Ford's are a few grand less".

"ya, they're nice trucks".

"wanna go get a beer"?

"yup, let's go".


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

On interior, in I and II bases, I will take Duration. In deep bases, Aura. 

Exterior, pretty much a toss up. I've taken Duration on a couple of jobs recently and not regretted it a bit. It comes with a little better pricing too.


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

Sorry - I was assuming exterior for some reason. (tis the season)

Interior - Aura (Reason I feel it gets the nod: quick dry, future colour match, self prime)

Exterior - Duration ('price' gets it the nod...for what I feel they both do well)


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

Do I have to have a favorite? Thats like all my girlfriends making me tell them who's my favorite. Causes Jealousy.


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## 6126 (May 9, 2010)

TJ Paint said:


> Do I have to have a favorite? Thats like all my girlfriends making me tell them who's my favorite. Causes Jealousy.


 I can relate. I have the same problem :whistling2:


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## One Coat Coverage (Oct 4, 2009)

I don't use either one.....


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## 4ThGeneration (Apr 17, 2007)

I used Duration for interior and exterior and thought it stunk to high heck. I never used Aura, but love Ben Moore products. It always seems if the product sounds too good to be true it usually is. The companies should at least make it interesting and call the paint line something like "In a land far far away" or "In the land of nod" :jester:


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## Mike's QP (Jun 12, 2008)

Columbia paints Masterpiece Lifetime wins, self priming even over cedar with no bleed top that aura :jester:


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## Juker555 (Jun 20, 2011)

Wood511 said:


> Who wants to know?


Just curious, I've used both and have been using a lot of Aura lately and am seeing few differences in quality. It's nice to see if others share my opinion.


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## Juker555 (Jun 20, 2011)

ParagonVA said:


> haha! Is someone cooking up some SPAM???


No spam just curiosity


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## Juker555 (Jun 20, 2011)

Different Strokes said:


> Hi Juker, welcome to the forum.


What's up? How's that paintin goin?


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## Juker555 (Jun 20, 2011)

One Coat Coverage said:


> I don't use either one.....


Why?


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## Juker555 (Jun 20, 2011)

4ThGeneration said:


> I used Duration for interior and exterior and thought it stunk to high heck. I never used Aura, but love Ben Moore products. It always seems if the product sounds too good to be true it usually is. The companies should at least make it interesting and call the paint line something like "In a land far far away" or "In the land of nod" :jester:


The only thing I dislike about the duration is running into drying paint on a 95 degree day when your trying to keep a nice wet edge.


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## Mike's QP (Jun 12, 2008)

why do people use aura on exteriors when mooreguard is lifetime warrantied and only requires one coat for warranty, with optional two coats. "apply one or two coats" is it the VOC's? Gennex colorant? I always apply two coats on custom homes anyways, so I don't see the need to spend the extra money on aura, and the cheap spec homes that get one coat wouldn't pay the money for it either, they usually won't pay for anything better than a-100, or super spec...


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Mike's QP said:


> why do people use aura on exteriors when mooreguard is lifetime warrantied and only requires one coat for warranty, with optional two coats. "apply one or two coats" is it the VOC's? Gennex colorant? I always apply two coats on custom homes anyways, so I don't see the need to spend the extra money on aura, and the cheap spec homes that get one coat wouldn't pay the money for it either, they usually won't pay for anything better than a-100, or super spec...


I steer people towards Aura when they have a very dark color, or bright color. With the Acrylic tints, the color holdout will be much better, and the hide should be as well.

I still carry the Moorlife/Gard/Glo, but most people go for Aura or Ben exterior instead of the other. I havent brought in Regal Exterior yet, and im still undecided if I will. I just dont know where it fits. 


