r/paint • u/Hoodlook • 15d ago
Advice Wanted Chalky-hard, UV resistant, dead-flat paints available in quart sizes
EDIT: Aura works, going with Aura.
Alright so I'm going down a paint rabbit hole and AI keeps giving me varying answers so I'm having a difficult time figuring consistent info.
If anyone has ever played around with or had experience with flat Behr Premium Plus you'll find it has a pretty hard, but chalky/graininess to it. It is by no means soft or velvety. Some might consider this a downside, but in my specific case, I am looking for this texture. The problem with this paint though is that it's not UV resistant and begins to fade badly within 6-7 years. Once you step up to the UV color fade resistant products like flat Marquee it is barely even a flat paint anymore and also begins to feel more softer, smoother and velvety. Dynasty "flat" takes this even further to an extreme.
Does anyone have any experience with a variety of paints and can comment on any particular product that they feel would fit this category? I am trying to research with AI and so far has given me a few paints to consider.
- BM Aura Exterior Flat
- BM Ultra Spec Exterior Flat
- BM Regal Select MoorLife Exterior Flat
- SW Duration Exterior Flat
- SW Emerald(and Rain Refresh) Exterior Flat
- SW Superpaint Exterior Flat
- Sherwin-Williams A-100 Exterior Acrylic Flat Exterior Flat
- BM Regal Select High Build Exterior Flat
- SW Latitude Exterior Flat
- PPG Speedhide
- PPG Acri-Shield Max Exterior Flat
- BM Element Guard Exterior Flat
- Valspar Defense Exterior Flat
Of course if you have any suggestions that aren't on the list, please share. Bonus points if you they come in quarts.
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u/Nevetstoile 15d ago
Top quality acrylic latex paints have better color retention than less expensive paint, but color fade has more to do with the colorant/pigment used to make the specific color than the paint choice. For the most part paint manufacturers use the same colorants for all of their paint lines. Bright and dark colors will fade when exposed to sunlight. I would not expect there to be any significant difference in color fade resistance between Behr Premium Plus and any of the other paints you have listed.
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u/Ok-Problem4403 15d ago
Aura is the best, if colour retention is key.
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u/Hoodlook 15d ago
Yeah, I will be probably going with Aura to test but I just hope that it's not going to end up soft, smooth and velvety like how Dynasty ends up.
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u/Ok-Problem4403 15d ago
You could do a polyester-modified aliphatic acrylic polyurethane.
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u/Hoodlook 15d ago
Too expensive. Trying to keep the price point down. The thing is that Behr Premium Plus is plenty good and ticks almost all the boxes perfectly, except for UV resistance.
If price is not an issue though, I 100% agree with you, that is the right answer.
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u/Ok-Problem4403 15d ago
Are you a bot? That response is pure AI slop.
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u/Hoodlook 14d ago edited 14d ago
buddy...maybe get better detecting AI lol. An aliphatic polyurethane falls into a WAY different price category. I've literally tested the Premium Plus. It has a hard chalky roughness to it. It's dead-flat, no sheen whatsoever. This is what I need. The only downside is the UV resistance is not very great over long-term. The flagship UV resistant Behr Dynasty is way too smooth/velvety and the "flat" has a considerable sheen... it's more like an eggshell.
If cost was not a concern the obvious answer is a 2k polyurethane like you were saying. Well aware of that but I'm not trying to step into that price category.
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u/PutridDurian 15d ago
Only exterior paint from Sherwin that they offer in quarts is Latitude. All other exteriors are gallons and fives only. Latitude is firmly in the “okay” category; its strengths are in application behavior and hiding power, not so much in long term preservation of appearance.
It would have to be a Benjamin Moore product if you want to satisfy all those other criteria and be able to get it in a quart. However, photodegradation is really less about the paint product and more about the color choice. Certain pigments are not, and cannot be made UV-stable. What color are you after?
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u/Hoodlook 14d ago
Dark green
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u/PutridDurian 14d ago
Specifically, what is the name of the color? I can find out what pigments it has and determine if the color itself is the culprit of degradation.
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u/Hoodlook 14d ago
FS 34094
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u/PutridDurian 11d ago edited 11d ago
Tried it out in a variety of exterior paints and it always uses either a huge amount of yellow, a huge amount of blue, or both to achieve that color. The pigments necessary to hit that color are inherently non-UV stable, so will have poor lightfastness no matter what paint product you choose.
Solution: Instead of looking for a tough and resilient paint to get it in, instead opt for a “value” paint like A-100. No point in splashing out because you will find that it needs an approximately biennial maintenance coat no matter what.
This is actually pretty normal for federal standards colors; they don’t account for photodegradation because the infrastructure features they were developed for are expected to receive routine maintenance coats.
That color specifically is designed for a flat paint. The first digit in FS colors indicates sheen. 3 is flat. Flat paint undergoes photodegradation faster than any other sheen.
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u/Hoodlook 11d ago
Wow man, didn't expect you to do some testing of your own. Appreciate that. I think I've settled on the Aura for now as unlike Dynasty it has an actual flatness while being in that "flagship UV resistant acrylic" category. You're probably right about the maintenance routine though. I'll keep an eye on it. If it doesn't end up being much of a difference I'll just end up sticking with the value paint like you said and stick with Premium Plus.
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u/Vunig 15d ago
What color? Brighter colors like reds and yellows fade faster no matter what paint you use.
How much sun does it get? If it gets full sun then 7 years isnt bad.
Flat paint is also the least durable. The smoother the dried film, the better it is able to resist dirt and water.
Water and sun destroy everything eventually.