# What's the deal with aura?



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Typically my jobs/customers used to be more superpaint price kinda jobs. 

I had the chance finally to try aura on a job Friday. 
Aura interior matte. 

I always try to use new products out of the can "as is" the first time. 

Despite reading about aura in older threads, I still struggled. 

I had sags and runs in cuts, both in corners and horizontal ceiling cuts. It wants to go on thick. It won't flow out of the brush in any sort of thin manner (a picaso and or a chinex corona). It tacks up insanely fast yet still sags. 

The main wall bodies looked great, after using duration for awhile I still layoff all my walls with down strokes. 

The aura sagged at spots at the bottom of the walls...I never experienced this before. Used a pro dooz FTP 3/8. Again most say don't apply too thin because it dries so fast and needs the mils to keep a wet edge. I didn't intentionally apply it any differently than I normally would. Looked fine initially wet....looked fine after drying a few minutes. Come back later and it sagged. 

I made it a point to get it on the wall, spread it quickly, lay it off and keep moving like so many of the older threads suggest. Don't play with it. Absolutely don't play with it or go back into seemed to be the advice .

I dunno man. It covered good in a mid green color after the first. At least it sands easily...:whistling2:

This is just me venting on a "new to me" product.


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

There's definitely a learning curve with Aura. Sounds like you were doing everything I'd recommend in using it. I remember when that stuff first came out quite a while ago. Painters at the paint shop I used out in Vancouver were there freaking out and groaning that cutting in was like mushing on a stick of butter.

I still have no idea how BM shops sell this stuff to DIYers and don't have them coming back complaining in droves.


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Wildbill7145 said:


> There's definitely a learning curve with Aura. Sounds like you were doing everything I'd recommend in using it. I remember when that stuff first came out quite a while ago. Painters at the paint shop I used out in Vancouver were there freaking out and groaning that cutting in was like mushing on a stick of butter.
> 
> I still have no idea how BM shops sell this stuff to DIYers and don't have them coming back complaining in droves.



same way SW and Behr sell their paint. Subliminal thought manipulation. Otherwise known as marketing.


----------



## jacob33 (Jun 2, 2009)

Wildbill7145 said:


> There's definitely a learning curve with Aura. Sounds like you were doing everything I'd recommend in using it. I remember when that stuff first came out quite a while ago. Painters at the paint shop I used out in Vancouver were there freaking out and groaning that cutting in was like mushing on a stick of butter.
> 
> I still have no idea how BM shops sell this stuff to DIYers and don't have them coming back complaining in droves.



I think most DIYers have low expectations.


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

jacob33 said:


> I think most DIYers have low expectations.


But with that high a price on materials? Yikes.


----------



## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

It's just quirky in its own way. I had different problems at first, and it took some time to get used to. 
The sagging is a result of its leveling. It does level nicely, if the window for that short. Can flow out really smooth off the brush. 
I though it was worth the effort to get used to. Once you do get the hang of it, it's very forgiving in many ways. Covers great, doesn't tend to flash, touches up well, etc.. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

After you cut-in follow that by a quick pass with a weenie roller. The millage will be more consistent and it provides a more consistent stipple on flat walls. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## AngieM (Apr 13, 2016)

I had to let the cut line dry before rolling because I couldnt roll up to it fast enough. When it's not fully dried the tacky layer will pull off the wall with the roller. But ironically, the whole room took hours to dry. Explain that. Hmmm


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

AngieM said:


> I had to let the cut line dry before rolling because I couldnt roll up to it fast enough. When it's not fully dried the tacky layer will pull off the wall with the roller. But ironically, the whole room took hours to dry. Explain that. Hmmm


That's pretty weird Angie. This stuff has a lightning fast dry time. Recoat is one hour. Depends on the conditions I guess.


----------



## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Wildbill7145 said:


> That's pretty weird Angie. This stuff has a lightning fast dry time. Recoat is one hour. Depends on the conditions I guess.




Yeah, that is weird. The only times I've seen extended dry times with Aura interior was going over shellac, Gardz, or other high sealing primers that tend to extend drying time generally. Even then, it's dried pretty quick. 

