Ways to Seal Aura Paint

Ways to Seal Aura Paint

Sealing your new paint job is a cinch, with the right tools. We’ll get into that in a bit, but if you haven’t yet heard about Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint, you’re missing out. A lot of research went into creating a paint that has low-VOC, is long-lasting, and has extremely good coverage—all with bright, long-lasting colors. There are a ton of reasons why Aura paint is a very popular choice for any area—interior or exterior. And why you should use a sealant to protect your paint’s integrity.

Why seal your paint?

Adding a layer of protection with a sealant means easy clean-up, longer-lasting paint, and a beautiful, subtle shine. When you’re thinking about areas that get a lot of use, like a kitchen, bathroom, or pieces of furniture, you’ll benefit greatly from taking the time to add a coat of sealant after your paint has fully dried. “Sealant” can mean two coats of paint, or using a product like Stays Clear sealant on interior jobs to keep heavily-used areas looking fresh. Now, onto Aura paint instructions for long-lasting paint jobs.

Paint in Layers

Have you ever seen someone who applies fresh coats of paint over old, bare paint and ends up needing to do it over and over again due to chipping, peeling, and painting over wet layers? It’s super ineffective and awful for the environment. Avoid the hassle and paint it right the first time, every time. Here are some tips to keep your paint job looking fresh for years.

  • Drastic Change? Prime it. If you’re totally changing the color of a room or the exterior of your house, like a pastel to a dark color or red to white, you’ll want to start with a primer. Though Aura paint has extreme hide, a big change would look best with a base coat.
  • Add color. Once fully dried, you’ll use one of thousands of Aura paint colors to finish your look. Make sure to check out the Aura Color Stories series, full of eye-popping colors perfect for summer. Paint a second coat for transforming, full coverage, and be patient—wait the full drying time in between coats.
  • Seal it in. Apply the Benjamin Moore Stays Clear sealant with a high-quality brush after the final paint has dried to enjoy super long-lasting paint—indoors only. See below for more detailed instructions on sealing.
  • Extra protection. For heavily-used surfaces, like countertops and kitchen tables, sand the last coat of sealant, wipe it down, then add another coat of Stays Clear sealant to finish the job.
  • Easy cleaning. Enjoy the simplicity of being able to wipe off spills, large or small, without damaging your paint. 

Aura Paint Instructions: Sealing Your Paint Job

Sealant options that provide the protection you need for long-lasting, bright colors.

There are a few options to seal your new paint job in to protect it from chips, peeling, and everyday use. Some prefer polyurethane, but that can yellow over time and has high VOCs, which isn’t ideal. Stay Clear is similar but won’t yellow over time.

We’ve heard of people using furniture or paste wax to seal painted chairs and tables, which may work for a desk, but not a busy kitchen table exposed to hungry kids and banging silverware. Wax can also melt if in high heat or near a window with beaming sunlight.

Use this! Whether you’re avoiding ugly brush strokes or want to extend the dry time for interior or exterior paint jobs, our favorite smooth-finish trick is the Benjamin Moore paint extender. It pairs beautifully with Aura paint, leaving bright, solid strokes without unsightly brushstrokes. With smooth application, very low VOC, and proprietary formula that lasts and lasts, this paint extender is one of the best choices on the market.

Sealing Aura Paint: Step-by-Step

To keep your paint looking fresh for years, brush on a life-extending sealant for longer-lasting results and follow these instructions after you finish your paint job. 

Gear Up. Make sure you get all you need before starting. You’ll want a container of Benjamin Moore paint, Stays Clear sealant, a paint tray, high-quality brushes, 220-grit sandpaper/blocks, a drop cloth or tarp, and a cloth for wiping sanded surfaces clean. Read all instructions and labels thoroughly!

