Thanks @Lori A. Sawaya for all the info. Now if only I could find the GU for the SW Infinity paint. I found a SW listing for all of the other paints they sell at their stores https://images.sherwin-williams.com/content_images/sw-pdf-sheen-gloss-guide.pdf?_ga=2.188363116.511743820.1590438644-844198119.1546202366. I'll keep looking, although from what yous aid I gather it may not be super helpful to compare how Behr rate their GU vs.how SW do.

it may not be super helpful to compare how Behr rate their GU vs.how SW

You can try but not sure what you're gonna get.

Scroll to "Data Sheet": https://www.hgtvhomebysherwinwilliams.com/paint-products/infinity-interior-paint

SW Infinity Eggshell: https://www.paintdocs.com/docs/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=HGSW&prodno=IN2023001&doctype=PDS&lang=2

SW Infinity Satin: https://www.paintdocs.com/docs/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=HGSW&prodno=IN2024001&doctype=PDS&lang=2

I've gone down this road. My eyes tell me that when I have compared Behr to Benjamin Moore, Valspar or Sherwin Williams the Behr paint is always shinier than the other brands. Trying to find the sheen levels so that I could provide data driven decision making I found that sheen is far more complicated than taking a single measurement.

This is true for measuring color as well.

To measure color for comparison the standards organization defined a very exacting method for measuring color. They define the light source and the angle of the light that must be used to measure the resulting color data. The standard specifies that the light must be measured using a light source with a 6504 Kelvin temperature measurement at a 2 degree viewing angle. Using this information we can determine the difference between 2 colors. What we can't do is state what specifically how a color will look in your environment where the quality of light is not standard and the viewing angle is not standard and how a color will look based on the gloss level of the paint that you have selected..

The same is true for gloss levels. As with measuring color , there are standards for measuring gloss/sheen levels of a surface with a specific amount of light at a specific viewing angle.

The sheen of a paint will be impacted by the smoothness of the surface that it is painted on, the application method used to apply the paint, the wicking levels of the substrait that is under the paint, the temperature and humidity levels that are present as the paint dries, the amount and chemical makeup of pigment added to the paint. In addition to this it will be impacted if you thin the paint and what you use to thin the paint.

I am not aware of a standard for measuring paint sheen that defines all of the variables that can be encountered that changes the gloss level of the final dried surface. The best you will see is a fairly large range of possible outcomes.

Thanks for the gloss/ sheen link and the technical info. Very helpful and timely. I am having the laundry painted. It is a 6x8 room and I was looking on SW for a low sheen product. Today I saw this post and ran out to my garage to check all my old paint cans to compare..

In 1996, a pro painter used Promar 200 eg-shel (I picked “designer white” color SW 1904). In 2009 we repainted the same color with SW Super Paint satin finish. When the painter started in the hallway and den, the sheen was way too shiny it made me dizzy. Rather than the walls receding, the satin sheen highlighted the knockdown texture, such that it jumped off the walls. I had to decide immediately or shut up. I ran and got Promar 200 eg-shell finish, same as before, and all was fine. And 7 gallons of SW Super Paint satin finish were used to paint the garage. Still have 2 left over.

The chart shows SW Promar 200 eg-shel has a slightly lower gloss/sheen value than SW Super Paint satin. In my home, lighting, texture, etc., the satin was way too shiny. Now in the garage, the satin sheen has greatly mellowed, due to age and maybe dust. Also, in the kitchen, a new gallon of Promar 200 for touch up looks shinier than the older 2009 Promar 200 on the wall.

Based on the data for your SW Infinity paint, the satin values look much higher than the eg-shel. I think you will find the eg-shel is sufficient. I think the satin finish will be too shiny. I made a big mistake in 2009, but caught it early. I suggest buying 1 quart and testing the sheen. Good luck!

I suggest buying 1 quart and testing the sheen. Good luck!

That's really the only way to know for sure - buy the brand, grade, color and sheen you want to use.

The gloss level chart helps a lot when you're trying to decide which quarts to invest in.

Just like levels of dry wall finishing, professional painters will often speak to gloss levels of paint using these standards.

@ dianeski

Years ago I saw a paint with this great sandy texture and though wow- this will look great in my master bath. I bought a beautiful gray green sage color and went home and painted a large test board. This was it! It was perfect!

Then I painted the walls (Textured with heavy orange peel). All the texture on texture and something happened. It wasn't the same as my smooth board with this smooth sand appearance. It was shaded and spotty. It was sand pitted by rain in an alley instead of a sun filled smooth beach.

I called a friend to come over and take a look - maybe it was just me - it couldn't be this bad. She took one look and said it reminded her of the Texaco restrooms you find on the highway going out to the desert. Not exactly the look I was going for!