Definitely have seen the gumming up that can happen when trying (and failing) to keep a wet edge. Think that's why it's not recommended to even try. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## rml63 (Dec 8, 2015)

+1 AngieM, if I let the cut dry then I had better results. But the first few times with Aura and to some extent Advance I swore never to throw my tools , but the day may cometh

Mike


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

I let my cuts fully dry. It was the cuts themselves that sagged for the most part.

I'm gonna try thinning my cutting material with water next time. 

Since I seem to be in the mood for experimenting, SW was out of deep base duration so they bumped it to emerald no charge. Again, my first impression for the interior is that is handles good, actually liked it very much after it "aired out" and thickened just a bit in my cut can. 

Doesn't cover for crap tho. 3 coats of deep base in gray over white. Maybe it's the microfiber cover? I dunno I'm thinking of just going back to white doves and stop experimenting on the job. Ha.


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> I let my cuts fully dry. It was the cuts themselves that sagged for the most part.
> 
> I'm gonna try thinning my cutting material with water next time.


Why not use the BM extender? Doesn't affect coverage like water would.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

I want the material thinner, I don't really want it to be wet longer, increasing the chance of sagging? I dunno?


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

The extender acts as both a thinner and an open time extender without negatively affecting coverage. Water will act as a thinner, increase open time, but will affect coverage.

Water will cost less tho.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

When spraying with my hvlp, thinning with water shortens the material's dry time for me. Is it simply a function of the thinner coat I can apply before runs that creates this illusion?

Using an extender like BM or xim definitely extendeds the dry time.

Thinning with water creates a material that will inherently be applied with less wft, which should dry more quickly despite having more water to evaporate. Greater ratio of surface area to thickness of the wet film. 

Coverage and other performance traits may suffer. 

I'm not a chemist.


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> I let my cuts fully dry. It was the cuts themselves that sagged for the most part.
> 
> I'm gonna try thinning my cutting material with water next time.
> 
> ...


I've heard quite a few complaints about Emerald not hiding as well as people feel it should (especially at that price). It is about as hard of a finish there is when it is cured though. If you are going to keep any of it for any length of time make sure you clean as much of it out of the can rim as you can! That stuff will glue a can shut like nobody's business!


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Ben Moore recommends that you let the cut in dry completely before rolling it. You should also make sure it is good and dry before applying a second coat. It pulls itself off like crazy if you don't.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

I had no issues with aura besides the sagging...which may just be me needing an attitude/skill adjustment. 

For the aura, I followed the recommendations and let the cuts fully dry. No problems or hat banding. I really like how it leveled and it's final surface feel. It dries fast, it just likes to sag in its short wet phase I guess? 



The now emerald had poor coverage imho. The matte has sheen/flashing issues too as I discovered after the third coat dried this afternoon. Allowed for full recommended dry time between coats too. And don't tell me I was dry rolling, each wall when finished was a nice wet sheet of glass. It leveled nice and the stipple is hard to see close up. But damn if i shine my work light (directly at it....completely opposite of side lighting it like a window would) you can see the flashing of roller marks.....not vertical lines but horizontal....and I'm rolling up and down and laying off on the down.


Im going out of my way to check it out tomorrow morning to see it with the morning sun on it. If it looks like a train wreck i think I'm calling SW to come out and take a look.

I'm going back to the cheaper stuff. Live and learn.


----------



## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> I had no issues with aura besides the sagging...which may just be me needing an attitude/skill adjustment.
> 
> For the aura, I followed the recommendations and let the cuts fully dry. No problems or hat banding. I really like how it leveled and it's final surface feel. It dries fast, it just likes to sag in its short wet phase I guess?
> 
> ...


I went through that with emerald a couple of weeks or so ago. .ho got it "on sale". It was a "premium" sw product, I liked the little bit of exterior emerald I used a while back so we got started. Light creamy color over light beigey green. Should a been 2 coats (or 1 and a dryroll over texture) and done. After 1 coat on 2 walls in a bedroom and a toilet room I dumped it, got some ultra hide 250 from ppg got a refund for the ho at sw, and got the job done. It would've easily been 3 coats with emerald. NOT impressed. Switching things up to Manor Hall now....still under 28/gal. Seems pretty user friendly and covers very well....after that experience with emerald it sealed the deal for me. No more sw. I truly had NO idea how much time and $$ was wasted with them over the years...smh.