  1. Dry and Smooth: After placing your drop cloth and your last coat of paint has reach the recommended re-coat time, give the new paint a quick overall sanding with your 220-grit sandpaper and wipe clean.
  2. Gently Stir: Take your brand new, premium paintbrush and gently swirl it around the sealant, but don’t go crazy – you don’t want to paint with bubbles.
  3. Paint Edge to Edge : Starting on one side of the piece of furniture, wall, or item, work your way from edge to edge in a smooth line, avoiding noticeable brushstrokes. Smooth out drips or bubbles with the edge of the brush while the sealant is still wet. Let everything dry for one to two hours before moving on.
  4. Let Dry and Sand: Sand the dried coat very lightly with your 220-grit sandpaper, just enough to create a rough surface for the next coat of sealant. Remove the sanding dust with a tack cloth.
  5. Final Coat and Cure: Apply the next coat of sealant. Let dry, sand and repeat up to three more times if you’re painting heavily used objects. No need to sand after the final coat, it’ll dry clear, smooth, and enhance your Aura paint with a sleek sheen. Let everything dry overnight and you’re ready to go the next day!
Why is Aura paint a good choice?

This super-premium paint comes in many styles, colors, and applications that work specifically for the job you have in mind. The interior, exterior, and bathroom lines all give you the same easy application, quick dry times, low-VOC, and extreme hide to cover up any imperfections or old paint. 

Take a look at what differentiates each paint and know that you can get nearly any color you want for any of these options. The paint’s patented Color Lock® technology keeps bold colors bright, so maybe it’s time to step on the wild side and go for that accent wall you’ve always dreamed of. 

Aura Paint Provides:

EXTREME HIDE AND SUPER-PREMIUM QUALITY, which means you can get a fresh, smooth look with only one, high-quality coat. 

SMOOTH APPLICATION AND EASY TOUCH UPS with a spatter-free, patented colorant system that gives you a thicker coat of dry film for leveling out little imperfections and avoiding unsightly brush strokes. Get an especially smooth finish by adding some paint extender.

LASTING FINISH AND EASY-TO-CLEAN with Color Lock® technology, this high-quality paint keeps scratches, scuffs, streaking, water spotting, and mildew from ruining your look. Especially when you use a sealant, like Stays Clear, your paint will look fresh for years. 

ZERO-VOC FORMULA FOR CLEAN BREATHING, meeting the strictest environmental standards, Aura also dries quickly, so you can move on to the next coat or the next job—after only one hour.

Why use Aura paint?

With Benjamin Moore’s patented Color Lock® technology, this paint is your number one choice for bright, bold, long-lasting colors to match your home to your vision. This paint even has a special series of colors called the Aura Color Stories, influenced by natural, bright colors and the light in a room. These delightful color choices don’t have black or gray colorants, letting the authentic colors shine through. Most acrylic paints include 2-3 pigments. With 5-7 pigments each (with no black or gray), these paints really pop! If you’re looking to spruce up an area of your home, a front door, a furniture set, or your entire home, Aura will stay true, bright, and cheerful throughout the years.

Scuff-X water resistant

Is Scuff-X water resistant?

In short, yes. And so much more. Scuff-X, a breakthrough technology from Benjamin Moore, has revolutionized the paint industry in terms of scuff-resistance, durability, and ease of cleaning. Work smarter, not harder—and cover your most used areas with this one-of-a-kind paint.

This is the best paint choice for high-traffic areas that are exposed to a lot of people and near messy areas that need to be cleaned more often than not. Think about places like hospitals, schools, hotel lobbies, fitting rooms, offices and conference rooms, and even playgrounds.

In your own home, however, the clear choice is the kitchen. In a room where you’re regularly using a sink, blenders, pots and pans, and cooking with all sorts of food and spices, you’ll want paint that is known for being easy to clean. Is Scuff-X good for kitchen cabinets? A resounding yes. Imagine accidentally starting the blender with the lid off. With regular paint or wood stain, cleaning the mess would be a pain. With Scuff-X, clean-up is simple and easy—every time.  

Choosing the right paint for your home is imperative, because it’ll be there for years and you don’t want to deal with cracking, chipping, or hard-to-clean paint. When people wonder, “Scuff-X, is it water resistant?” the answer is a clear yes.

Is Scuff-X good for kitchen cabinets?

Kitchens are horrendously messy places. Think about it—three meals a day for everyone living in the house, plus snacks, smoothies, soups, Thanksgiving, birthdays….so many messes. The kitchen is by far the most used place in the house, especially for some families. 

