Ever heard about Benjamin Moore paints with Gennex technology?

Advancements in the paint industry are evolving at a rapid pace and while it is hard to keep up on all the new trends, we are here to help guide the way. From Aura Color Stores, which includes extra pigments (without black or gray) for bolder colors, to patented formulas that keep your fresh coat looking fresh for years, Benjamin Moore is at the forefront of innovation. This article will walk you through some of the most impressive developments from Benjamin Moore and explain the differences between them. 

Just about a decade ago, Benjamin Moore paint with Gennex technology was born. It was found that some ingredients, like Universal Tinting Colorant, would cause paints to fade and look worse over a short period of time. With a passion for creating long-lasting Benjamin Moore paint types, they introduced, Gennex®, a new formula with colorants that last—and look good.

How Does Gennex® Work?

Most paints on the market require certain chemicals, including one or more surfactants, or wetting agents, to help with the ease of use and color, as well as the flow and leveling of the paint once it is all dried. These same chemicals have been found to make paint weak, affecting the quality and durability, especially in dark colors. Benjamin Moore paints with Gennex technology changed all of that with waterborne colorants and without unnecessary ingredients that weaken paint. 

Gennex® Paint Provides:

• Consistent Quality: You can choose any color from the Benjamin Moore paint types in their catalog and be more than happy with the results—long after the paint has dried. The deepest colors are tested and proven to be just as durable as the whites. 
• Superior Hide: Extreme color changes, stains, and other imperfections can make it hard to do a smooth paint job in fewer coats. Gennex® gives you the coverage you need with just two coats, making jobs easier on your body and your wallet.
• Stable Viscosity: With stability threatening UTCs in most paints, they can become watery, or even too thick, making brush and roller flow a pain. Gennex® makes sure that Benjamin Moore paints keep the perfect texture for painting–no matter the color.
• Exterior Excellence: Gennex® colorants help exterior paints last outside in every color. Combine our bold-colored Aura® Exterior paints with Gennex® colorants for extreme protection against the harshest weather.
• Zero-VOC and Low Odor: Sticking to The Green Promise®, Benjamin Moore offers a huge range of zero-VOC paints with low odor. They even stay zero-VOC after being tinted with Gennex® waterborne colorants—you can’t say the same for paints with Universal Tinting Colorant.

What are the different types of paint?

If you’re just starting out in the paint world, it can be overwhelming once you get into the details. What’s the difference between a primer and a top coat? We’re here to give you the basics and explain the different Benjamin Moore paint types you can get and what you’d need them for. 

There are three main categories of paint:

Architectural: Decorate and Protect
This includes interior and exterior paint for homes, offices, hotels, hospitals, and public spaces.

Industrial: Ultimate Protection
This includes paint utilized to protect metal structures from rust, wear and tear, and weather. Also, industrial paint is used to color-code pipes, to paint bridges, steel, railings, and factories.

Special Purpose: Appliances, Cars, Roads
This category includes paint for appliances, like your fridge or freezer, spray paint, car paint, and marine paint. Besides traffic paint, most special purpose paint is used for protection.

Since you are most likely working with “architectural” paint, we’ll get into the subcategories, so you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for when you visit Da Kine Paints, your Kahului paint supply store on Maui.

Exterior Paint: This type of paint protects the surface from damaging factors such as UV rays, water, and other elements. It’s designed for use in outdoor environments where it will be exposed to harsh weather conditions. Benjamin Moore paints with Gennex® technology are made to resist fading while also protecting against chipping and peeling that can happen over time because of sun exposure. Exterior paint is used for outdoor surfaces that are more exposed to direct sunlight & rain, such as walls and trim in a yard or house exterior so they stay bold and vibrant longer without losing their color over time.

Interior Paint: Typically used on walls, ceilings, or other surfaces inside a home (such as woodwork or furniture pieces) that don’t get much direct sunlight, interior paints are usually more washable than exterior paint so they’re easier to maintain and touch up when necessary. 

Stain: A stain is a type of paint that can be used to color wood trim and furniture, which doesn’t require priming, though you can use a stain on wood that’s already been primed with an oil-based primer. A lot of people will start by staining to protect their furniture and later go back over it with paint, which provides more durability for the piece in the long run. 

Primer: A primer is the first coat you apply to any surface before painting it, which helps the next coat stick to the surface. Primers are usually made from acrylics and/or silicone compounds that are designed to form a sort of “shield” over the surface you’re applying it to. This works by filling in any imperfections or cracks within its structure, so they don’t show through when painted. 

Benjamin Moore Paint Grades Explained

When we’re talking about the “grade” of paint, we mean the different product lines and quality levels of paint that a manufacturer creates. By the end of this article, we’ll have all of the Benjamin Moore paint grades explained and discuss the different reasons you’d use each one.

Top Quality: Aura
Bright, true colors, extreme hide, smooth leveling, and long-lasting paint.

This choice is one of the most high-quality paints on the market. Aura is a very bold, thick, durable paint with a mildew-resistant coating and extreme hide that only gets better with each coat. You can even skip the primer, as Aura is self-priming and zero-VOC, keeping fumes from crashing your painting party. A gallon can cover a whopping 350 to 400 square feet, making the price difference worth it on many levels. If you’re redoing your bathrooms, there’s even a special mildew-resistant bath & spa version. Choose from thousands of perfectly bright (or tasteful) colors with all the regular finishes: matte, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss for your interior projects.

Next Up: Regal Select
Perfect for any in-home job with zero-VOCs, mildew resistance, and easy cleaning.

One of the other lines available is the Regal Select line, an acrylic paint and primer with a mildew-resistant coating. This line is a bit below the price point of the Aura line, but it’s still a high quality, zero-VOC paint and available in most places. Regal Select is another one of the highest-quality paints on the market and is best used for home improvement projects that involve wood, masonry, drywall, plaster, or non-ferrous metals. The finished product is easy to keep clean with soap and water and covers 400 to 450 square feet, which is better coverage than Aura.

ben® Waterborne Interior Paint
Self-priming, low-odor paint great for home improvement projects.

If you have a big project and not a lot of resources, ben® Waterborne Interior Paint, a premium-quality acrylic latex paint, is a great choice for a self-priming, zero-VOC low-odor paint with a protective mildew-resistant coating. Choose from a flat, eggshell, or semi-gloss finish for all sorts of home improvement projects. Coming in at about half the price of Aura, this paint covers 400-450 square feet for comparable coverage with Regal Select.

ADVANCE® Interior Paint
A premium quality, durable, high-end finish ideal for doors, trim, and cabinets. 

ADVANCE® is Benjamin Moore’s waterborne alkyd coating, which is different (and better) than conventional alkyd coatings (used for smooth finishes on doors and cabinets). With the benefits of both its competitors—latex and oil paint, ADVANCE® gives you the desired flow and leveling you’d expect from oil-based paints with the easy soap and water cleanup of latex-based paints. Plus, with the industry-changing Gennex® zero-VOC colorant system, even the darkest colors keep low levels of VOCs. You get the most coverage from this gallon at 400-500 square feet.

Ask Da Kine Paints for Help

Do you still want to have Benjamin Moore paint grades explained? Or do you have any other questions about an upcoming painting job? We’d be happy to help you out— by phone at (808) 871-9381 or in person at your friendly Kahului paint supply store in Maui.