Education is expensive in this trade...

And I used aura in my kitchen...still have the stupid curtains on 1 wall...one of these days I'll stand em out and finish painting the lid. (I moved a j box for the light...patched it, textured it and....it's been 8 mos now.lol)


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Well that emerald looked like poo. SW said they are short a rep or currently looking for one or something. Said they couldn't get out until next week.

So I decided not to lay down and attempted aura again with some of the tips you guys gave. Customer was cool with using it and the price. Came out great. Switched to a Wooster ultra pro extra firm and added 4oz/gallon of BM extender (probably could have just splashed some in my cut pot but wanted to be well within spec..no eye ball measured with a big ol syringe.

I have decided my first gallon of aura is suspect. Really Bad luck recently? I don't know. I do have a pretty black cloud that follows. 

I used the same 3/8" pro dooz FTP, same rolling technique, etc. 

Grey was the 1 coat over emerald about an hour of dry time. 

The green was a different job and my original complaint. Obviously the pic of the green was taken still wet...but it was well over thirty minutes. 
It's like it's not drying fast enough despite the cuts tacking up relatively quickly. I didn't use extended the first time with the green. 

You tell me?


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

lilpaintchic said:


> I went through that with emerald a couple of weeks or so ago. .ho got it "on sale". It was a "premium" sw product, I liked the little bit of exterior emerald I used a while back so we got started. Light creamy color over light beigey green. Should a been 2 coats (or 1 and a dryroll over texture) and done. After 1 coat on 2 walls in a bedroom and a toilet room I dumped it, got some ultra hide 250 from ppg got a refund for the ho at sw, and got the job done. It would've easily been 3 coats with emerald. NOT impressed. Switching things up to Manor Hall now....still under 28/gal. Seems pretty user friendly and covers very well....after that experience with emerald it sealed the deal for me. No more sw. I truly had NO idea how much time and $$ was wasted with them over the years...smh.
> 
> Education is expensive in this trade...
> 
> And I used aura in my kitchen...still have the stupid curtains on 1 wall...one of these days I'll stand em out and finish painting the lid. (I moved a j box for the light...patched it, textured it and....it's been 8 mos now.lol)


I wish more painters were smart enough to figure this out. I guess they just have to get burned for themselves because they sure don't listen to anyone else!


----------



## loaded brush (Dec 27, 2007)

Seriously. A paint that retails for $70.00 a gallon should not be this finicky and difficult to apply. So if pros are having difficulty using this stuff just imagine what the poor homeowners are going through when they use Aura themselves. Yet Aura is the first product BM suppliers push to the homeowner when they come to puchase paint. First time I heard you have to let the cut fully dry before rolling, that was enough for me to never even consider using this product. I dont make money by watching paint dry, I make money by applying paint in timely and productive manner.


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> Well that emerald looked like poo. SW said they are short a rep or currently looking for one or something. Said they couldn't get out until next week.
> 
> So I decided not to lay down and attempted aura again with some of the tips you guys gave. Customer was cool with using it and the price. Came out great. Switched to a Wooster ultra pro extra firm and added 4oz/gallon of BM extender (probably could have just splashed some in my cut pot but wanted to be well within spec..no eye ball measured with a big ol syringe.
> 
> ...


Same atmospheric conditions? Same airflow and temp? What was it painted over? Something def ain't right! But it is very rarely the paint itself. Not saying it doesn't happen because it does, but it would be an entire batch or part of a batch if it wasn't mixed properly. Ben Moore should be aware of any problems with a batch so it is always a good idea to get ahold of a rep.

Of course SW is short a rep! That's pretty standard operating procedure for them. Someone was either fired or quit and they haven't been able to hire someone right out of school to replace him yet. That's exactly why I didn't have a P&L rep for over a year. Get rid of the experienced guy because he is making too much money and replace him with someone with a fresh MBA and no paint knowledge!


