# Sherwin Williams Emerald vs. Duration paint



## Cherub1964 (Nov 6, 2015)

I am painting the accent trim on my Victorian house a deep wine color. I know the color red and variations thereof fade quicker than any other color so I want to choose a paint the resists fading as well as possible.

My ex-husband has been a professional painter for 25+ years and he told me to use SW Duration, even though he has never tried Emerald. I have poured over reviews regarding these to paints and am more confused than ever. Emerald is supposed to have a superior anti-fading quality, covers well and is thinner than Duration. Several reviews say that Duration color fades fairly quickly but it is thicker and more people seem to like it. I would like to note that the Duration color fading was worse with dark or bold colors.

At any rate, can anyone in here tell me their experience with either of these SW paints?


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

I have seen Duration fade pretty quickly. Here's a piece of cement siding I pulled of a 4 year old house done with it










On the far right side you can see a strip of darker green. That's the original color that was covered by the siding above it. The rest is pretty faded in comparison. 

Don't know about Emerald as I haven't used or observed the exterior variety. 

If you really want the best as far as fade resistance, and other qualities as well, look into Benjamin Moore Aura. Aura uses a completely new colorant system that's proving to be much more fade resistant than paints tinted with traditional colorants (like SW paints).


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## Cherub1964 (Nov 6, 2015)

*Color match*

Will Benjamin Moore be able to color match it well? The original color was a PPG and SW color matched it. 

I have read very good things about Aura though!


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

It's hard to judge Emerald because it really hasn't been on the market long enough to get a grasp on its anti-fade claims. I've used it on several jobs and the siding looks great after 4 or 5 years but that's looking at it from street level.

To me, Duration is one of SW's most disappointing products. Overpriced for what you get.


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## blackjack (Oct 21, 2015)

Both paints are good imo. I don't understand putting very expensive paint on top of years of paint that will fail eventually and likely sooner than later unless the surfaces ate stripped and sound. I'd just use satin superpaint and accept that there will be maintenance .it's 100 yrs old. The old lead is going to chalk and crack no matter what you coat it with. And plan on 2 coats. It's red. The whole place will likely need to be repainted in about 10-12 years. Maybe a little longer if some serious prep has been done...


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Cherub1964 said:


> Will Benjamin Moore be able to color match it well? The original color was a PPG and SW color matched it.
> 
> I have read very good things about Aura though!


yes, no problem


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

I have no personal evidence, but I believe Benjamin Moore's Gennex colorant system is superior in this respect. Depending on what color palette your Sherwin Williams color comes from, Benjamin Moore probabkly already has the color in their computer system. If they don't, you can take your color chip with you and they can computer match it, close enough so that you'll never tell.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Gymschu said:


> It's hard to judge Emerald because it really hasn't been on the market long enough to get a grasp on its anti-fade claims. I've used it on several jobs and the siding looks great after 4 or 5 years but that's looking at it from street level.
> 
> To me, Duration is one of SW's most disappointing products. Overpriced for what you get.


From what I have heard, Emerald is even MORE overpriced and disappointing! I have seen it take 8 coats to cover white in a dark green color.

OP, take a step back, take a deep breath, and go buy a real quality paint from a company that puts their money into their products and not onto their fancy stores, inexperienced college graduate new hires, and multi-million dollar animated TV commercials. Ben Moore, Muralo, California, Etc. They all have MODERN colorants that are much, much more fade resistant than the 75 year old technology colorants that SW and the box stores use. You willbe much better off.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

jeffnc said:


> I have no personal evidence, but I believe Benjamin Moore's Gennex colorant system is superior in this respect. Depending on what color palette your Sherwin Williams color comes from, Benjamin Moore probabkly already has the color in their computer system. If they don't, you can take your color chip with you and they can computer match it, close enough so that you'll never tell.


Usually the Ben Moore dealers have paint salespeople that can actually match a color instead of half assing it like the box stores usually do. It's a shame that paint consumers have this kind of "color paranoia" caused by the false marketing claims of most of the paint retailers.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

klaatu said:


> OP, take a step back, take a deep breath, and go buy a real quality paint from a company that puts their money into their products and not onto their fancy stores, inexperienced college graduate new hires, and multi-million dollar animated TV commercials. Ben Moore, Muralo, California, Etc. They all have MODERN colorants that are much, much more fade resistant than the 75 year old technology colorants that SW and the box stores use. You willbe much better off.



I think it got worse after they tweaked it for VOC compliance. Blows my mind how Sherwin is dragging their feet in modernizing their colorant system. If they don't want to spend the money to develop their own they could at least buy the rights to a modern system like California did with Trillion. 

