Paints and coatings · Kelowna, BC
Benjamin Moore and the Other Paints We Use in Kelowna
Searching for Benjamin Moore in Kelowna usually means one of two things: you want a store, or you want to know which paint will last on your walls. This page is for the second group, and for anyone comparing what different painters put in their quotes. Here Pacific Painting Kelowna explains the brands and product lines we typically quote, and why.
In a valley with summer heat over 30°C, strong UV, very dry air and winter freeze-thaw, the product matters almost as much as the labour. A cheap exterior acrylic chalks and fades on a west-facing wall within a few summers, and wall paint on kitchen cabinets stays soft and sticky. After more than 15 years of painting Okanagan homes, rentals, offices, restaurants and strata buildings, we match each coating to the surface, the room or wall it covers, and the exposure it faces.
We are an independent painting contractor, not a paint store or a dealer, and we have no partnership with any manufacturer. That lets us quote Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Cloverdale Paint, General Paint or a specified commercial product, whichever suits the job and your budget. Every written quote names the exact product line and sheen, so you know what is going on your walls.
Brands We Trust
These are the paint makers we quote most often. Each has product lines we know well from years of applying them in Okanagan conditions.
Benjamin Moore
Our most common interior quote. We use Aura for top-tier colour depth, Regal Select for washable living spaces, ben for budget-conscious rentals and Eco Spec where zero-VOC matters most.
Outside, we often quote Aura Exterior or Element Guard, and Advance is our go-to enamel for cabinets and trim.
Sherwin-Williams
Emerald is the premium interior and exterior line, Duration is a durable workhorse, and SuperPaint is a solid mid-range exterior choice. Harmony is a zero-VOC interior paint we use in occupied homes.
Loxon primers and coatings are our standard for concrete, masonry and block.
Cloverdale Paint
A BC-based paint maker with low-odour Horizon for interiors and Dimension for exteriors. Cloverdale has stores across the province, which makes reordering a colour for touch-ups simple.
General Paint and Zinsser
We quote General Paint when a strata, builder or business already specifies it. For primers we lean on Zinsser: BIN shellac primer, Cover Stain oil-based primer and Gardz for damaged drywall paper.
Product details and data sheets are on the manufacturers' sites: Benjamin Moore Canada, Sherwin-Williams and Cloverdale Paint. If you are looking for a Benjamin Moore retailer in Kelowna, the Benjamin Moore store locator lists current dealers.
Exterior Coatings for Okanagan Sun and Freeze-Thaw
Okanagan exteriors take hard sun all summer, then freeze and thaw all winter. The coating has to stay flexible, hold its colour and let moisture out.
- Siding and trim. Premium 100% acrylic exteriors such as Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior or Element Guard, Sherwin-Williams Emerald or Duration Exterior, and Cloverdale Dimension. They stay flexible as wood and fibre-cement expand and contract.
- Stucco. A quality acrylic suits sound stucco and keeps it breathable. Where hairline cracks keep coming back, an elastomeric coating bridges them, but it should only go on stucco that can dry out.
- Brick and block. Masonry needs a breathable system, starting with a masonry primer such as Sherwin-Williams Loxon. Trapping moisture in brick leads to peeling and spalling after a few winters.
South and west walls fade first, because they take the afternoon sun at its strongest. Deep reds, blues and dark greys fade fastest, so we steer clients toward premium lines with better UV-resistant colourants for those walls.
Our exterior house painting, stucco painting and brick painting pages cover prep for each surface.
Low-VOC and Zero-VOC Interior Paints
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the solvents that give fresh paint its smell. Every architectural coating sold in Canada must meet federal VOC limits, and many premium lines go well below them.
| Product | Brand | Where we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Eco Spec | Benjamin Moore | Nurseries, bedrooms, rentals between tenants |
| Harmony | Sherwin-Williams | Occupied homes and offices |
| Horizon | Cloverdale Paint | Whole-home repaints, strata suites |
| Aura and Regal Select | Benjamin Moore | Living spaces where colour depth or washability matter |
The federal rules are the VOC Concentration Limits for Architectural Coatings Regulations. For tighter specs, the Master Painters Institute publishes Green Performance Standards that some commercial and institutional projects require.
Low-VOC is not the same as zero-odour, and tints can add VOCs back in. Our low-VOC and eco-friendly painting page explains how we plan jobs for allergies, pregnancy and chemical sensitivities.
Cabinet, Trim and Door Enamels
Cabinets, doors and trim are handled, bumped and wiped every day. They need a harder film than wall paint can give.