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

loaded brush said:


> Seriously. A paint that retails for $70.00 a gallon should not be this finicky and difficult to apply. So if pros are having difficulty using this stuff just imagine what the poor homeowners are going through when they use Aura themselves. Yet Aura is the first product BM suppliers push to the homeowner when they come to puchase paint. First time I heard you have to let the cut fully dry before rolling, that was enough for me to never even consider using this product. I dont make money by watching paint dry, I make money by applying paint in timely and productive manner.


It's standard procedure among BM retailers to push the most expensive product first, and let the customer start talking the price down before you try to sell them something else. It happens at SW as well. It isn't very conducive to a good relationship with a professional painter though. But the biggest reason is that it is easier to do that then actually use some selling skills to match the product with the customers needs. It is a pretty good indication of the entire mindset of a paint store. If they go for the highest priced paint right out of the gate, it is a pretty good indication of poor sales training.

And oddly enough, there is actually nothing in print in any official Aura literature that says to let the cuts dry before rolling. It is just a word of mouth recommendation from them that I know this is what they recommend. Odd huh? Protecting the product a little?


----------



## loaded brush (Dec 27, 2007)

PACman said:


> It's standard procedure among BM retailers to push the most expensive product first, and let the customer start talking the price down before you try to sell them something else. It happens at SW as well. It isn't very conducive to a good relationship with a professional painter though. But the biggest reason is that it is easier to do that then actually use some selling skills to match the product with the customers needs. It is a pretty good indication of the entire mindset of a paint store. If they go for the highest priced paint right out of the gate, it is a pretty good indication of poor sales training.
> 
> And oddly enough, there is actually nothing in print in any official Aura literature that says to let the cuts dry before rolling. It is just a word of mouth recommendation from them that I know this is what they recommend. Odd huh? Protecting the product a little?



Actually for a few years my BM suppliers would have literature sitting on the counter for how to apply aura and about letting the cut dry first. Whether that was feedback from Benjamin Moore themselves or feedback from professional painters having use this product, I'm not sure. Although I no llonger see them offer this instruction sheet possibly for fear of scaring off potential Aura customers.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Two different jobs. About same conditions (interior walls. Conditioned home around 70? Dunno what their interior humidity was but they don't have mold growing on their walls) 

Both went over a previous flat or matte. Both used a 3/8" Wooster prodooz FTP. Both were rolled and laid off by me the same way. The green was my initial experience with aura. I have zero issues with the product if it performs like the gray did every time. 

Seriously I baby Sat it and could and did lay it off several times before the photo. Every one on here says if you go further than one or two roller widths it's too late. :whistling2::

I dunno. I picked up a new gallon to go back and redo it.




PACman said:


> Same atmospheric conditions? Same airflow and temp? What was it painted over? Something def ain't right! But it is very rarely the paint itself. Not saying it doesn't happen because it does, but it would be an entire batch or part of a batch if it wasn't mixed properly. Ben Moore should be aware of any problems with a batch so it is always a good idea to get ahold of a rep.
> 
> Of course SW is short a rep! That's pretty standard operating procedure for them. Someone was either fired or quit and they haven't been able to hire someone right out of school to replace him yet. That's exactly why I didn't have a P&L rep for over a year. Get rid of the experienced guy because he is making too much money and replace him with someone with a fresh MBA and no paint knowledge!


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> Two different jobs. About same conditions (interior walls. Conditioned home around 70? Dunno what their interior humidity was but they don't have mold growing on their walls)
> 
> Both went over a previous flat or matte. Both used a 3/8" Wooster prodooz FTP. Both were rolled and laid off by me the same way. The green was my initial experience with aura. I have zero issues with the product if it performs like the gray did every time.
> 
> ...


