Reviewing Sherwin Williams Emerald Interior
I’ve been a professional interior residential painter for over 9 years and I’ve seen massive changes in my industry from interior paint color trends, blue tooth paint sprayers, to the introduction of oil modified stains. One thing that is always true though is that using high quality paints is always a victory for your interior and your investment in a new paint job. My favorite part about my job is seeing that ‘ah ha’ look on my customers face when they see their stunning new paint job. I always tell my customers that I want them to be amazed at their space for years to come, not just for the short term reveal or ‘long enough to post on instagram’.
That’s why I use first class paints and proven application methods for all painting projects. This article reviews one of my favorites from Sherwin Williams and that is their Emerald Interior Wall Paint. This is the second article in my series Love Letters to Quality covering a paint product in the Emerald line.
When I approach any interior painting project I always ask my customers ‘what is most important to you?’ I’ll receive a combination of responses like: Color consistency, sheen consistency, durability and longevity. We are lucky to be able to live in an area like Steamboat Springs Colorado because of the natural beauty, outdoor recreation and vibrant communities that encompass our slice of north west Colorado. With this beauty comes extreme weather that is harsh on the exteriors and interiors of our homes.
Many folks in Steamboat understand that our area can be brutal on exteriors, but don’t immediately understand how it can be so harsh on interiors. Afterall, it’s interior, it’s protected from the elements, it’s heated.
One thing that often gets overlooked when choosing interior paint is how its durability accommodates your lifestyle. Steamboat offers extremes in climate and extremes in activities and lifestyles. That’s why Sherwin Williams Emerald interior is perfect for maintaining the beauty of homes for my fellow people in the boat.
Durability and washability are incredibly important for the active lifestyles of Steamboat residents. Many of us and our families ski, snowboard, bike, hike, snowmobile, boat, paddle board, dirt bike, etc. Storage and space is always a premium when it comes to housing in Steamboat. That means we are often bringing our toys, gear and equipment into our homes. This leaves spaces vulnerable to high traffic and potentially rubbing up against and scraping walls.
Not to mention, it’s a Colorado mountain town, most of us have dogs. And kids of course! That means when you take on a house painting project or renovation, you don’t want to look at the short term beauty, but also the longevity. I mean you can achieve the perfect color with almost any paint, but often times going for the low rent watered down stuff means your walls fade, they show marks, and when you wash them the paint comes off, meaning your buying more to touch up which wastes more of your time and money than if you went with the premium paint.
Emerald is not the budget paint, but it has many benefits that provide a solid ROI. The first one that I’ll add is the durability that is necessary to support the crazy climate and lifestyles of Steamboat. As a local painter I’m aware of where you need to use highly durable paints in your home. I usually don’t recommend Emerald for every space (i.e. the guest bedroom that gets used twice a year) but let’s think about high activity spaces where we need to work to prevent wear and tear.
When looking at paint characteristics, Emerald will be thicker than a new construction contractor grade paint that is designed to be sprayed in mass. Because of this, you achieve greater coverage which allows you to apply less coats. The paint itself has characteristics that induce washability once properly cured. When you think about spaces in your home that will have use by family members, pets or activity it is important to invest in a paint that can handle your lifestyle.
Let’s go room to room. High traffic is usually around entry ways, hall ways, garages, kitchens, and living rooms. When we are playing outside by hitting the slopes, mountain biking or cooking, we are increasing the chances of rubbing up against walls through movement, or activities like cooking can add oil to walls.
As a professional painter I’m here to leave you in a better place. That’s why I’m going to use Emerald, because it compliments your lifestyle, rather than adding another task for you to do.
Emerald maintains the color and sheen of your wall for anywhere from 6 to 10 years. Especially given our landscape, that's a proud number. Even at the later ends of that timeline, I find that Emerald holds up well, but there might be some really high traffic areas that need to be touched up over time. Typically those areas are at the entry ways or kitchen backsplashes. Just areas where the walls have been washed numerous times over the years.
I like using Emerald because it touches up great, covers well, and has an easy brush and roller application which makes it ideal for homeowners. Steamboat’s my home, and I’m working for my neighbors. I don’t want them to feel that they have to hire me for every minute paint job. That’s why I keep things simple for them when it comes to the products I use.
Emerald is great for your amateur painter who can be a little streaker with a brush and a roller. Emerald is self leveling and will do a pretty good job at hiding those streaks and blending that in. That’s why I aim for quality and don’t use new construction contractor grade paint for residential interior painting jobs. I want the home owner to always have a pristine look because we all live together in this small community.
Final thoughts on Emerald Interior Paint:
Overall, this is my favorite go to for interior walls when it comes to residential homes with high traffic areas. Coverage is fantastic which for me means that I don’t have to spend my time applying multiple coats. For homeowners and amateur painters, I recommend Emerald because it’s self leveling and blends brush and roller marks well.
My only downside to this product would be the retail price for homeowners. Sometimes that can be a little steep, and it can be hard to justify a full retail price of around $90 per gallon, but I would say that the time you save and the money you can save with better coverage are well worth it, so that’s a catch 22.
I’d give 4.5 our of 5 stars, pretty darn good, and I can’t recommend it enough for high traffic areas and folks with active lifestyles. It is Steamboat after all, and we take our outdoor activities seriously!
