Primers are a preparatory undercoat placed on a substrate prior to painting.

Priming will ensure the adhesion of the paint to a surface, as well as increase the longevity of the paint applied. They also help to block stains, odors and colour when you are changing to a lighter shade.

Most bare substrates will require priming.

Porous Surfaces: In instances where the substrate is porous (e.g. bare drywall, wood, etc.) it will aid in sealing the substrate to minimize the absorption of paint.

Glossy Surfaces: If the substrate is glossy, (e.g. metal, tile, etc.) it will aid in creating a surface with which the paint can bond.

Stain Blocking/Colour Transition: In cases where the existing substrate is odorous, stained, damaged (e.g. water, smoke, etc.)  or you are making a dramatic change in color
(i.e. light over dark), it will aid in blocking out the existing stain/colour and creating
a neutral plain to paint.

Oil/Water-based paint Transition: Priming also aids in the transition between alkyd (oil-based) and latex (water-based) coatings.

Premium paints are made with higher quality ingredients (i.e. pigments, solvents, binders and
additives) to create longer lasting and more durable coatings, which will give you many benefits including: durability, wash ability and better coverage.

We always recommend two coats of paint (on top of a primer coat) to provide an even and long lasting finish.

Always refer to the label on the can or the Technical Data Sheet (TDS) to know exact dry times, as they will vary from product to product.

Dry times will be broken down into three different periods:

Dry to touch: When the paint is dry and no longer tacky.

Recoat: The time which must pass before applying a
second coat.

Return to service: The time which must pass before paint is cured and the area may be returned to its intended use.

Paint can be applied by a brush, a roller or by spraying. In most cases (e.g. ceilings and walls), a combination of both a brush and roller will be required.

For more information, see our How To Paint Interior Walls article on our blog.

The "sheen" or "finish" of a paint refers to its level of shine. A glossier sheen such as Pearl or Semi-Gloss is shinier and reflects more light off the painted surface, whereas a Matte or Flat sheen will have little to no reflectivity.

So, what kind of benefits do you get from shiny paint versus a more matte finish? Generally, the glossier the sheen you choose is, the more easily it can be wiped or washed clean if it gets dirty or marked upon. Conversely, the reflectiveness of higher sheen paints make uneven patchwork and textural imperfections more noticeable.

Flat: This is the least glossy sheen available. It is a great choice for ceilings, but its lack of gloss makes it more difficult to clean up when it gets scuffed.

Matte/Ulti-Matte: Another very flat sheen, the matte finish provides a very similar look to a flat finish while still being wipeable in the event of dirt and scuffing. Matte finishes are good for walls in low-traffic areas like studies or bedrooms when a flat look is desired. It is also a good choice for low-medium traffic rooms where the walls have significant amounts of patchwork or unevenness, as the lower gloss level allows it to hide imperfections well.

Eggshell: This is the standard finish used on walls. An eggshell finish has a moderate amount of shine that creates a soft, polished glow. Because it is shinier than matte, the eggshell finish is more washable, while not being so shiny that wall imperfections become very noticeable.

Pearl/Satin: Pearl is a medium level finish that works great for walls in high traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms, or for use on trim when shinier finishes are not desired. The added shine of the pearl sheen provides added durability and wash against dirt and scuffing.

Semi-Gloss: A high sheen finish that creates a smooth, glossy look. Ideal for areas like trim, window frames, doors and railings. Very washable but will show more surface imperfections than lower sheens.

High-Gloss: A highly reflective sheen for front doors, trim and other highlights.

The first thing you need to know is how much surface area you need to cover. Benjamin Moore has its own online resource that will calculate how much paint is needed based on room size, ceiling height and the number of doors and windows. But, figuring out this amount by yourself is fairly easy as well.

In order to find the total surface area of your walls, measure the width of the wall from one end to the other and the height of the wall starting from the top of the baseboard and ending at the ceiling (or at the crown molding, if you have it).

Calculate the surface area of the wall by multiplying the width of the wall by the height. Do this for every wall you plan to paint and add the numbers together to get your total surface area.

Now that you know the surface area, you're ready to determine how much paint to buy.

A Quart (~931 mL) (aka "Quarter Gallon") will cover approximately100 sqft in one coat. 

A Gallon (~3.72 L) will cover approximately 400 sqft in one coat.

A Pail (~18.9 L) (AKA "5-Gallon") will cover approximately 2,000 sqft in one coat.

Our paint samples are available in pint sizes (~440 mL) that cover approximately 50 sqft in one coat.