[CyrusR]

Last week we turned over one of the rentals for my in-laws to move into. They wanted their son's room painted like my son's room, with two white walls, and two walls in a bright green, Behr Grape Green (400B-5). This is a deep base color, and when I've painted with it in the past, it has taken three coats to cover. It was 5:30, and the real paint stores were closed, so I took a chance on a gallon of Behr Marquee, hoping that one gallon and two coats would do the job on the almost 200 square feet of wall I had to cover.

Equipment:

1. 3/8" nap Purdy White Dove roller cover.
2. 2.5" Proform Picasso angle oval brush.
3. 1 gallon deep base Behr Marquee Interior Eggshell in Grape Green

The good:

1. Full hide and depth of color in two coats, rather than three or four. Even at the cut-ins, where I sometimes brush out too thin and have to go back again, the color was perfect in two coats.
2. Self-priming over the numerous patched nail and pin holes in the walls was excellent. No flashing was visible.

The bad:

1. This stuff sets up fast. I'll usually roll out a section, then lay it off with downward strokes of the roller. With Marquee, this doesn't give good results. The open time is so short that the result of my attempts to lay off was that, when you look at the wall at a shallow angle, you can see every vertical roller stroke in the dried film. Given the time constraints I was under, I didn't fix it, but if you're either picky or a professional, it's something to watch out for. Pace PACMan, I didn't notice grit in the finish, but it didn't lay out smooth, either.

So, the paint saved me time and money by covering in two coats, but someone would need better, or just faster, roller technique than I have to get it to look really good. I would use Marquee again for difficult colors like greens and yellows, and where perfect finish wasn't essential, but don't see it as a mainstay. There's no benefit to it with colors that would normally cover in two coats, and it costs more and is harder to use.

 

[chrisn]

Switch to a 1/2 inch nap instead of the 3/8 and you would probably avoid all that you had problems with.

 

[klaatu]

Marquee covers great! Just like the marketing claims. It's also a very durable paint. It's just a pain in the arse to apply sometimes and it flashes like crazy at times. But some people are just happy to be done with the job and don't concern themselves the finish itself. They want a wall purple, two coats and it's purple.

But coverage and hide isn't the only thing that makes a paint worth $40 a gallon, regardless of what the marketing says.

 

[klaatu]

Switch to a 1/2 inch nap instead of the 3/8 and you would probably avoid all that you had problems with.

I would go to a 9/16" microfiber. This stuff is supposed to be applied 6 mils wet, and that's hard enough with a 9/16". 3/4" might even be the way to go. The problems with the fast set up could be because people are trying to apply it at a normal mil thickness and it's just kicking off to quickly.

Wait a minute! Why the heck am I helping people figure out how to apply a product that I don't sell? Because I care about the integrity of this trade that's why.

 

[blackjack]

you get the gold star pac!

the described problem is one that I have experienced A LOT with Behr products. i dunno if they've changed much over the years but i can't for the life of me figure out why on earth anyone would want to cover everything in enamel. That's like coating every surface in nail polish. It'll work in a pinch if you don't know what to look for (or don't care)...but there are definitely better products for the same pricepoint.. thanks for sharing the experience cyrus

 

[klaatu]

you get the gold star pac!

the described problem is one that I have experienced A LOT with Behr products. i dunno if they've changed much over the years but i can't for the life of me figure out why on earth anyone would want to cover everything in enamel. That's like coating every surface in nail polish. It'll work in a pinch if you don't know what to look for (or don't care)...but there are definitely better products for the same pricepoint.. thanks for sharing the experience cyrus

What does "gold star pac" mean?

 

[CyrusR]

Under the circumstances, I just had to be done with the job, and it's a kid's room, in a rental, for the in-laws... I wondered about the best roller cover to use, but didn't see anything searching the web on my phone while I waited for the clerk to mix my paint, and knew better than to ask him. The can and TDS just say to use a 3/8" to 1/2" cover, which isn't too helpful. It's apparent that I spread it too thin because I had too much paint left over.

The nearest California dealer is 45 minutes away on a good day.

 

[chrisn]

I would go to a 9/16" microfiber. This stuff is supposed to be applied 6 mils wet, and that's hard enough with a 9/16". 3/4" might even be the way to go. The problems with the fast set up could be because people are trying to apply it at a normal mil thickness and it's just kicking off to quickly.

Wait a minute! Why the heck am I helping people figure out how to apply a product that I don't sell? Because I care about the integrity of this trade that's why.

I would also, but is not 9/16 equal to 1/2?

 

[ZTMAN]

No. 9/16 is 1/16 larger, according to my fifth grade math class

 

[klaatu]

I would also, but is not 9/16 equal to 1/2?

1/2=8/16. A 1/2" microfiber would be a good alternative if your "paint" store doesn't carry 9/16".

1/2=.50 9/16=.5625 if you are so inclined.

 

[chrisn]

No. 9/16 is 1/16 larger, according to my fifth grade math class

True enough, if I was still a drinking man, I would use that as an excuse , but I have none:vs_peace:

 

[ChuckF.]

I hate that paint manufacturers seem to be designing their paint for ever-faster drying. It makes it near impossible to do a decent paint job on a paneled door, or to keep a brush wet, or to keep the very edge of a roller cover from drying.

 

[Jmayspaint]

I hate that paint manufacturers seem to be designing their paint for ever-faster drying. It makes it near impossible to do a decent paint job on a paneled door, or to keep a brush wet, or to keep the very edge of a roller cover from drying.

I think it's a consequence of low and zero VOC formulations. With less violates to off gas, the solids inevitably start to set up faster.

The quicker set up and dry times have certainly necessitated some technique changes in the past several years.


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[ToolSeeker]

Also they make extenders that slow the drying down.

 

[klaatu]

I think it's a consequence of low and zero VOC formulations. With less violates to off gas, the solids inevitably start to set up faster.

The quicker set up and dry times have certainly necessitated some technique changes in the past several years.


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Ever try Fresh coat Unite from California? It doesn't have these kinds of application problems. No draggy brush, no sticky roller, great lay-out (for a latex), better hide and coverage, and best of all the same price range as Marquee. Not to say Unite is the best, but the low and 0-voc formulations reason doesn't cut it for anyone able and willing to NOT buy Marquee. The product development funds for Marquee were probably a third of what Cali spent on Unite. All the money for Marquee is in the marketing and television adds. And that is why this homeowner wanted Marquee.

 

[mathmonger]

I tried a little Marquee on a bathroom today. I was doing dark blue over white. I could do the big open areas in one coat with a little effort. Cut ins and tight spots were impossible to do in one coat. It does drag really hard. Slowed me down a lot and my wrist hurt. And I'm used to using SuperPaint, which is not the thinnest paint. It sprayed little blue dots all over the top of the tile and the sink and the top of the toilet. I would say it is actually worse than Premium Plus Ultra as far as spraying all over the place. And on the second coat, the roller lifted up my cut-ins in a few spots. I guess I didn't give them enough time to dry.