Software
Houzz Logo Print
brooke_callahan47

Damp Area: Impervo alkyd enamel???

3 years ago

Our 2 year old twins have forced us into remodeling our entire bathroom
What I need:
Durable, easy to clean, true white
What I got:
True Value paint guy sold me two very expensive items he said was the best for the job. Easy to clean. Will stand up to wear & tear for years. My husband metaphorically crapped his pants and was speechless the rest of the day when he paid $150 for 1 gal primer (BIN)+ 1 gal paint (Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo Alkyd Low Lustre Enamel White)
(Not to mention the +$50 for brush, sanding sponge, etc...)
I would like to do this once and never again (ha ha) or at least not for a long time. I would like our home to be real estate quality for when we sell 5 years down the road.
So, I've been doing a lot of research to justify this being the paint we want/need but I'm finding some mixed reviews.
All cabinetry, vanity, is factory white.
Trim, windows, baseboards, gloss white.
Near the toilet, paint is all chipped due to frequent cleaning (& poor aim). Other areas are yellowing- likely pine wood grain showing through.
I've been reading this paint yellows over time. Difficult for touch ups down the road. I want it to match cabinetry: true, pure white, no undertone. How much will it yellow? The label says it will yellow more in a poorly ventilated area which is by definition, our bathroom. We have a 12 ft? high ceiling in our bathroom... very high... a humidifier and looking to install a ductless fan... there's water marks all over the walls from people forgetting to turn on the dehumidifier when showering. Poorly ventilated.
I also read there's a greater chance for chipping in a damp area.
If I use this paint and in 3 years it's yellow and chipped, I'm going to be sooooo heartbroken and my husband will probably be... not happy lol
PLEASE ADVICE!!!!!
(When trim is re-done, walls are getting painted Demask .... white with pink undertone... paint guy recommended the Impervo for the walls too!)

Comments (8)

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    We have that paint on the trim throughout our house--it's a high quality paint, and has held up well for 15 years in all but the highest traffic areas. Sadly you can't buy it in our state anymore (at least not in gallon sizes) but Benjamin Moore Advance has proven to be a good, though equally expensive, alternative. Oil-based paints do yellow a bit, but not in a way that bothers me particularly--more than worth it for the ease of cleaning/care, in my opinion. If you don't want yellowing, Advance will yellow a lot less, and Aura in a satin finish will be the truest white (but not as good as the other two for your use). We have all three in the same color so kind of a running case study over the years!

    For the walls, I would use Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa over the Impervo since I don't like glossy walls and have found the Bath & Spa to be great for our bathroom, but it is equally expensive so won't help much on that front. There are people who prefer satin or eggshell finishes for bathrooms and other damp spaces, though.

    Not sure where you're located or how much paint costs for the same products vary across the nation, but that doesn't seem like a crazy cost if it's for both the primer and the paint. Looks like Impervo runs $80-$110 per gallon where it's still sold. Advance isn't quite as much, but it's close. Probably won't help at this stage, but if it's a small bathroom and you're just doing the trim in the Impervo, you might have been able to get away with two quarts vs. a full gallon--depends on how much you have to paint. Just something to consider for the future. (It's usually not cost-effective unless you're sure two quarts will do it, though; once you get to three, it's almost as much as a gallon.)

  • 3 years ago

    Wow! Thank you so much,  Artemis78!!! I've been wondering if I'd ever get a reply before I had to make a decision, and your reply was very informative to boot! 

    My husband said return it and re-buy it at a box store but our local True Value had the best price on these two items by far, including purchasing from a BM direct. 

    So,  are you recommending 1 coat of BIN + 1 coat of IMPERVO + 1 coat of BATH & SPA for the walls?  I thought I'd  want an eggshell or semi for the walls to hide imperfections (this is a <1890's house that has never been renovated by a professional) but the True Value Paint guy said Impervo was surely the way to go with the kids & the frequency of cleaning.  Worried about having to do any touch ups and it won't match.  

    We have a giant bathroom, very tall ceilings, jacuzzi tub, and I have some furniture like a child size vanity and full size mirror that I was hoping to paint with the same products for everything to match.  I'll try to add more photos.  


    I found a full gallon of BIN upstairs in my paint closet that I don't think has ever been used but definitely has been opened, probably 10 years old and after researching expiry feeling the pressure to use as much of the new BIN & IMPERVO as possible if i decide to use it so it doesn't go to waste.  I have a lot of projects to use it on.

  • 3 years ago

    13' x 10' = 130 sq ft (panoramic photo of wall/ ceiling)

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I'm fairly sure Benjamin Moore has relatively tight control of their dealers so I don't think you'll see much variation in prices within a local market (unless you switch to a different product entirely). Ours swing $5-$10 at most. More problematically, though, most places won't take paint back if you've had it mixed in a color, so may be moot anyway. You might find the primer cheaper, but not sure it would be enough different to warrant the trip.

    What we have--which may or may not be right for what you want--is:

    - Trim likely has a coat of BIN plus two coats of Satin Impervo--previous owner did this in 2007 so not 100% sure, but it was professionally done--they left the primer and paint cans for us--and that's industry standard. It has held up well for an old house with two kids and a dog. I find Impervo is much easier for touchups over the years than the newer non-oil-based products, even with the slight yellowing.

    - Bathroom walls we did ourselves, so I know they have a coat of BIN 1-2-3 (similar primer to what you have) plus two coats of Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa. Bath & Spa is a matte paint and there are people who are advocates of an eggshell or satin finish for bathrooms--I haven't found the Bath & Spa a problem to clean (we painted it in 2011) and we had mildew/moisture problems before we repainted that went away, though no idea whether that was the primer or the paint. I find the Aura products in general are pretty friendly to old houses and their imperfections because they're somewhat thicker than some of the other BM products.

    I wouldn't use the 10-year-old primer for a project like this one--save it for something lower stakes, but not where you need to be sure it's at peak performance and don't want to repaint anytime soon.

  • 3 years ago

    12 ft (?) Ceiling height

  • 3 years ago

    I love Satin Impervo, but it’s oil and will yellow. It’s not good for White paints. I loved BIN in a dry climate, not in NOLA. I does not hold up to humidity at all, unless coated. My suggestion, use Advance for Whites and tint the impervo a color and use that. Use Kilz instead of BIN.

  • 3 years ago

    Also, I 2nd Aura Bath for the walls. Advance for trim, impervo for cabinets.

  • 3 years ago

    2 coats for aura, 3 coats for advance and 3 coats for impervo.