As far as Duration, I cant say anything bad about it, its a good product. I remember when it came out maybe 10 years or so ago...maybe longer, cant remember for sure. Guys scoffed at the $40 or so price tag, and claimed that they would never buy it....yet I bet that most have by now. What bothers me is that it cost $40/gal 10 years ago, and these days most pay less than $40. How is this possible? Was it outrageously over priced 10 years ago? Have raw material prices come down?...:no: Are they using lower quality materials to keep costs down? This is what worries me about Duration.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

vermontpainter said:


> On interior, in I and II bases, I will take Duration. In deep bases, Aura.
> 
> Exterior, pretty much a toss up. I've taken Duration on a couple of jobs recently and not regretted it a bit. It comes with a little better pricing too.


Pretty much exactly how I feel. Duration in anything but deep bases is a great paint to work with. Just don't ever use it in a red, the absolute worst coverage I have ever experienced. SW should not even sell it. This was the job I blogged about wallpaper removal on. 

Grey primer coat, and four finish coats, and I wasn't still wasn't satisfied. There were some translucent spots that I did a fifth coat on.


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## Wood511 (Dec 13, 2010)

Duration splatters and Aura does not. That's my problem.


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## 6126 (May 9, 2010)

straight_lines said:


> Pretty much exactly how I feel. Duration in anything but deep bases is a great paint to work with. Just don't ever use it in a red, the absolute worst coverage I have ever experienced. SW should not even sell it. This was the job I blogged about wallpaper removal on.
> 
> Grey primer coat, and four finish coats, and I wasn't still wasn't satisfied. There were some translucent spots that I did a fifth coat on.


Same situation for me a few years back. Primed with gray and still 3 or 4 coats. I remember when SW bragged about Duration finally being available in deep base replacing the Color Accents (garbage) I thought, cool  Sure wasnt much to be excited about.  I have used quite a bit of Duration Home, and have used very little of the Aura interior. I will say so far I am quite pleased with Aura though  Lays down really nice, and I like that you can recoat much sooner too. Anyway, whether interior or exterior I would have to go with Aura :thumbsup:


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

straight_lines said:


> Pretty much exactly how I feel. Duration in anything but deep bases is a great paint to work with. Just don't ever use it in a red, the absolute worst coverage I have ever experienced. SW should not even sell it. This was the job I blogged about wallpaper removal on.
> 
> Grey primer coat, and four finish coats, and I wasn't still wasn't satisfied. There were some translucent spots that I did a fifth coat on.


4-5 coats? holy mary... 

Aura all day long for now on


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Issue is I can't get Aura in my home town, only Regal Select, and Ben from Ace. So it was drive 30 miles or SW. Color Accents would have hat banded so bad that it wasn't an option.

I should have driven 30 miles.  

I have had one red that Aura required three coats on once, with most problematic colors it is a champ.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

straight_lines said:


> Issue is I can't get Aura in my home town, only Regal Select, and Ben from Ace. So it was drive 30 miles or SW. Color Accents would have hat banded so bad that it wasn't an option.
> 
> I should have driven 30 miles.
> 
> I have had one red that Aura required three coats on once, with most problematic colors it is a champ.


I can't say from direct experience with ben and a red like you posted (although I've used it successfully on dark over light) but from what NC is saying it covers fairly well, sounds like it would do much better than duration.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

straight_lines said:


> I have had one red that Aura required three coats on once, with most problematic colors it is a champ.


I know, they have the deep base primers too. But still 1 primer and 2 coats....is still 3 coats lol. So it was probably faster to put 3 coats of Aura with the dry time, and not having to switch products. :thumbsup:


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

TJ Paint said:


> I can't say from direct experience with ben and a red like you posted (although I've used it successfully on dark over light) but from what NC is saying it covers fairly well, sounds like it would do much better than duration.


No doubt it would cover. Hell Super Spec would most likely cover those reds above well, its hat banding that I would be worried about. I am sure I will try it one day though. 



NCPaint1 said:


> I know, they have the deep base primers too. But still 1 primer and 2 coats....is still 3 coats lol. So it was probably faster to put 3 coats of Aura with the dry time, and not having to switch products. :thumbsup:


True, with the cure-recoat time of Aura its hard to argue either way.


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