Sherwin-Williams Cashmere Interior Paint Review
Sherwin-Williams Cashmere Interior Paint Review
In terms of interior house painting, Cashmere is recommended by several local Raleigh painting contractors.
For several interior painters, Cashmere has completely replaced a longtime favorite Sherwin – Williams (interior) Super Paint. Many say, “Cashmere is so much more than Super Paint ever was!” Cashmere is even considered to be what Super Paint should have been all along!
But is it the name, the contents, or simply proper marketing that drives the recommendation of this product?
Does Sherwin – Williams Cashmere Live Up to the Name?
The raw materials in a can of Cashmere paint are actually similar to those found in SW ProMar 200. We are not recommending ProMar 200 over Cashmere. However, the major difference between the two interior house paints is found in the percentages of vinyl polymers (a raw material that usually dries leaving a sticky or tacky film.)
Dust can easily stick to areas that are painted with house paints that contain high amounts of vinyl, making it harder to wipe those baseboards and additional trim clean. This sticky paint film also results in books sticking to bookshelves and fireplace mantles. Therefore, house paints that contain a high level of vinyl are not recommended for trim. Rather, we prefer enamels.
So, is Sherwin – Williams Cashmere good for interior wall applications?
The advertised enhancements of Cashmere are the ability to level and how easily it applies. In our experience over the years, Cashmere is not as easy to apply as when it was first introduced, yet the claim still remains.
While brushing, at times, Cashmere drags and can be found hard to work with. Considering the name, we would say that “cashmere” better refers to the leveling characteristics rather than its ease of use.
Cashmere Issues!
The second problem that we have is the low lustre finish flashes. Meaning, you better not have any drywall repairs needed prior to using Sherwin – Williams interior Cashmere. If so, the variation of sheen over drywall patches will be very noticeable.
Even if you use flat wall paint or primer to spot prime the drywall patches prior to top-coating, the issue still remains.
Cashmere sheens include flat, low lustre, pearl, and medium lustre finishes. Does pearl as a paint finish sound familiar to you? If not, it should! Benjamin Moore has been using this term to describe a sheen offered in their Regal Select interior house paint for years.
Cashmere Performance
Does this translate to Sherwin – Williams Cashmere interior house paint being a price point product?
Our answer would be yes! Cashmere could use a re-formulation, especially in the medium luster finish. The medium lustre sheen is often used for interior trim. However, Cashmere is a poor performing trim paint, in terms of coverage.
If you wish to use Sherwin – Williams Cashmere for interior trim paint be ready for two coats. Without tint, the paint simply doesn’t have enough pigmentation to cover much of anything.
As an example: During a white-on-white trim re-paint project, Cashmere was used. When used for trim it would not cover light scuffs from shoe marks or areas of the trim that had slightly yellowed.
Conclusion
We found this product to be okay for the intended purpose of offering a smoother finish.
However, if you are planning to paint the interior trim of your home, we highly suggest that you upgrade to Sherwin- Williams ProClassic or Emerald Urethane Enamel.
Yes, the upgraded trim paint will add to your paint supplies costs, but these products will also be the difference between being able to easily wipe down trim and/ or having to paint your trim once vs twice.
