Product Review: Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior House Paint

Sherwin-Williams premium exterior latex house paint, Duration, offers painters and homeowners an impressive list of benefits. Painters will likely most appreciate its self-priming or its one-coat characteristic. Homeowners will surely rank its generous guarantee at the top of the list.

Sherwin-Williams guarantees its Duration exterior house paint for "as long as you own your home." This is a guarantee that reflects the paint manufacturer's confidence in its finest offering. It's a confidence that has been earned and validated for over ten years. It also gives homeowners, who select Sherwin-Williams' Duration as the exterior coating for their home, an assurance that leads to some priceless peace of mind.

Here are some of the key benefits of Sherwin-Williams Duration house paint:

• Guaranteed for as long as you own your home

• One-coat, self-priming performance

• No blistering, no peeling - virtually no maintenance

• Available in Flat, Satin and Gloss finishes

• Good Housekeeping seal

• Available in 5-gallon pails

• No thinning is required

I painted approximately 3,400 square feet of new wood siding with Duration flat/no gloss. Coverage was as stated on the cans: 250-300 square feet per gallon.

Predominantly, I applied Duration using an airless sprayer, but some areas required the use of a roller, and others called for a brush. The application instructions specify 2,000 psi for the sprayer, and the use of a .015" - .019" spray tip. I used a .015" spray tip and found it to be very effective for applying Duration. The paint went down smoothly and evenly and I only had tip clogging at normal intervals on a 72°F day.

Sherwin-Williams Duration is self-priming and can be effective, under some circumstances, using only one coat. Some money could be saved by using another primer when applying a second coat of Duration. Several primers are listed and approved for use under Duration. I opted for Duration as the primer because it creates a thicker layer of paint than the approved primers, and I wanted the extra protection. Also, in my experience, the final paint job gives a more even appearance when two color coats are used.

Another possible reason to use Duration as the primer is its elasticity. The manufacturer touts this characteristic and I was concerned that if the primer and final coat did not match in this respect, I might not get the longevity I wanted from the final job. I must assume this consideration would be more critical when painting a metal structure.

Remember, if you use Duration as the primer, it can be difficult to see the painted areas and unpainted areas when you apply the second coat. This is particularly of concern when using an airless sprayer.

Sherwin-Williams employs a proprietary technology they call PermaLast to manufacture Duration. While I am not versed in all of the implications of the technology, it is obviously aimed at producing a house paint which will last longer. PermaLast is no doubt at the foundation of the liberal guarantee attached to Duration.

Sherwin-Williams Duration is suitable for use on numerous surfaces, so long as they are properly prepared to accept the paint. I had occasion to use it on about one square foot of metal and two square feet of ABS plastic - all exterior piping. The paint adhered quite well to both surfaces. I did not adequately speed my application during spraying and created a couple of runs on the non-porous metal, which I had to remove prior to putting on the second coat of paint. This required using 120 grit emery cloth to remove the paint runs, followed by 400 grit to feather and smooth the errors. The amount of work it to remove the runs with the 120 grit attests to the paint's tenacity.

Closing Comments

• If you are going to tackle the job of painting the exterior of your home, I highly recommend renting an airless sprayer of adequate size for the task. You'll get the job done in about 25% of the time required using rollers and brushes only.

• If you rent an airless paint sprayer, be sure it has an extension arm for the nozzle. This will allow you to skip using a ladder while painting most one-story houses.

• If you live in an area where mold and mildew are serious concerns, look into purchasing and using a suitable mildewcide paint additive, such as M1 or Super Mildex.

• Have some mineral spirits on hand for final cleaning of the sprayer and your quality brushes. Water or soap and water work well, but if the paint has set you'll want mineral spirits to get the items fully cleaned.

• Pay heed to Sherwin-Williams Duration instructions for application in higher temperatures.

• The paint is available in 5-gallon plastic containers. At my paint dealer's, purchasing these reduced my costs when compared to 1-gallon cans - and dramatically simplified the use of the airless paint sprayer.

• For help on proper surface preparation and painting techniques, visit the Sherwin-Williams website.

• Sherwin-Williams Duration is more costly than most other paints I priced - including other Sherwin-Williams offerings. If I never have to repaint my home, however, it is well worth the modest difference.

Sherwin-Williams, Duration and PermaLast are all registered trademarks of Sherwin-Williams.