? Maybe the house was haunted or something. I have no idea. Unless it was a deep base loaded with white to make it light enough. But I don't think that would be an issue with the Gennex colorants. Check the base and see if it says base 1,2,3,or 4 on the can. That light of color should be 1 or 2. I have had a few instances of the formulation coming up as a neutral base with a ton of colorant instead of a lighter base. It depends on how they have their program set up and if the person catches it or not. If they have used a deeper tint base (3 or 4) they need to reset the program to give formulae in the lightest base instead of the best match. Sometimes doing it in the best match setup will make it go to the deeper base when it shouldn't.


----------



## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

sayn3ver said:


> Well that emerald looked like poo. SW said they are short a rep or currently looking for one or something. Said they couldn't get out until next week.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




That's super weird man. I've never seen Aura take that long to dry. And we use it all the time. 

One weird thing that I did have happen with some Aura exterior once was the store mixed it with traditional colorants instead of Gennex. It covered like crap, and had several other problems until I figured out that was the problem. Courtesy of PT. 

Post a pic of the formula, might shed some more light


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

how does aura compare to regal application wise? i used regal the other day and it was quite easy to use


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Vylum said:


> how does aura compare to regal application wise? i used regal the other day and it was quite easy to use


I find Regal just about the easiest paint to apply that I've ever used. Rolls out beautifully, cuts nice, hides incredibly well. I love it when you open a can and dump it into your tray. Comes out so thick it's like pudding. Plop. Never drippy.

Aura, once you get the hang of it I find to be just as easy. I often wonder if people have problems with it if they don't use it often enough. Definitely have to change gears. Fast. If you don't drive a standard often enough, using a clutch can be annoying. Frequency brings comfort.

I'd compare it for myself to using oils, especially slow drying ones. I use them so utterly rarely, that when I do I end up swearing at the can for the entire day and feeling like a complete amateur.


----------



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

I find that adding 3/4 quart of warm water/gallon helps tremendously with Aura. This is especially helpful when rolling high stairwells. It just loosens up the paint and it rolls like butter. For cutting I like to add BM extender instead of water.

For BEN I add about 1/2 gallon of extender per 5 gallon pail. Extender is also cheaper than a gallon of Ben or Aura. 

For some reason I've never had a problem with Aura Bath & Spa. It's fantastic.

Hope this helps.:thumbup:


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

Wildbill7145 said:


> I find Regal just about the easiest paint to apply that I've ever used. Rolls out beautifully, cuts nice, hides incredibly well. I love it when you open a can and dump it into your tray. Comes out so thick it's like pudding. Plop. Never drippy.
> 
> Aura, once you get the hang of it I find to be just as easy. I often wonder if people have problems with it if they don't use it often enough. Definitely have to change gears. Fast. If you don't drive a standard often enough, using a clutch can be annoying. Frequency brings comfort.
> 
> I'd compare it for myself to using oils, especially slow drying ones. I use them so utterly rarely, that when I do I end up swearing at the can for the entire day and feeling like a complete amateur.


i loved the consistency of the regal, like you said it wasnt drippy which is very important when cutting over carpet in a occupied office. i dont cut over a drop ever so a few slaps to the side of the can it needs not to drip.

i wonder if its worth switching to bm fulltime from sw. hard to get past the price


----------



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

Vylum said:


> i loved the consistency of the regal, like you said it wasnt drippy which is very important when cutting over carpet in a occupied office.* i dont cut over a drop ever* so a few slaps to the side of the can it needs not to drip.
> 
> i wonder if its worth switching to bm fulltime from sw. hard to get past the price


That's not very professional. Put your ego aside and use a drop cloth. Even the best painters spill a few drops here and there, and almost everyone has spilled paint on a drop cloth if you do this business long enough. My biggest accident was spilling a cup of coffee on a carpet and that'll stain if you don't get it off quickly.


----------



## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> Well that emerald looked like poo. SW said they are short a rep or currently looking for one or something. Said they couldn't get out until next week.
> 
> So I decided not to lay down and attempted aura again with some of the tips you guys gave. Customer was cool with using it and the price. Came out great. Switched to a Wooster ultra pro extra firm and added 4oz/gallon of BM extender (probably could have just splashed some in my cut pot but wanted to be well within spec..no eye ball measured with a big ol syringe.
> 
> ...


I used Emerald yesterday, satin on the walls. I was only there to do some repairs and touch ups. It touched up beautifully.


