Sherwin-Williams Duration vs Superpaint

Sherwin Williams Duration and Superpaint are two of the top items in the company’s interior paint product lineup. Both are only beaten out by Emerald, Sherwin Williams’ most premium offering. However, even though these two sit near the top, there are some drastic differences between the two. In this article, we compare the coverage, durability, price, and more to see which interior product is right for you and your home. 

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HIDE

When painters talk about hide, they are talking about the paint’s ability to obscure and “hide” defects in the surface. This gives the finish a smoother appearance and in general improves the final product. Sheen can play an important factor in this too because the higher the sheen the harder it is to hide those imperfections. 

For our testing, we used a matte finish in both products. 

As one might expect, the hide on these products is more or less the same. Both do a decent job of covering imperfections without radically changing the texture of the wall, though it’s worth noting that Duration is a tad bit smoother overall. 

In the end, though, the final result is so close it’s essentially a tie. 

Winner: Tie

COVERAGE

Coverage refers to how many square feet a gallon of paint can cover on a surface. The higher the coverage, the less paint overall you will need to complete the project. 

The spec sheet for both these products rates them for 350-400 square feet per gallon. However, our testing showed that Duration performed significantly lower than this, around 250-300 square feet per gallon. Part of that could be the painter, but overall we feel like Duration doesn’t cover nearly as well as Superpaint does. 

Sheer coverage isn’t everything, though. No matter how well the paint covers on the first coat, you will always want to apply a second coat for maximum color, sheen, and durability. The additional coats allow the paint to shell up and form a hard, durable surface. 

But when you’re comparing Superpaint vs Duration on coverage, Superpaint takes the win here. 

Winner: Superpaint

DURABILITY 

Durability is where you really begin to see the differences between Sherwin Williams Superpaint vs Duration. Duration shows off why it’s the higher-rated product, easily withstanding our rigorous testing circumstances. 

For this part of the review, we scuffed the paint with our shoes, wiped our hands on the wall to try and burnish them, and even scrubbed the wall with a magic eraser. That last one, in particular, you should never do, because it eats away at the paint. Read this blog post for more on properly cleaning your walls. 

Both paints held up surprisingly well, especially to the magic eraser. However, Duration had noticeably less scuffing and marks overall, though it was a pinch more prone to burnishing. 

That makes Duration the obvious choice for hallways and other high-traffic areas. 

Duration is a lot more washable than Superpaint as well. If there is a tough stain on the wall, you can be a lot more rigorous in your cleaning with Duration, whereas Superpaint could peel from the wall. 

Duration also has built-in mold and mildew resistance, making it a great option for bathrooms where there will be a lot of moisture. You can use Superpaint in bathrooms too, but you would have to use a higher sheen to keep the moisture off the paint. That’s not the case with Duration. 

Because of its stronger overall durability, washability, and practicality for bathrooms, Duration is the clear winner of this category. 

Winner: Duration

PRICE

Price is the final thing to look at in our Sherwin Williams Duration vs Superpaint comparison. Superpaint retails for $47, which is a pretty solid price for a high-quality gallon of paint. Duration costs anywhere between $70-$75 a can. That’s a pretty significant price difference between the two. Unfortunately, the quality isn’t significantly different to compensate. Duration held up better overall, but at the price you’re paying it’s worth just upgrading to Emerald. 

If you’re on a budget, Superpaint is a great choice. However, if you’re willing to pay up for higher quality, you might as well go all the way to Emerald.

Winner: Superpaint

SUPERPAINT IS GREAT FOR CLIENTS ON A BUDGET, BUT IT’S WORTH UPGRADING TO EMERALD

When looking strictly at Sherwin Williams Duration vs Superpaint, we lean more towards Superpaint. It has excellent coverage and durability for the price. Duration is great too but at its current price, it’s worth skipping and going straight to Emerald. In fact, depending on the contractor’s discount pricing, it may be worth skipping both products and going right to the premium offering. Discounted pricing is one of the many benefits of hiring a contractor vs doing it yourself. 

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Now is the perfect time to set up a free estimate from Heritage Painting for your paint project. Whether you are redoing your interior or kitchen cabinets, or simply planning your exterior for spring, our team can provide an accurate and detailed quote, and even help you pick your colors when you agree to work with us. Fill out the form below to get your free estimate today.

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