My Ace only carries Ben in exterior, Ben and Regal Select in interior. We can order Regal Select exterior, but we only had room to do the minimum that Benjamin Moore requires, so Ben is what we stock. It is a lower line than Regal Select, but I've had good feedback on it. Both Ben and Regal Select are part of BM's Gennex line of paint, where the colorant doesn't add any VOC. I just saw that BM is coming out with a new line in their Gennex paint (the names escapes me right now), which would be the cheaper, entry level. BEN would be the next up, then Regal Select, then Aura. I wouldn't call Ben "low-end", but you could step it up if you want premium quality.

I suspect they mean Superspec and other contractor-type BM lines (I'm not familiar with them aside from reading on GW).

From best to not

Here is a link that might be useful: BM exterior paints

I tried the Ben exterior paint one time and thought it was crap. Stick with Moorguard for exterior. You don't want to compromise with exterior paints. If your Ace doesn't have it, then find a real BM supplier.

I agree with paintguy, but, it looked like they no longer have mooreguard? I always used soft gloss and liked it.

nix that last post, they do still make it and it is very good quality. I use it on my own home.

Well Benjamin Moore is just going crazy now with all these brands and lines. A painter can't keep it straight much less a homeowner. Regal and Regal Select? I just wonder when the big dogs are sitting around the marketing table, why nobody would mention, "Hey, don't you think this is going to create some confusion?"

And then someone else would say, "Yes, that's the point...to create enough confusion so that everyone will just buy Aura!" And then another guy will chime in, "Yes, and while we are at it, let's lower the quality of all all the lesser lines to give even more motivation for everyone to buy Aura. We know that our brand name is strong enough now so that everyone won't switch to Sherwin Williams, right?"

Discuss this and other conspiracy theories amongst yourselves.

"If your Ace doesn't have it, then find a real BM supplier."

Well that was snarky, but I agree about the confusion in BM's product selection and have heard nothing but praise for MoorGaurd.

What does snarky mean?
I just meant that Ace seems to be carrying only certain lines now and it is totally worth it to shop somewhere else in order to get the proper paint.

Perhaps this will help minimize the confusion:

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/product-catalog#advs=0amp;tab=0

snarky [ÃÂsnÃÂÃÂkê]
adj
Informal unpleasant and scornful
[from sarcastic + nasty]

I just get a little prickly at the idea that not carrying the full BM line makes my store less than a "real" BM distributor. We're real, just limited. However, if my customers want a product I don't have and can't get, I'm happy to help them find another source.

Some Ace stores do carry the full BM line. They have to order directly from BM and probably stocked BM before the advent of the Gennex paints. Others only carry the Gennex lines due to reasons regarding distribution and product assortment.

Addendum: I'm admittedly over-sensitive to the word "real" in the context it gets used on here, ie: real paint store, real BM store. In my part of the country, both are few and far between. However, I realize people will give the best advice they can in the way that they see things, and that's what's great about GW. Even though I dislike the "real" comments, I don't expect anyone to censor themselves on my behalf. ;)

Jamie, my apologies for the thread hijack! Did you make any decisions about what to use?

Sorry Jessica, I really didn't even know you worked for an Ace store. Obviously, it wasn't my intent to be unpleasant and scornful. My Ace has stopped carrying the Moorguard too. It's not like I shop there often, but it's closer than my other supplier. I'm not going to go so far as to say it upsets me, but if that Ace store is not carrying the good stuff anymore, then it's not a 'real' option for me as a place where I can buy BM paint. It's true they still sell paint there, but just not what I need.

Actually when I asked about exterior paints they said "Ben" was their only Benjamin Moore exterior paint, which surprised me.

Since I have hit a brick wall as far as my color is concerned, the type of paint is the least of my problems....

Thanks for all the input. Once I figure out my color, I think I will try the other Benjamin Moore store thats a little further away. I will look for Moorguard.

When I lived in Ohio, had my choice of BenM stores. Now I live in Texas and there isn't a real BenM store for miles and miles.

If I want BenM, I have to go to an ACE store. They have exactly one employee who can (will) mix BenM paint. If he's not there, you have to go back.

When you can finally catch up with him, he does a mighty fine job mixing up real BenM colors in real BenM paint.

:)

Exterior products I like to spec are BenM Moorgard and SW Super Paint. Super paint is one of the best values at that price point and grade for the money. Also, Super Paint satin has a nice lustre to it - not too shiny. (disclaimer that darker colors can show shinier)

I learned this lesson the hard way - purchased $900 worth of 'Ben' exterior flat paint for my Certainteed Cement Siding, and it didn't "lay right" according to my painter. He tried to spray & brush it, and it had streaks and discoloration. Maybe it was because of the color (a medium to dark gray), but we ended up switching to Porter paint and it worked fine. The rep wouldn't refund any of the amount because he said it looked fine to him... so I'm stuck with $900 worth of useless paint.

quote" The rep wouldn't refund any of the amount because he said it looked fine to him... so I'm stuck with $900 worth of useless paint."

A Ben Moore rep??

Donate to habitat for humanity

I too have had problems with the Ben exterior paint I laid down 3-4 years ago and can't recommend it.

First off it bubbled in many spots. I chalked this up to poor surface prep and scraped and painted the bubbles as they happened. Problem solved, except 3-4 years on now and they're still happening.

The next thing I noticed was that the color continued to darken over time. Fine I thought, I actually like it a bit darker.

Following that I noticed that the low luster sheen disappeared and became flat. "Normal aging" I thought.

The last straw was that last summer I had to do some touch up on the south side of the house and realized how wildly badly my saved paint no longer matched that which was on the house. The south side in particular has faded from deli mustard yellow (BM Turmeric) to having a pukie pink undertone. My trim color has changed as well from a dark leathery brown (BM Satchel) to having an annoying luminescent red undertone.

BM has suggested that Tumeric in an outside application requires a tinted primer underneath it, but I bought this paint at the largest BM dealer in my city and nobody once mentioned that at purchase.

I love the Benjamin Moore color stories interior colors but this Ben exterior line is a bust imho. I won't purchase again and will be looking to Sherwin Williams when I next do the outside. That'll be next summer at this rate. Hell the front of my house is so pink and splotchy with bubble patches that I wish I could do it this year.