Using the proper paint when crafting your dream kitchen is incredibly important and saves time with cleanup. By using Benjamin Moore Scuff-X paint for your kitchen cabinets, you’re coating heavily used surfaces with easy-to-clean paint.

Scuff-X on kitchen cabinets means that wiping down after spills or kitchen explosions will be much easier. Even just cleaning up after everyday use, like grease from cooking, or fingerprints, will be a cinch to swipe off with a gentle cleaning product and a soft cloth. If you take care of your kitchen cabinets, they will continue to look good and clean like a dream for years.

Scuff-X Specs

If you’re wondering, Scuff-X is it water-resistant? It’s a hearty “yes.” This high-performance coating is a one-component latex paint made just for places that have the messiest, busiest, and most used surfaces. Not only is it an effective paint, but there has been immense research on making sure that it is much better than the competition and solves previous issues with scuff-resistant paint, like short pot-life, pre-mixing, and troubles with application. This low-maintenance paint will look good and will last for years.

Scuff-X is known for its:

  • Proprietary scuff-resistance formula, making kitchen cabinets easy-to-clean
  • Quick dry, so you can see true color sooner and get on to that next coat
  • Great touch-up, for quick cover-up of inevitable kitchen bumps and bangs
  • Spatter resistant for easy, mess-free application
  • Qualification for LEED® v4 credit and CHPS certification
  • Anti-microbial additives that keep mold and mildew at bay

Does Scuff-X Come in All Colors?

Scuff-X paint is available in almost any color you could want with 4 different finishes. Whether you want a neutral, toned down look, or a pop of bright color for your kitchen cabinets, there’s a Scuff-X color for you! Think about what kind of finish you want in your kitchen, depending on the lighting, the color, and your preferences.

  • Ultra Spec SCUFF-X Eggshell provides a nice sheen. 
  • Ultra Spec SCUFF-X Matte is a no-shine solution for your cabinets. 
  • Ultra Spec SCUFF-X Satin adds a lovely shine to any surface.
  • Ultra Spec SCUFF-X Semi-Gloss provides the perfect balance of shine.

How do I paint kitchen cabinets?

With a little research and guidance, you can absolutely re-do your kitchen cabinets yourself and give your kitchen a facelift with Scuff-X. Be sure to read through every step before rolling up your sleeves.

  1. Stock Up on Scuff-X. Stop by your nearest Benjamin Moore retailer (Da Kine Paints if you’re on Maui) and grab the correct amount of Scuff-X paint. Be sure to grab sandpaper (120 and 220 grit), brushes, tarps, and trays, too.
  2. Make Room. Find a large, flat surface (best away from kids and animals and near ventilation). An empty garage covered in tarps is the best choice. Painting outside can be nice, but a little breeze and there’s grass and dust all over your wet paint. Take off everything you’re painting – cabinets doors and drawers and remove any hardware, like handles or knobs.
  3. It’s All in the Prep. Number one – make sure all surfaces are clean and dry. You can dust them with a damp cloth if not too dirty or use a gentle soap with warm water and a sponge to clean thoroughly and allow plenty of time to dry. Then, rough up the smooth surface so the paint doesn’t peel right off. Don’t go crazy – just roughen it up enough for the primer to stick, you don’t need to remove every bit of previous paint or finish. Wipe off with a clean, damp cloth and let dry fully.
  4. Prime Your Surface. Move to your open, flat area with tarps already set up and sand (with 120-grit), wipe and dry. Then prime all surfaces with the primer of your choice, Benjamin Moore’s ADVANCE Primer is a great choice because it gives any paint a great foundation to stick to. Patience is a virtue, as you must wait 24 hours for the primer to dry before moving on to the paint.
  5. Smooth it Out. Hopefully, you bought plenty of sandpaper, as using a fine 120 grit paper to sand all surfaces will provide the smoothest, longest-lasting look for your kitchen cabinets. Focus on any drippy areas or parts where paint has pooled. Wipe again with a clean, damp cloth and give it time to dry 100%. Try wrapping the sandpaper around a small block or hard item to give yourself a flatter surface than your fingers for sanding.
  6. Finally: Painting Time! With the nylon/polyester brush you bought, gently apply the first coat of Scuff-X. Instead of messing up a painting tray, stretch a large rubber band around your can of paint, so the band stretches across the top and you’ll have a place to dip and wipe your brush without gooping up the sides of your can. 

