Can you thin Behr alkyd paint?

Painting Doors and Trim with Behr Semi-Gloss Enamel

For the majority of my projects, I typically use Sherwin Williams paint, but occasionally I have a customer who wants to supply their own paint. I thought this would be a good opportunity to review Behr alkyd semi-gloss enamel because my customer requested it for this project and wanted the trim and doors in the room painted with it. This product is a urethane alkyd, not a pure alkyd enamel, and it can be cleaned up with soap and water without the use of paint thinner.

Although I’m not a huge fan of the brand, I’ve used Behr Premium Plus paint on walls before, and while it did the job, I had never used the alkyd enamel. After two days of brushing and rolling this product on trim and doors, I share my likes and dislikes in this review.

The BEHR PREMIUM Interior/Exterior Urethane Alkyd Semi-Gloss Enamel delivers traditional oil-based paint performance with the simplicity and practicality of a water-based paint. This expertly executed finish provides exceptional flow.

Wood, metal, drywall, plaster, concrete, masonry, and other sound above-grade interior and exterior surfaces that have been properly prepared Ideal for Wrought Iron, Cabinetry, Walls, Railings, Trim, and Doors Do not use on horizontal surfaces subject to foot traffic.

Behr Process Corporation warrants to the original consumer purchaser, for a period of one year following the date of purchase, both the product’s performance when used in accordance with the label’s instructions and specifications and that it complies with Behr Process Corporation’s manufacturing specifications. Behr Process Corporation will, at its discretion and upon presentation of proof of purchase (the original receipt), either provide an equivalent amount of new product or reimburse you for the original purchase price of this product if it is discovered that this product does not perform as specified on the label within a year of the date of purchase. The following are not covered by this warranty: (1) labor and related costs for installing or removing any product; and (2) incidental or consequential damages, regardless of whether they result from negligence, strict liability, or any other legal theory. You might not be covered by the aforementioned limitation or exclusion because some states do not permit the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages. Any implied warranties, such as the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are, to the extent permitted by applicable law, restricted to the duration of this express warranty. The aforementioned limitation may not apply to you because some states do not permit limitations on the duration of an implied warranty. You have certain legal rights under this warranty, as well as potential additional rights that may apply in different states. To obtain warranty service, call 1-800-854-0133. Before processing your warranty claim, Behr Process Corporation reserves the right to examine any and all applications of the product.

How Does Behr Alkyd Enamel Perform?

Modified alkyd resins are used in the formulation of Behr alkyd urethane enamel to increase the coating’s hardness when fully cured. Traditional oil-based paint, which has an unpleasant odor and takes a very long time to dry, is a good substitute because urethane trim enamel dries harder than acrylic enamel.

I’m not sure of the true hardness of Behr’s alkyd enamel because it takes a month to fully cure, but after brushing and rolling multiple coats, this product is inferior to Sherwin Williams’ Emerald urethane enamel and Pro Industrial water-based alkyd urethane enamel in terms of coverage and finish quality. I have frequently painted cabinets and trim using both of those products.

Behr enamel is offered in both semi-gloss and satin finishes. I used semi-gloss for this project and painted a primed door and white trim with two coats each. Benjamin Moore Regal Select in the pearl finish and Aqua Lock were used as primer and paint, respectively, on the walls.

Brushing and rolling: I noticed right away how thin and watery this stuff is after mixing it up. The thin consistency made brushing and rolling easy, but the coverage suffered as a result, even over primed wood. In the end, four coats of enamel were needed to get full coverage on a bare wood door I primed with two coats of Cover Stain primer. Normally, on a primed door, I would only have to apply two to three coats on a primed door, using Sherwin Williams enamel.

No leveling: Even though this product is advertised as offering “great flow and leveling”, that wasnt the case on the door and baseboard I painted. The enamel barely leveled out at all when brushed and rolled. I used a Purdy XL paint brush with soft bristles, but the brush marks and roller stippling did not level out completely, even with a fine nap roller.

Good adhesion: One way to know the adhesion quality of paint is to see how it reacts to painters tape. I sanded and painted the baseboard two coats on day one. On day two, after taping off the baseboard and painting the walls, the tape was removed without pulling off any of the enamel.

Fast dry time: I was able to apply each coat within a couple hours without any issues. This is a plus for anyone wanting to finish their project sooner than later. Some paints take several hours to dry before you can re-coat safely.

Poor coverage: The main deal breaker for me was the bad coverage over both primed wood and trim that was already primed white. The enamel took four coats to cover completely, and even on the baseboard, which was already white before I painted it, you could see through the finish after applying the first coat. The coverage was probably the worst out of all the other trim paints Ive used.

Cutting-in a door panel with Behr urethane enamel.

BEHR Alkyd Semi-Gloss Enamel