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

Mr Smith said:


> That's not very professional. Put your ego aside and use a drop cloth. Even the best painters spill a few drops here and there, and almost everyone has spilled paint on a drop cloth if you do this business long enough. My biggest accident was spilling a cup of coffee on a carpet and that'll stain if you don't get it off quickly.


its not ego, needing a drop cloth to cut over is a sign of hackery. real pros dont drip off the brush


----------



## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Vylum said:


> its not ego, needing a drop cloth to cut over is a sign of hackery. real pros dont drip off the brush


Not exactly. 
I don't usually use a drop cloth when I cut either, but I sometimes have to clean up a drop our two. 
Using a drop isn't hackery, it's a sign of care.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Here is a shot of the matte from the other day. My work light was facing this wall from across the room, not side lighting it at all. 





journeymanPainter said:


> I used Emerald yesterday, satin on the walls. I was only there to do some repairs and touch ups. It touched up beautifully.


----------



## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Vylum said:


> its not ego, needing a drop cloth to cut over is a sign of hackery. real pros dont drip off the brush




I agree with you in a way. I don't think there's any reason a pro should drop latex paint while using a brush if they are trying not to. OTOH, why would I want to take the time bother with that? 

You going to roll without a drop too? Hope you have a good non splattering cover, and take the time to be really neat. Heck, no reason you couldn't roll most regular latex without a drop really if you want to go slow and be really careful. 

Personally, I would rather take a few mins to cover all applicable surfaces and get 4 (or so) wet mils on the substrate as efficiently as possible and not have to worry about being careful of any small drip. 

You're what, 7 years into the trade if I have read your posts right? At 7 yrs I still considered the brush, and brush skills, sacred to the trade. Few years later I began to realize the brush was the least efficient application tool at our disposal. (Especially if you're playing with it trying not to drop a drop ) Material transfer per dip is abysmally low compared to a roller, or sprayer or course. 

The painters brush to me seems to have gone the way of the carpenters hammer. Better know how to use these tools if you are going to claim to be a tradesman, sure. But show up to frame or trim out a house with a hammer? Don't think so. Better learn to use a nail gun if you really want to keep up. Hammers are used only when necessary. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

Jmayspaint said:


> I agree with you in a way. I don't think there's any reason a pro should drop latex paint while using a brush if they are trying not to. OTOH, why would I want to take the time bother with that?
> 
> You going to roll without a drop too? Hope you have a good non splattering cover, and take the time to be really neat. Heck, no reason you couldn't roll most regular latex without a drop really if you want to go slow and be really careful.
> 
> ...


i dont know why you hate the brush so much. you tape boys have this vendetta against it for some reason, i think some of you need to accept its a tough skill to master.

i dont roll without a drop, i cheat on a foot maybe on each end to save from a few drags but ill slow up on the roller in that case. im sure with the right sleeve and paint you could roll a wall without a drop with soft hands at a decent speed.

i could paint all day and be clean. theres no reason to drip paint,i barely keep rags on me. what are you going to do if you repaint frames in an occupied space? drop cloth the bottom of the frame? LOL too slow, you wont make money and youll look like a amateur doing it. no drop, no need for a rag, straight cutting talent.

anyone can pull the trigger dude, the machine does all the work but is a pain in the butt a lot of times. still tones of brush work, you act like sprayers just came out


----------



## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Interesting. I use Aura all the time and never have any of these issues.. It's great if your doing an extreme color change as it covers like crazy and will most definitely cover anything in 2 coats. Regal is a great runner up. Your not suppose to put this stuff on as thick as you can. Most paints have a recommended thickness application or indeed it will sag.
I also never thin any of my products. But if you do, make sure you thin the whole batch, or you could encounter "picture framing". 
I also cringe when ever people say they don't use drop sheets. If your painting a whole room. It takes literally 2 minutes to put down dops. Then your ready to go for ceilings walls, trims with no worries. And no rag? C'mon. Clean hands make clean work. 
Clients also like to see that your using care. On an occupied repaint, dropping floors and furniture should be incorporated into the price..Repeat business is much more important than "get it done as fast as possible"! That's my 2 cents.