Looking to save time? Try a microfiber or foam brush instead. With coat number one, you want to wait another 24 hours before applying the second coat. Is Scuff-X good for kitchen cabinets? Yes, when it’s applied correctly.

  1. Second Coat, Same as the First. Sand (with 220-grit) and wipe and dry, then paint a second coat on your kitchen cabinets. Once 24 hours has passed, you can put them back up, but 2-3 days of final drying time is highly recommended. Scuff-x is it water resistant? There’s only one way to find out – get out that blender and forget the lid!

Da Kine Paints provides helpful tools for your projects, like a paint calculator to figure out how much you’ll need without having too much or too little leftover for touchups. Also, check out more super helpful step-by-step guides that are available at benjaminmoore.com.

Natura paint in bathroom

Can you use Natura® paint in the bathroom?

You may have heard of the Benjamin Moore’s “green paint,” Natura®, which is a favorite of our customers for its impressive qualities as a non-toxic paint. If you want to keep toxic emissions and paint out of your home and away from your family, think about using an eco-friendly paint to get the job done. When you’re looking to repaint any room (especially a bathroom), Natura® paint is the greenest choice.

Natura® Paint for the Bathroom

Eco-friendly (and family-friendly). With zero VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and zero emissions,* there are no toxic fumes to inhale in your home after the paint has dried.

Easy to clean. Don’t stress about soap and toothpaste residue with Natura® paint. A sleek coating makes cleaning a cinch and is resistant to moisture.

Paints on smooth. Keep a clean workspace with spatter-resistance. With self-priming, one coat is usually enough. When it’s not (when you’re painting over dark surfaces), there’s a speedy one hour return to service for a recoat.

Any color. With 1000s of colors to choose from, there’s no reason your next paint job shouldn’t be with Natura® non-toxic paint.

* The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has determined that an emission-free or zero-emissions (or VOC) paint claim is valid if the paint has trace levels of emissions six hours or less after application.

What makes Natura® a “green” paint?

Living a “green” lifestyle encompasses doing things for the earth and your family’s future. For example, recycling, driving electric vehicles, and eating foods that are good for our bodies. “Green” or eco-friendly paints are becoming more and more popular in the paint industry for being a non-toxic paint choice. An eco-friendly paint doesn’t have any airborne gases or chemicals that can have negative effects on your health. 

Symptoms of inhaling these toxic chemicals (VOCs) can be anything from headaches to dizziness, visual and respiratory impairment or even memory loss. When you’re transforming a space into somewhere you want to be, you won’t want to be inhaling vapors that can cause any of the above-mentioned symptoms. Choose a “green”  or non-toxic paint, like Natura® from Benjamin Moore, and you won’t be disappointed.

What are VOCs?

The toxic airborne gases mentioned above are called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). When stripping paint or working on a painting project, these compounds can get released into the air, and when inhaled, these gases can cause symptoms like dizziness, headaches, visual and respiratory impairment and memory loss.

This article from the EPA states that the effects of VOCs can be recorded at a 2-5 time higher rate indoors vs outdoors. If you’re stripping paint while working on a home project, studies show that VOC levels can jump exponentially up to 1,000 times higher. The long-term effects aren’t known, but to keep your whole family safe, the best choice is to find a paint with a low or no-VOC rating and keep the area well-ventilated and giving it at least 4-6 hours to fully dry.

Can I use Natura® paint in the bathroom?

Not only can you use it, but Natura® paint is one of the best choices for bathrooms and is a popular non-toxic paint. When thinking about bathroom paint, you want a product that resists moisture (from showers/baths/sink) and can be cleaned off easily (hello electric toothbrush splatter!). In the bathroom, which most likely has the tightest quarters in the house, using a special non-toxic paint is important to keep you and your family safe from toxic fumes. Natura® paint has all the qualities to make it the ideal non-toxic paint to use inside your home.

