Benjamin Moore Guru

Benjamin Moore Arborcoat Color Samples are a little hard to find on their website, so here is a link!  

http://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/ColorCardUpdate/USArborcoat/index.html

Keep in mind this is online, so the color representation is only approximate. 

 Everyone wants a metallic or pearlescent finish on their walls!  It’s understandable, it looks cool!  It’s new, interesting, and can be elegant.  What’s the problem then?  There is a LOT of misinformation about it.  Let me try to clear some things up.

Benjamin Moore makes two metallic finish products.  One is a metallic glaze, and the other is a hammered metallic.  Neither of these products are a consistent solid finish!

Studio Finishes Metallic Glaze (620) is a very transparent water based GLAZE, not paint.  A glaze is meant for two toned decorative faux finishing.  You can achieve many different looks with a glaze including Sponging, Ragging, Strie, etc.  All these techniques are done with a base coat of regular latex paint in one color, and then a transparent glaze in a second color applied with a specific faux technique.  This gives you an inconsistent decorative finish.  You will see both colors.

Please visit this page for examples of faux finishing: http://tinyurl.com/fauxfinishing Ok, so you want a solid metallic finish?  You want it to look like the color chip from Benjamin Moore?  Unfortunately that will be difficult, sorry.  The color chip looks solid, and is misleading.  You may think your glaze will look like that chip, but it won’t (at least not easily).  The chip is printed to show you what the color would look like.  It is not possible to make a chip transparent, so your chip is solid and your glaze is transparent.

Benjamin Moore does not recommend using the Metallic Glaze as a solid finish, because it is difficult to achieve a consistent film without lap marks.  If you brush or roll a transparent glaze, then you get lap marks!  Everywhere you overlap will show.  It doesn’t blend easily and will look very obvious.  It isn’t pretty.

There is hope.  If you are going to try to achieve a solid look, then please follow the instructions below.  Remember it won’t be easy, but it is possible.

 Paint your wall with a base coat of regular latex paint in a color that is very similar to the glaze color.

Apply the glaze with a spray gun.  Make sure to keep a wet edge to minimize lap marks.

You will see the color of the base coat through the glaze, so choose a very similar color.  Spraying the glaze will avoid lap marks.  Seem simple?  It’s not.  If you fail Benjamin Moore will not stand behind it.  Good luck!

Here are the 620 custom Pearlescent Colors:

Studio Finishes  Molten Metallics 621 is a solid solvent based oil paint with a hammered finish.  It has inconsistent lines which makes it look like hammered metal.  It could also be described to be similar to a crackled look (without the cracking).  Solvent based oil paint is going to have a strong odor, and you should have adequate ventilation when using it inside.

Molten Metallics is great for using on ferrous metal interior or exterior, as it is rust inhibitive.  It can be put on most substrates including ceilings, walls, furniture, etc.   It has a high gloss finish, and is very hard and durable.

Sherwin Williams claims to have "Industry-Leading" colorants. See the article here: http://www.sherwin-williams.com/home-builders/specifications/colorcast-eco-toners/

In reality SW is just playing catch up to Benjamin Moore (not very quickly I might add).  Benjamin Moore has been using a Zero VOC water based colorant system called Gennex for many years.  Gennex is the pigment system used to shade custom colors in Benjamin Moore Low VOC and Zero VOC latex paints; including Aura, Natura, Regal Select, ben, Eco Spec, Ultra Spec 500, and many more.

Gennex pigment is engineered and manufactured by Benjamin Moore in the USA.  They are one of the only companies that do not buy their pigments from a third party.  This gives Benjamin Moore an advantage of having much higher quality control on performance and tinting colors.

Benjamin Moore's Williamsburg color collection was introduced soon after they acquired the license in early 2013.  This palette is based on pigments used 250 years ago, and has an authentic 18th-and-early-19th-century colors selection.

Williamsburg color collection has 144 colors with the numbering system "CW dash two or three digits" (CW-xx, CW-xxx).

Benjamin Moore's Off-White Colors is a collection of off white colors pulled from existing collections.  Almost every color in this collection can be found in another collection.  All the colors were re-numbered for this collection.  You will find most of these colors have two numbers; one from the original collection and one from the Off-Whites collection.  Some of the names are the same, and some of the names are different.  There is not any reasoning behind why the names were changed, other than marketing.

Off-Whites colors have 140 colors with the numbering system "OC dash one, two, or three numbers" (OC-x, OC-xx, OC-xxx).

Benjamin Moore's Historical Color collection is made from colors that were matched from historical homes and buildings in the United States from the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Some of the Historical locations are: National Park Service - Philadelphia, PA Powell Room - Philadelphia Museum Of Art - Philadelphia, PA Hendrickson House - Holmdel, NJ Greenfield Village - Dearborn, MI Shakertown Museum - Auburn, KY Gallier House - New Orleans, LA Bouregard House - New Orleans, LA Campbell-Whittlesey House - Rochester, NY Bruster-Burke House - Rochester, NY Stone Talon House - Rochester, NY.

Specific information about time frame and location of each color is unknown. Historical Colors have 174 colors with the numbering system "HC dash two or three digits" (HC-xx, HC-xxx).