Ordinary wall paint stays slightly soft, so cabinet doors stick to their frames and the finish scuffs around handles. That is the most common failure we fix on DIY cabinet jobs.
- Waterborne alkyds such as Benjamin Moore Advance level out like an oil paint and dry very hard. They need about 16 hours between coats and several weeks to fully cure.
- Urethane-modified acrylics such as Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel recoat faster and resist yellowing. They suit trim and doors where the schedule is tight.
- Bonding primers come first on slick factory finishes and old oil paint. On knotty or stained wood we use Zinsser BIN or Cover Stain to stop bleed-through.
Learn more on our cabinet painting and trim and baseboard painting pages.
Bathroom, Basement and Moisture-Prone Areas
Steam, condensation and damp concrete defeat ordinary paint fast. These rooms get products built for moisture.
Bathrooms and Laundry Rooms
We use finishes made for humid rooms, such as Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa or Zinsser Perma-White, which resist mildew growth on the paint film. Paint cannot fix poor ventilation, so we check that the fan actually vents outside.
See bathroom painting for prep and sheen choices.
Basement Concrete
Bare foundation walls get a masonry primer such as Loxon Concrete and Masonry Primer, or a masonry waterproofer such as Drylok where there is minor dampness. Active leaks have to be fixed from outside first.
Our basement painting page covers both finished and unfinished spaces.
Water Stains and Odours
After a leak is repaired, the stain is sealed with Zinsser BIN before any topcoat. BIN also blocks smoke and pet odours that water-based primers let through.
Stains for Decks, Fences and Pergolas
Stain choice is a trade-off between showing the wood grain and how long the finish lasts in the Okanagan sun.
| Stain type | Look | Lifespan in full sun | Products we often quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparent or translucent | Full grain, natural colour | Shortest, recoat often on deck floors | Benjamin Moore Arborcoat Translucent |
| Semi-transparent | Grain shows, richer colour | Moderate | Sikkens ProLuxe Cetol, Arborcoat Semi-Transparent |
| Solid | Opaque, grain texture only | Longest, but can peel if neglected | Arborcoat Solid, Sherwin-Williams solid stains |
Horizontal deck boards wear much faster than fence boards or pergola posts, because they take foot traffic, standing snow and direct overhead sun. Many clients choose a semi-transparent on fences and a solid stain on deck floors.
See deck and fence staining and pergola and patio cover painting, or our guide on how long exterior paint lasts in the Okanagan.
Epoxy, Polyaspartic and Floor Coatings
Concrete floor coatings are systems, not single products. A typical build is a ground and repaired slab, an epoxy base coat, a broadcast of vinyl flake, and a clear topcoat.
- Epoxy base coats bond deeply to ground concrete and build a thick film. Most epoxies amber in sunlight, so they are not ideal as the final coat by an open garage door.
- Polyaspartic topcoats cure quickly, resist hot-tire pickup and stay clear in UV. They suit Okanagan garages that face the street.
- Slip resistance comes from a fine aggregate added to the topcoat, which matters in commercial kitchens, shops and wet entries.
Compare options on our garage floor epoxy and commercial epoxy floor coatings pages.
Commercial Specs and MPI-Listed Products
Architects, general contractors and property managers often specify coatings by Master Painters Institute (MPI) system or by product. The MPI Approved Products List groups paints by type and gloss level, so a spec can be met with more than one brand.
We price the product named in your spec, or flag an approved equivalent if it is easier to source locally. Substitutions only happen with your written sign-off.
Safety data sheets for every product on site are available on request, which helps with WHMIS and building-operator records. Our commercial painting team handles offices, retail, restaurants and multi-unit buildings.
Leftover Paint and Recycling in Kelowna
Leftover paint should never go in the garbage or down a drain. BC has a free system for it.
We label leftover cans with the room, colour code and sheen, and leave a small amount with you for touch-ups. Cans you do not want to keep can go back to a recycling depot.
Product Care Recycling runs BC's paint recycling program, with more than 200 drop-off depots in the province, including in the Kelowna area. They accept leftover household paint, stains and aerosol paint cans at no charge.
Keep cans you plan to reuse in a heated space. Latex paint that has frozen in a garage or shed over an Okanagan winter often turns lumpy and is not worth using.
Product questions welcome
Ask About a Product for Your Project
Call 778-946-5725 or send the form with the surface and any product you are considering. We bring 15+ years of experience, WorkSafeBC coverage and a 1-year labour warranty to every job.
- 15+ years experience
- Licensed & insured
- WCB coverage
- 1-year labour warranty
Mon to Fri 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. · Sat 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. · Sun 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Or call 778-946-5725 or email info@pacificpaintingbc.com.