----------



## Lawrence Painting VT (Oct 27, 2016)

Use BM regal select instead. I only ever use aura on front doors out of a Qt.


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

what do you bm guys use to prime metal doors and frames? how many coats to get to a true white on a metal door?


----------



## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

Vylum said:


> what do you bm guys use to prime metal doors and frames? how many coats to get to a true white on a metal door?


We use Behr.straight outta the can. Excellent 1 coat coverage. Semi gloss.try it, you'll like it.


----------



## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

lilpaintchic said:


> We use Behr.straight outta the can. Excellent 1 coat coverage. Semi gloss.try it, you'll like it.


i cant tell when you guys are serious anymore


----------



## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Vylum said:


> i cant tell when you guys are serious anymore


We're never serious, unless it's about or love for Behr


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

If I had just put down new carpet in my house, you'd bet your a55 I'd expect ANY painter to put a drop cloth over it! Think about it that way.

And I wouldn't care if he was using Marquee and cutting in with a Q-tip.


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

lilpaintchic said:


> We use Behr.straight outta the can. Excellent 1 coat coverage. Semi gloss.try it, you'll like it.


Marquee. No primer needed. Just brush it straight out of the can. Perfectly smooth, rust resistant finish.:thumbup:


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

journeymanPainter said:


> We're never serious, unless it's about or love for Behr


Watch out! Here come the behr lovers!


----------



## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

PACman said:


> Watch out! Here come the behr lovers!


Bait taken.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Just to make sure what you are saying , are you adding 3/4 quart per gallon or 3/4 of a cup per gallon? 3/4 quart is 24oz of water per gallon. 3/4 cup would be 6oz which seems more reasonable. 






Mr Smith said:


> I find that adding 3/4 quart of warm water/gallon helps tremendously with Aura. This is especially helpful when rolling high stairwells. It just loosens up the paint and it rolls like butter. For cutting I like to add BM extender instead of water.
> 
> For BEN I add about 1/2 gallon of extender per 5 gallon pail. Extender is also cheaper than a gallon of Ben or Aura.
> 
> ...


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Well I went back to fix that green wall. I think I'm done with aura. It's still doing the same thing. I purchased this gallon from a different paint shop just to make sure it wasn't old stock or something .

The color is natucket gray (hc111). It's in their historic color section. 

Both stores gave me it in a 2x base. 
The tint formulas are a bit different. 

New store
528-2x
Y3 2x 31.00
S1 1x 17.00
W1 2x 26.00
G1 0x 1.00

Old store
522-2x
Y3 3x 25.00
S1 1x 25.00
W1 2x 26.00
G1 0x 1.50

I took my ro and sanded the walls dead flat.
Attached are three examples of the same wal. Two are after about 10-15minutes drying and the last one after about 30minutes. The switch was cut in with a really dry mini wooster and the main wall body with a 9". Once again both are a 3/8" pro dooz FTP. 

I couldn't roll the wall any lighter without straight dry rolling with no coverage. Only thinned it with a splash of water in the tray to loosen it up like suggested. Mixed it thoroughly before loading the rollers.


How does the ultraspec low sheen compare to the aura matte in terms dry film appearance. If not does the regal select behave like aura in the matte finish. 

If neither of the above I'm going to pick up a gallon of duration from SW or a gallon of behr eggshell.....haha

Apply some cheaper "lower grade" paint that works and just chalk this whole thing up as a learning experience. Likely it's only a small hallway.


----------



## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> Well I went back to fix that green wall. I think I'm done with aura. It's still doing the same thing. I purchased this gallon from a different paint shop just to make sure it wasn't old stock or something .
> 
> The color is natucket gray (hc111). It's in their historic color section.
> 
> ...


Yup, looks like the aura finish I get too.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> Yup, looks like the aura finish I get too.