Benjamin Moore's Color Stories collection was introduced in 2011.  It was designed to be a unique and cutting edge full spectrum color collection.  Full spectrum colors are meant to be metameric, meaning they change the way they look in different lighting. 

The Color Stories collection has 240 colors with the numbering system "CSP dash one to four digits" (CSP-x, CSP-xx, CSP-xxx, CSP-xxxx)

The formulas used to achieve these colors are very complex and purposely use numerous pigments instead of the minimum needed.  This will cause your perception of the color to change as the lighting changes.  For example:  Your gold color could look yellow in the morning, warm orange at dusk, and muted greenish gold at night.

Color Stories colors are only available to be made in Benjamin Moore's Aura interior paint.  The full spectrum formulation makes these colors difficult or impossible to match.  So, don't plan on getting a good match in a lower line or competitors paint. When the test market was done Color Stories colors were numbered differently as "CS dash number" (CS-xx).  Most of these original "CS" colors were crossed over exactly into to the "CSP" line, but some were discontinued.

You will find a wide range of colors from off whites to deep reds.

Benjamin Moore's Affinity color collection was introduced around 2005.  It was rolled out in conjunction with the new high end paint Aura.  At the time these colors were only available in Aura, but availability has since been expanded to almost all Gennex tinted products and Regal Classic.  If you choose a product that is not Gennex (or Regal Classic), then these colors can be matched, but the color accuracy is only approximate and isn't guaranteed.

Affinity has 144 colors with the numbering system "AF dash two digits" (AF-xx).

This collection is made of unique colors that were engineered specifically to look harmonious with one another.  You can pick any 2 or 3 Affinity colors and they will look good together.  This makes the collection limited to a small amount of colors, but simplifies color selection if used exclusively on a project.

Benjamin Moore's  Classic Color collection has been current since 1986.  It was introduced as Moore-O-Matic III in 1986 and was used exclusively until around 1999 when it was discontinued for the roll out of Color Preview.  After many requests, Benjamin Moore reintroduced MOM-III as Classic Colors in the year 2000.  The names and numbers have not changed since 1986.

It has 1,680 colors with the numbering system of three or four digit numbers starting with "001" and ending with "1680". (001-1680).

 This collection was formed by color matching a plethora of wide ranging items.  Some were matched from pictures or existing paint samples, others were from a favorite towel or sweater.  The colors came from everywhere and from everyday life.  This mish mosh of colors were then methodically arranged to flow as a collection. 

Classic Colors are mostly complex and muted.  You will find colors that are earthy and subdued.  It may lack more modern clean and vibrant colors.

Benjamin Moore's Color Preview color collection was introduced around the year 2000.  It was a new color collection that bolstered the new tint system, which allowed for much deeper and vibrant colors.

It has 1,240 colors with the numbering sequence "two thousand - two digits" (2xxx-xx).

Color Preview can also be known as an abbreviated "CP" colors and are often incorrectly referred to as "Regal colors".

The collection is very chromatic, meaning each color strip starts with the deepest possible hue and the next color is a tint of that hue.  As you add white you get lighter tints of that hue.  This is the only Benjamin Moore collection that was engineered with this method in mind. 

Color Preview colors are simplistic and clean.  You will find colors that are bright, vibrant, and have depth.  Color Preview is limited in muted and complex colors.

What is a fan deck?  A fan deck is a color tool used to choose paint colors.  It is usually a collection of color chips (or paper color samples) bound together with a pin or ring.  When spread out it looks like a "fan".

Benjamin Moore has quite a few fan decks, but there are 5 main ones that will encompass almost all of their current colors.  Color Preview, Classic Colors, Affinity Collection, Color Stories, and Williamsburg.

Color Preview -  Newer versions of this fan deck contains 1,240 Color Preview colors (2xxx-xx) ,  140 Off White colors (OC-xx), 42 Americas Colors (AC-xx), 174 Historical Colors (HC-xx), and Ready Mixed Colors (no numbers)

Classic Colors - This fan deck contains the 1,680 Classic Colors (001-1680), 174 Historical Colors (HC-xx), and Ready Mixed Colors (no numbers)

Affinity Collection - This fan deck has larger chips of 144 Affinity Colors (AF-xx)

Color Stories - This fan deck consists of 240 Color Stories Colors (CSP-xxx)

Williamsburg Collection - This fan deck consists of 144 Williamsburg Colors (CW-xx)

Benjamin Moore will provide larger color chips for free!  It is difficult to choose a color from a small chip or a fan deck.  After you narrow your choices down you can order larger chips (size depends on the color collection).

It's easy!  Just... 

Benjamin Moore acquired Coronado when they purchased Insl-x.  Coronado is best known for architectural paint for home owners and professionals.  Coronado products are a good option for decent quality at a budget conscious price.  Contractors will also find many useful professional, commercial, and specialty products.

Benjamin Moore purchased Insl-x in 2008.  They are known for their specialty coatings including numerous primers, pool paints, and floor coatings.

You can find Insl-x products at most Benjamin Moore retailers.  A retailer can usually order a product if they don't stock it.  You may also find Insl-x at stores that do not sell Benjamin Moore paint.

Benjamin Moore purchased Coronado and Insl-x.  All three companies had an industrial line.  Benjamin Moore consolidated the best products from all three industrial lines to reduce redundant sku's.  This line is called Corotech.

This is Benjamin Moore's official website.