How do I paint a bathroom?
  1. Pick the Best Paint for your Bathroom 
    1. Since bathrooms are wet places, it’s a good idea to get a paint that will withstand all the moisture. Natura® paint for the bathroom is a solid place to start. With cheaper, lower-quality brands, you’re bound to get streaky, moldy paint after a few steamy showers. Be sure to use a high-quality paint that won’t leach toxic chemicals into the air while you’re trying to get clean.
    2. Also, go for the eggshell or glossy coat. Think about the shower tiles that are glossy and water-resistant. Flat or matte paints don’t do well in bathrooms, since they can’t repel the moisture as well.
  2. Figure Out How Much Paint You Need
    1. With this handy paint calculator, type in the dimensions of your bathroom to figure out how much paint to get. The worst home improvement day is the day you didn’t get enough paint to cover every square inch. It’s also handy to have backup paint for touchups.
  3. Clean Surfaces You’re Going to Paint
    1. Dirty walls can really put a damper on your painting party. It is extremely important to clean the walls before you paint so everything sticks and lasts. Make sure to wash all surfaces that you plan to paint with water and mild soap, unless you’ve got quite a buildup.
    2. Gunk, like soap scum builds up around the bathtub and shower which can be a warning sign for future peeling paint (if you can even get it to stick in the first place). For a cheap and effective cleaning tool, check out Trisodium phosphate, or TSP; this could be considered a miracle cleaning product for painting. Of course, all surfaces need to be 100% dry to prep and paint, so consider splitting cleaning into the first day of a 2- or 3-day job to leave time to clean, prep, paint, and dry.
  4. Remove the Toilet Tank 
    1. It sounds hard to remove a toilet tank, but it’s harder to paint around one (and do a decent job). The hardest spot is the tight space between the tank and the wall. It’s so hard to get into, you’d have to work harder taping the whole thing up and painting carefully around it than just removing the tank for a half day.
    2. Removing a toilet tank may sound icky and hard to do, but it is pretty straightforward. Toilets come in two sections: the top tank and the bowl/base. The messier section is the base, which remains unmoved. Turn off the water supply at the shutoff valve on the wall (righty tighty), flush the toilet to get rid of all the water, then take the tank off with a couple of old towels and place it on the floor to catch any extra water. Try to wait to reattach it after the paint has fully dried if you can wait that long with one less toilet!
  5. Remove Any Other Wall Hangings
    1. Unscrew, dismantle, or unplug anything that might get in the way during painting, For the cleanest paint job possible, unscrew and take off all wall plates (tape the screws on each plate), mirrors, exhaust vents, towel racks, art, or any other items that you can take off easily. Take a photo before to remember where everything goes.
  6. Prep the Area: TAPE, TAPE, TAPE
    1. They say that prep work is the hardest part of painting. If you do a good job taping off mirrors, toilets, bathtubs, and sinks, the cleaner your paint job will look and the happier you’ll be with the results. Tape off the ceiling, trim, backsplash, and other areas that you don’t want to get paint on. Cover the floor with drop cloths and cover the counter well to keep paint from where it shouldn’t be. The nice thing about Natura® paint is the spatter-resistant quality, which keeps paint on the rollers and the walls and nowhere else.
  7. Use the Right Tools and Paint!
    1. You’ll want a shed-resistant roller with a tray and a 2-inch Nylon/Polyester edging brush. Start from the edges with a dry-ish brush to keep from dripping on the edges, then pick up the roller, get a good, even coating, and fill it in! With Natura® non-toxic paint, notice there’s barely any smell, meaning less VOCs while painting. If you’re painting over a dark color, you may need a second coat. Wait at least one hour between coats.
  8. Clean and Finish 
    1. This is the best part! Take off the tape and reveal your hard prep work with clean lines and spotless finish. After the paint has dried (Natura® paint is emission-free in only 4 hours), toss the drop cloths, rinse your tools, and store your extra paint for inevitable touchups. Label your paint can with “Bathroom” clearly so you know which paint is which. Replace all your electrical covers, the toilet tank, towel bars, and anything you took off the walls earlier. Next? Step back and admire your brand new coat of Natura® non-toxic paint!