# Is Aura or Regal Select significantly better than Ben?



## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

With the Ben scrubbing off the window sill, one week is still not a long enough cure time for latex enamel. Two weeks minimum for full cure, and really 30 days to be safe. 

Yes, Aura is significantly better than Ben for scrubability. That's one of the main selling points of Aura. You said the walls would be painted flat, but you must have meant matte, because interior Aura doesn't come in flat. 

Benjamin Moore doesn't recommend using primer on new wallboard except in cases of deep tone colors, when the Aura color foundation primer can be used.(same with Regal) If you do use a primer, make sure its one approved by BM. 

Aura and Regal are both thick bodied paints that shouldn't take more than two coats for full coverage and warrantability if its applied correctly. However, not all 'coats' of paint are created equal, and brush and roll applications don't always yield "full coat" in one application. 
But like I said, they are both thick bodied paints, so it would be reasonable to expect two coat coverage with most any pro application.


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## Rav (Dec 7, 2011)

Jmayspaint said:


> With the Ben scrubbing off the window sill, one week is still not a long enough cure time for latex enamel. Two weeks minimum for full cure, and really 30 days to be safe.
> 
> Yes, Aura is significantly better than Ben for scrubability. That's one of the main selling points of Aura. You said the walls would be painted flat, but you must have meant matte, because interior Aura doesn't come in flat.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Jmayspaint, for the info on curing -- I'll remember that for next time. I didn't realize Aura doesn't come in flat. Is Aura Matte recommended for interior walls (this is a bedroom), or should I use Regal Select (which I see does come in flat) instead? We certainly don't want the walls to look shiny.

We will be using a light tone color, so it sounds like no primer and two coats.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

Aura matte has a slight sheen to it. This is really what makes it washable. Its not really shiny though, more like a real low luster. If washability is the goal, matte is pretty much as low of a sheen as will perform. Maybe that's why aura doesn't come in dead flat.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I had a little, non-critical, project of personal nature and decided to try a quart of Ben for it. Very disappointing. I would use the contractor product before Ben (or maybe not since it only comes in gallons and I needed not even a quart). I used a lot of it for clients (used to be SuperSpec but I think it is gone and UltraSpec is the replacement?). Of course most keeping their homes wanted Regal or Aura I was more expensive than the difference in gallon pricing. Both Regal and Aura offer better chemistry, better colorfastness, and of course better washability. The Aura matte is amazing stuff as far as durability. Clients with kids love it.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

The matte sheen of Aura is a very classy finish. I don't think you will find it "shiny". It does have a certain.... something.... je ne sais quoi. However if you simply "flat out" like dead flat paint, then you have to go with Regal of course.

It's probably impossible for those outside the company to really know what's in paint, but there are some clues available to us. Ben is 31% solids, Regal is 38%, and Aura is 46%. That will give you a rough idea of the quality of the paints.

As jmayspaint says, not all coats of paint are the same. It depends on the thickness it's applied and the skill of the applier. Unfortunately a thinner paint cannot be applied very thickly, or it will run, since it's watery. That's the paint that needs to be applied thicker though :-( Aura can be applied more thickly, though it doesn't really need to be. Aura provides a finish coat of approximately twice the thickness of Ben, straight out of the can.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Jmayspaint said:


> Aura matte has a slight sheen to it. This is really what makes it washable. Its not really shiny though, more like a real low luster. If washability is the goal, matte is pretty much as low of a sheen as will perform. Maybe that's why aura doesn't come in dead flat.


I completely agree. Originally, Sherwin Williams Duration (matte) was marketed as a "washable flat". Dirty pool, if you ask me. Of course it's washable - because it wasn't flat! Obviously a sheen somewhere between flat and eggshell is going to be more washable than flat.


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