They will have to do it sooner or later seems like. Very simply put, the bottom line is traditional colorants weaken a paint film. The more colorant added, the weaker and more problem prone the paint is. Modern colorants like Gennex actually strengthen the paint film. It's a no brainier really.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Jmayspaint said:


> I think it got worse after they tweaked it for VOC compliance. Blows my mind how Sherwin is dragging their feet in modernizing their colorant system. If they don't want to spend the money to develop their own they could at least buy the rights to a modern system like California did with Trillion.
> 
> They will have to do it sooner or later seems like. Very simply put, the bottom line is traditional colorants weaken a paint film. The more colorant added, the weaker and more problem prone the paint is. Modern colorants like Gennex actually strengthen the paint film. It's a no brainier really.


Why would they do that if they can just keep pumping money into marketing and sell every gallon they can by doing it? They already have the vast majority of consumers bamboozled. Why ruin a good thing? And if they did by chance decide to move into the 20th century,(yup, I meant 20th!) they would charge $100.00 per gallon to cover the extra $1.00 a gallon those new colorants would cost.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

klaatu said:


> Why would they do that if they can just keep pumping money into marketing and sell every gallon they can by doing it? They already have the vast majority of consumers bamboozled. Why ruin a good thing? And if they did by chance decide to move into the 20th century,(yup, I meant 20th!) they would charge $100.00 per gallon to cover the extra $1.00 a gallon those new colorants would cost.[/QUOTE]
> 
> :thumbsup::yes:


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

chrisn said:


> klaatu said:
> 
> 
> > Why would they do that if they can just keep pumping money into marketing and sell every gallon they can by doing it? They already have the vast majority of consumers bamboozled. Why ruin a good thing? And if they did by chance decide to move into the 20th century,(yup, I meant 20th!) they would charge $100.00 per gallon to cover the extra $1.00 a gallon those new colorants would cost.[/QUOTE]
> ...


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

Sherwin Williams updated there tint systems a few years ago. I've never had a problem with duration and have only used emerald a few times. I prefer sherwin Williams superpaint for exteriors.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

housepaintingny said:


> Sherwin Williams updated there tint systems a few years ago. I've never had a problem with duration and have only used emerald a few times. I prefer sherwin Williams superpaint for exteriors.


Their "update" was nothing more than removing a large percentage of the glycol in their colorants to meet government mandated VOC law changes. It is not an "update" as far as any chemical make-up, like the Gennex and Trillion colorants. Just a "change" required by law. Of course it is in their interests to spin it in their favor. And it is in the consumers best interest to understand that that claim is just smoke and mirrors.

And I am not saying that their paints are "bad" paints by any means, just that they are far from the best and grossly over priced. Even at 30% off.
They have to pay for the stores, college graduate delivery drivers, and TV commercials somehow.


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

klaatu said:


> Their "update" was nothing more than removing a large percentage of the glycol in their colorants to meet government mandated VOC law changes. It is not an "update" as far as any chemical make-up, like the Gennex and Trillion colorants. Just a "change" required by law. Of course it is in their interests to spin it in their favor. And it is in the consumers best interest to understand that that claim is just smoke and mirrors.
> 
> And I am not saying that their paints are "bad" paints by any means, just that they are far from the best and grossly over priced. Even at 30% off.
> They have to pay for the stores, college graduate delivery drivers, and TV commercials somehow.


There colorants are 0 voc


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

housepaintingny said:


> There colorants are 0 voc


really?:huh:


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

chrisn said:


> really?:huh:


They started a few years ago.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

housepaintingny said:


> They started a few years ago.


Nope. They are less then 50gpl. This allows them to advertise them as zero voc by EPA regulations. The only true 0 voc colorants widely available are the Gennex colorants by Ben Moore, which are patent protected and the Trillion colorants from California that are used under a protected license. The P&L Charisma colorants that I use are the same colorants used by SW, and they are promoted to the dealers as a o voc colorant line but they are not actually 0 voc. They are only allowed to call them 0voc.


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

klaatu said:


> Nope. They are less then 50gpl. This allows them to advertise them as zero voc by EPA regulations. The only true 0 voc colorants widely available are the Gennex colorants by Ben Moore, which are patent protected and the Trillion colorants from California that are used under a protected license. The P&L Charisma colorants that I use are the same colorants used by SW, and they are promoted to the dealers as a o voc colorant line but they are not actually 0 voc. They are only allowed to call them 0voc.


My info does not come from advertisements. Thanks for your insight into this.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

housepaintingny said:


> My info does not come from advertisements. Thanks for your insight into this.


I suppose it comes from the people trying to sell you their paint? As opposed to someone who doesn't really care or know what paint you use?
That makes sense.


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## fortunerestore (Mar 6, 2014)

As far as Emerald is considered, it is not a great choice for many and all due to its anti-fade claims. Avoid using very expensive paint. You can opt for satin super-paint which asks for minimum maintenance and lasts longer than any other variant.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

So paint is not good because it's anti-fade.

Where do these people come from?


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