For real? Or just mocking me? Hard to tell on this site. :whistling2:


----------



## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> For real? Or just mocking me? Hard to tell on this site. :whistling2:


I've never liked the finish I get with aura. Regal is great, advanced is good, the other are good, aura is horrible. My opinion


----------



## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

sayn3ver said:


> Well I went back to fix that green wall. I think I'm done with aura. It's still doing the same thing. I purchased this gallon from a different paint shop just to make sure it wasn't old stock or something .
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Hmmm, I don't know dude. The first wall I rolled with Aura looked like a$$ too. Had to sand it down and try again. Now that I've gotten used to it though, I like it for several reasons. It is different for sure. 

Can't find any close up pics right off, but I really like the finish quality. 









Different strokes I guess. The few times I've used Behr it looked similar to your pics. Drove me nuts with the runs/sags. I never put in the effort to figure it out. 

And no, Regal doesn't behave quite like Aura. Aura is kinda unique IME. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

@sayn3ver I'd recommend switching to regal select. It's very user friends and has similar traits to most typical wall paints.

Don't use Ultra Spec. I'm guessing that your client is expecting a top shelf paint since Aura was originally spec'd. 






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

sayn3ver said:


> Well I went back to fix that green wall. I think I'm done with aura. It's still doing the same thing. I purchased this gallon from a different paint shop just to make sure it wasn't old stock or something .
> 
> The color is natucket gray (hc111). It's in their historic color section.
> 
> ...


Aura 522 is matte 
Aura 528 is semi gloss 
Sounds like one of the cans got the semigloss formula


----------



## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Vylum said:


> i dont know why you hate the brush so much. you tape boys have this vendetta against it for some reason, i think some of you need to accept its a tough skill to master.
> 
> i dont roll without a drop, i cheat on a foot maybe on each end to save from a few drags but ill slow up on the roller in that case. im sure with the right sleeve and paint you could roll a wall without a drop with soft hands at a decent speed.
> 
> ...


 
 just another superman painter, he is THE MAN:blink::w00t::laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

slickshift said:


> I like #2
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You last picture never showed up on my app. I've never gotten that, just the heavy orange peel look/texture


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

PRC said:


> Aura 522 is matte
> Aura 528 is semi gloss
> Sounds like one of the cans got the semigloss formula


You beat me to it!


----------



## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

chrisn said:


> just another superman painter, he is THE MAN:blink::w00t::laughing::laughing::laughing:


Isn't he the guy that has problems with roller spatter?


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

It's a small hallway with a lot of traffic. Was trying to find a compromise to eggshell in terms of looks and durability for them. If that doesn't exist I'll try to explain why maybe an eggshell is necessary. Only reason I said I'd go pick up a gallon of duration home ...not that it's sheen is exactly matte outside of the name printed on the can.

was at a different customers house recently and liked one of their existing colors. Turned out to be a BM color rolled in ultra spec eggshell and I liked both the color and sheen which doesn't happen often. 

Às to the different tint formula, it was a hair off in the colors matching. I just assumed since it wasn't boxed snd from a different location that was the risk id be taking. 

I'll stop by and see what they have to say when I go to pickup another product. 




PNW Painter said:


> @sayn3ver I'd recommend switching to regal select. It's very user friends and has similar traits to most typical wall paints.
> 
> Don't use Ultra Spec. I'm guessing that your client is expecting a top shelf paint since Aura was originally spec'd.
> 
> ...


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

The shop owner and rep are coming out tomorrow morning. 
I'll be happy to sand the wall real fast for them and let them show me how to do it. :whistling2:


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Delete. Double post.


----------



## sayn3ver (Jan 9, 2010)

Rep showed up. Said it looked good. Then I pointed it out and he said it was just roller stipple. Then he remarked a "deep color (2x base) like that can take up to 48hrs to dry before recoating" (talking about aura). Haha.

Said he'd comp me a gallon of a different product. OK. 
Picked up regal select and will see how that goes when I can get back to redo again.

I was expecting exactly what was delivered.


Included are two shots of the average dry film finish as the rep saw this morning.


----------



## gamby (Feb 29, 2008)

journeymanPainter said:


> I've never liked the finish I get with aura. Regal is great, advanced is good, the other are good, aura is horrible. My opinion


Agreed,100%


----------

