A Performance Review of Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior
Emerald Interior is available nationally to all painters and homeowners alike. However, some SW lines of paint are limited to specific regions of the US. Additionally, most professional painting companies and interior painters have preferred paint brands, sometimes limiting exposure to other paint offerings.
Since we are not brand loyal, we have experienced, tested, and compared several interior paints. As painters, we value efficiency, which is directly affected by paint usability and coverage. We will review Emerald Interior and share our experience, comparing how it covers and applies to multiple surfaces.
Brushing & Other Paint Applications
Pros
Emerald Interior is straightforward to roll and spread on interior wall surfaces, including textured and smooth. Even with its thin consistency, it surprisingly spatters less than other SW interior paints.
It also dries quickly and uniformly, and the quick paint dry time is easy to manage while applying.
Cons
Emerald Trim paint is better than Duration, SuperPaint, and certainly ProMar 200. However, overall performance, we find Emerald to be too thin while brushing. Due to its consistency, paintbrushes will not hold form long when painting interior trim. Therefore, a heavier-bodied paint would be welcomed for brushing. However, the thin consistency has a glow that we love.
While Sherwin-Williams markets Emerald for all surfaces, we tell our Cary and Apex clients the truth: it’s too thin for intricate or ornate trim around columns and other areas. For the heavy millwork found in Preston Village and around Davis Drive, we still pick up a few gallons of ProClassic Waterborne Alkyd from the Sherwin-Williams on Glenwood Ave to ensure the trim has that ‘thick’ luxury feel that Emerald lacks. However, this particular ProClassic paint is harder to find.
Pigment & Coverage
Emerald contains 43 percent solids, which is on par with other SW offerings. So, why the huge price tag? Emerald Interior provides an entirely different acrylic resin that dries harder, improving durability, wipeability, and attracting less dust.
While the finish is noticeably enhanced, Emerald Interior’s paint coverage is less advantageous. Compared to other top-grade Sherwin-Williams products, Emerald didn’t provide improved paint coverage.
Odor/ VOC
We welcome a decent amount of solids and an outstanding resin package; however, Emerald Interior Paint has a unique odor. The paint emits a toxic-like smell. We are not alone in our experience. Several interior painters have commented on the scent of this product in forums nationwide.
The product is a low-VOC paint, but not the only one in the Sherwin-Williams Catalog! Even after being a low-VOC interior paint, if a painter says the paint smells strong, you know the odor must be intense.
A word of caution for our clients in the historic Inside the Beltline (ITB) neighborhoods. Many of these older bungalows have smaller rooms with limited ventilation. Because Emerald Interior has a surprisingly sharp ‘soapy-chemical-like’ odor during curing, we utilize industrial air movers on all our Mordecai and other projects with small bathrooms to ensure the scent doesn’t linger in the lath, plaster walls, or drywall.
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Introduction
Emerald was introduced in late 2012, mainly targeting homeowners for easy-to-use paint applications. Since it was so highly marketed, painters started receiving more requests and had to respond.
Emerald’s original drawback was its price, which now exceeds $90 per gallon in select finishes. The incremental performance gains were also hard to accept compared to Duration Home, which forced SW to reformulate DH to better distinguish Emerald Interior.
Since its introduction, Emerald has significantly improved, offering the best urethane enamel used for trim and cabinet painting.
Is Emerald Worth the Cost?
| Emerald Performance Factor | The Technical Reality | Raleigh “Real-World” Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sheen: Matte | Scrubbable / High-Hide | Best for great rooms in Bedford; masks drywall flaws under mass-window lighting. |
| Consistency | Thin / High-Flow | Too thin for intricate Preston Village trim; we recommend ProClassic for heavy millwork. |
| Odor Profile | Low-VOC / Sharp Scent | Requires air movers in tight ITB/Mordecai bungalows to prevent lingering chemical smell. |
| Resin Hardness | High-Grade Acrylic | Attracts less dust and resists scuffing in high-traffic Cary family homes. |
*Pro Tip: We source fresh batches of Emerald from the Glenwood Ave SW to ensure the resin hasn’t passed its shelf life, preserving its leveling capability.
Outside of the paint being less-than-ideal to brush, the result is, without a doubt, a premium finish that is better than other SW interior paint lines. Emerald is not intended for fast production; it’s a high-end paint that offers a highly durable interior finish that retains its sheen much longer and requires less paint usage once the first coat is applied.
We recommend Emerald Interior for walls and trim, but the best SW paint for interior trim is Proclassic.
Our Recommendations
Emerald is ideal for areas of high traffic, such as hallways, kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas, and is best for long-term usage. However, if you like to change colors periodically, Emerald may not be worth the additional expense.
Emerald is available in flat, matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes, and we recommend matte or satin for interior walls. Emerald provides SW’s best matte finish, which is best suited for high interior walls. Semi-gloss paint finishes are ideal for interior trim.
We recently applied Emerald Matte in a two-story great room in Bedford on Falls River Avenue. Because these large estates have massive windows, standard eggshell finishes show every drywall hump and bump. Emerald’s matte finish is the only one we’ve found that hides those imperfections while remaining scrubbable enough to handle the high traffic of a Triangle household.
Are you considering Emerald Interior Paint for your next painting project? If you live in the Triangle or Raleigh, NC, we would love to help. Contact us anytime for your next service.
