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Stain Product Warning: Semi-transparent Stains are Horrible

I like to keep my product reviews positive, however, I must be honest and objective to provide value to my readers.  I want to discourage all humans from ever using a semi-transparent deck stain (STS).  This is not manufacturer specific as I have never seen any semi-transparent deck stain look good, even when applied by professionals in perfect conditions.

If you go into any paint store that has a trained and knowledgeable staff (typically not a big box) and ask them if they recommend a toner or a STS product, they will tell you to use a toner.  If you push and ask them why, they will tell you things like the toner looks better or some customers complain that the STS didn’t look good, etc.  They are just being polite because the manufacturer of that STS signs their paycheck.  I can be honest.

Semi-transparent stains suck.

This is a product that really shouldn’t exist.  The philosophy is to provide consumers with more product options, but that shouldn’t mean terrible options.  When it comes to painting, consumers already have a plethora of options, each boasting that it is the best.  It must be incredibly overwhelming for a “non-paint” person to walk into a paint store and know what to buy.  The following narrative of a husband and wife choosing a stain is common and reveals the allure of the dreaded semi-transparent stain.

Wife: I want a solid color stain so that the deck that matches the accent color of the shutters and doors.

Husband: We already have enough color and we paid extra to use the better wood for the deck.  Why would we cover the grain that you thought was so pretty with a solid stain.  Let’s use a toner that brings out the wood’s natural beauty.

Wife:  I changed my mind.  The toner looks boring.

Husband:  What about this semi-transparent stain?  This is perfect.  We can choose a color, but you can still see the wood’s grain.  We get the best of both worlds.

Wife:  That is perfect!  Let’s go to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate semi-transparent stains!  We can say it’s your birth and get free ice cream.

I hope they enjoy the Cheesecake Factory because the fun will be over after they put that STS on their deck.  The idea of STS is good.  You use color to enhance wood’s natural beauty.  The problem is that semi-transparent stains are either too semi or too transparent which results in an incomplete and uneven appearance.  I worked for Sherwin Williams for 5 years and have operated GreenWave Solutions for 5 years and the most common complaint I got was about semi-transparent stains looking bad.  Customer’s being unhappy with STS is so common that we will not use semi-transparent stains on any project, even at a client’s request.

I have done this long enough to know that no matter how well you apply them, they always look bad and I don’t want people thinking that GreenWave Solutions does work that looks hideous.  Clients think they want a semi-transparent stain, but what they really want is a colored toner.  That is where I steer my clients that ask for STS deck products; to colored toners.

I’m sure that there are some people that think semi-transparent stains look great and they are entitled to their opinions.  There are also people that think “Honey Booboo” is a good show.  Some people just have bad taste.

Please save yourself, your painting contractor, and your paint store a lot of headaches and don’t choose semi-transparent stains for your deck staining projects.  Instead, use a toner that has the color you like.  And remember, because all wood accepts stains differently, DO A SAMPLE TO SEE IF YOU LIKE HOW IT WILL LOOK BEFORE DOING THE WHOLE DECK.

Good luck and remember that GreenWave Solutions is the best painting company in Dunwoody.

By 

President of GreenWave Solutions, Atlanta painting company and Dunwoody house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior, Painters, Painting, Paint Contractor, Atlanta, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Duration Home

The topic of today’s review, Sherwin Williams Duration Home, is not a new product.  This product is several years old.  It is so good, however, I thought it deserved some attention.

Duration Home is the interior line of Sherwin Williams’ Duration brand.  It was the flagship paint for high end, interior durability until Emerald was released.  Duration Home comes in matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes and has all color bases available.  This product is low-VOC and has a great finish.

Product Overview:

Duration Home:  Low-VOC

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – Granite Peak

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a flat finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 experienced

Initial Look/Feel:

Upon opening the can, you will notice that the Duration Home is not very thick.  It also has that ammonia like smell that high end, low-VOC coatings have.  Everything is pretty normal inside the can.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

As soon as you start painting with the Duration Home you know that you are using a great paint.  The thin body of the paint makes its application a breeze.  It easily loads onto brushes and rollers and transfers smoothly onto walls.  The most impressive things is that despite the thin body of the paint, its hide is as good as any paint I’ve used.  Because the matte finish has a bit of sheen, make sure that you paint into a wet edge to avoid hat-banding or picture framing.

Durability of finish:

I used Duration Home to paint a bathroom in my condo and after 6 years it looks brand new.  I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination.  The Duration Home has stood up to water, neglect, and even some abuse.  I have intentionally been rough on it to see what it can take.  This product lives up to its durable finish claims.

Pros:

  • Very durable finish
  • Excellent hide
  • Low-VOC
  • Easy to apply

Cons:

  • Expensive ($60/gallon)

Conclusion:

I am impressed with the Duration Home product.  I have liked it since Sherwin Williams released it about 10 years ago.  While it was one of the first “premium low-VOC” interior paints, it still competes with the newer products.  Duration Home prices have gone down with the release of Emerald which makes Duration an even better choice.  I like everything about Duration Home matte.

By

President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!

Interior Painting product reviews, professional painters, exterior, painting companies, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Decatur, Alpharetta, Roswell

Review: Sherwin Williams Emerald Interior Paint

Because GreenWave Solutions is has good relationships with the paint companies, we get a lot demos and samples of products.  The most recent was a gallon of Sherwin Williams’ Emerald interior matte.  I have wanted to try this product out since they released at the beginning of 2012.  SW says that Emerald is the interior paint of champions!

 

Product Overview:

Emerald Interior 0-voc

Sheen:  Matte

Color:  SW – French Red

Application: Brush and roll

Substrate: Previously painted drywall with a satin finish

Wall condition: Sound

Painters: 1 expert, 1 diy

Initial Look/Feel:

The first thing I noticed about Emerald was its thickness.  It is a heavy-bodied coating; thicker than SuperPaint.  Emerald has that familiar ammonia smell that is synonymous with high performance 0-voc coatings.  It has a strong smell, but they say it isn’t bad to breathe.

Application, Coverage, and Hide:

We pushed this product to its limit.  We painted off white satin walls in a bathroom.  The Emerald did a good job.  Its self-priming feature did a decent job adhering to the shiny satin paint.  It did streak and smear some.  The dark red covered pretty well with one coat; however, we a second coat was needed for complete color change.  Again, I want to reiterate that I was asking this paint to do something “impossible.”  Overall, Emerald lived up to its hype.

Durability of finish:

I checked the finish after it had 24 hours to dry.  It was exceptionally hard and still very smooth.  Emerald has the most durable and smooth finish of any interior architectural coating I have ever seen.

Pros:

  • Most durable interior paint available
  • Excellent hide
  • 0-VOC

Cons:

  • Expensive ($70-$80/gallon)

Conclusion:

Sherwin Williams’ Emerald Interior product is excellent.  It delivers all of the performance that they say it will.  This performance does come at a price.  This product costs nearly twice as much as the next best interior paint, Duration Home.  If you want the best paint money can buy, then Emerald is for you.  If you want the best value, I recommend the Sherwin Williams Duration Home Matte.

By

President of GreenWave Solutions, Brookhaven painting company and Alpharetta house painters.  GreenWave Solutions offers the best painter services in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Brookhaven, Duluth, Grant Park, Inman Park, Buckhead,Milton, Midtown, and more!