Thank you to Purdy and Sherwin Williams for sponsoring this project. Oh, and this post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through one of the links below, I get a teensie commission at no extra cost to you of course.
The verdict is in- save yourself thousands of dollars and give it a go, I KNOW you can do it.
Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel has a dry time of 2 hours, and a recoat time of 4 hours.
Important Notice for employees and extended family!
You can now shop online using your employee account BUT your employee discount will be applied to your transaction at the store after you present your Employee Discount or Extended Family Discount card. What can we help you find?
Does the Paint Level Well?
When spraying cabinets and doors, using a paint that levels is a must. If a non-leveling coating is used, the material wont lay out over the surface, causing uneven paint build-up and imperfections to dry exactly how they look when sprayed on.
I spray-painted oak cabinets with this product and found it to level exceptionally well over two sanded coats of BIN shellac primer. The first coat leveled better than the second coat. I found that the second coat had to be sprayed heavier to build up the paint for even leveling. Spraying the second coat too fast would result in texturing that wouldnt level much.
Compared with the leveling quality of Pro Classic, I found Emerald urethane to perform the same, if not better. I sprayed and stored the cabinet doors horizontally, using Door Rack Painter racks, and the paint leveled on the doors uniformly without any drips.
I should also mention that I use Aqua Coat grain filler before priming and painting oak cabinets with this paint. The filler, combined with two coats each of primer and paint, achieves a really smooth finish.
Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane paint levels surprisingly well on oak cabinets and doors.
One of the reasons I wanted to try this product on cabinets is because its supposed to dry harder than basic trim paint, and using a urethane paint would make the surface more durable for cleaning. No need to top coat the paint with a clear coat.
Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane does dry noticeably harder than Pro Classic. The paint isnt gummy, or soft, once cured. When I remove cabinet doors to spray them, I number the backside and stick a small piece of blue tape over it. Removing the tape from the doors at the end of the job was difficult. I had to carefully scrape the tape pretty hard to get it out of the dried paint.
The re-coat time for this paint is four hours. The paint was dry to the touch in about that time. The final coat of paint dried somewhere between four and six hours. I let the doors sit on my drying racks in my workspace for several days before wrapping and delivering them to my customer for installation.
I found the paint to be noticeably harder to the touch after two days had passed, passing the fingernail test. The paint finish itself feels harder than other paints Ive used. I wrapped the painted doors in moving blankets and delivered them to my customer without any issues.
I used the semi-gloss finish on the cabinets I painted. A satin and gloss finish is also available. My Sherwin Williams store had recommended the semi-gloss finish for cabinets because they said the satin finish is too dull. The semi-gloss finish of Emerald urethane is similar to Pro Classic semi-gloss, but maybe a little more glossy.
Ive read complaints online by people saying the semi-gloss finish was dull, but in my experience, two coats of semi-gloss over two coats of BIN shellac primer was the perfect sheen for cabinets. Even the first coat looked very shiny, but the second coat looked even better. The semi-gloss finish is very smooth, perfect for washing.
In my opinion, its insanely overpriced. The regular price for Emerald Urethane enamel starts at $103 per gallon. Yes, thats $103 per gallon without discounts or coupons. If youre painting cabinets, youll only need two to three gallons anyway, but still, thats a lot of money for paint.
If you dont already have an established store account with discount paint pricing, Sherwin Williams runs 30% to 40% off paint sales throughout the year, which saves a lot of money if youre patient and wait for the next sale. You can also apply for a Pro charge account at your local Sherwin Williams store to get discount pricing.
I also recommend signing up for their Paint Perks option to get coupon codes on paint and supplies via text message. I get notifications for discount deals on a weekly basis.
What sheens does emerald urethane trim enamel come in?
I have this in a satin which is the lowest sheen that you can get and it is tinted to a color match with Benjamin Moore’s Cotton Balls.
Emerald Urethane is available in emerald urethane gloss, emerald urethane semi gloss, and emerald urethane satin.
