The Most Durable Water-based Satinwood

I see a lot of talk about which is the best water-based satinwood on the market, but one of the biggest problems with water-based paint is the lack of durability compared to its oil-based counterparts. So, I thought I’d test to see which is the most durable water-based satinwood you can buy. I used 6 of the most popular water-based satinwoods for this test, this is how I got on.

This test was performed on a new piece of wood, primed with a standard water-based primer/undercoat. Each satinwood I tested had two full coats and was allowed to cure for 21 days. They all passed the scratch test with ease, but I wanted to test stains. So I put them up against black coffee, ketchup, lipstick, grease, non-permanent marker, shoe polish, black rubber stopper to simulate boot marks and Sharpie.

Cleaning was with a wet sponge, or cloth. On occasion,  white spirit had to be used.

Johnstone’s Aqua Guard

I was really looking forward to testing this as I had heard good reviews. They do recommend the use of Johnstone’s Aqua primer, however I wanted to use the same primer for each satin, so I didn’t bother.

Cleaning Johnstone’s Aqua guard was very easy with a wet sponge. The coffee, lipstick, ketchup, grease, and non-permanent pen all wiped away without issue. A damp cloth was only required for the black rubber and shoe polish.

Permanent pen had to be scrubbed with the green scouring pad and white spirit, but this did not affect the paint finish. This is a very durable satinwood indeed! Click here to see online prices.

Teknos Futura Aqua Satin

Along with Scuff x, this has the price tag and reputation to do well, and it didn’t disappoint.

Cleaning the Teknos Futura Aqua was very easy with a wet sponge. Coffee, lipstick, ketchup, grease, and non-permanent pen all wiped away with ease. A damp cloth was only required for the black rubber and shoe polish.

Permanent pen had to be scrubbed with the green scouring pad and white spirit, but this did not affect the paint finish. The durability of this satinwood is also fantastic! Click here to see online prices.

Benjamin More Scuff X

Benjamin Moore Scruff x has the biggest and best reputation of them all. Maybe because it has been around for a while and comes with a premium price tag. A lot of decorators think this is the best satinwood on the market. Again, it didn’t disappoint in terms of durability, but I was surprised it didn’t do better.

Cleaning the Scuff X was very easy with a wet sponge, coffee, lipstick, ketchup, grease all wiped away.

However, the non-permanent pen left a pink mark after I wiped it!! A damp cloth was then required with slight pressure to make it clear. Black rubber and shoe polish were also cleaned with a cloth.

Permanent pen had to be scrubbed with the green scouring pad and white spirit, but this did not affect the paint finish.

I think this satinwood is durable enough for most homes (and does leave a gorgeous finish), but it does seem to hold onto marks more than the first two I tested. Click here to see online prices.

Bedec Aqua Advanced Satinwood (same price bracket as Intact 40 and Andura)

Cleaning Bedec was very easy with a wet sponge. The coffee, lipstick, ketchup, grease all wiped away.

However, the non-permanent pen was very difficult to remove. A damp cloth was then required with a lot of pressure but to get it 100% clean, and white spirit had to be used. This was the same for black rubber and shoe polish.

Permanent pen had to be scrubbed with the green scouring pad and white spirit. Slight paint residue did come off on the sponge. I wouldn’t call this paint durable. Click here to see online prices.

Andura Titanium One (same price bracket as intact 40 and Bedec)

Cleaning Andura Titanium One was difficult, only coffee had passed the test with ease.

lipstick, ketchup, grease, non-permanent pen was very difficult to remove. White spirit was required to make it fully clean.

Permanent pen had to be scrubbed with the green scouring pad and white spirit. Paint residue did come on the sponge.

Tikkurila Intact 40

Tikkurila Intact 40 is also a new product and has many mixed reviews.  The price however, is a lot cheaper than it’s competition so I was keen to test it.

Cleaning intact 40 was very easy with a wet sponge. Coffee, lipstick, ketchup, grease all wiped away.

However, after wiping away the non-permanent pen I was left left a pink mark. A damp cloth was then required with pressure to make it clear. Black rubber and shoe polish were also cleaned with a cloth. Permanent pen had to be scrubbed with the green scouring pad and white spirit, but this did not affect the paint finish. Click here to see online prices.

 Results – Which is the Most Durable Water-Based Satinwood

Well based on how easily each water-based satinwood was to clean;

In joint 1st is Johnstone’s Aqua Guard with Teknos Futura. They both passed the test with ease. Although you could argue Aqua guard is cheaper, but if you use the primer/undercoat recommended then the price evens out.

2nd is Benjamin More Scuff x only because some if the cleaning needed more pressure than Aqua and Teknos Futura. I was a bit surprised to be honest. I was expecting this product to shine over the others.

3rd Tikkurila Intact, cleaning required more pressure than Aqua, Teknos and Scuff x.

4th Bedec, cleaned well on some stains, but others required spirit.

5th Andura, sadly failed on mainly all stains. Marked very easy.

FAQs

Can you use water-based satinwood over oil-based satinwood?

Most water-based satinwood products require a specialist adhesion primer like Bedec All Prime when applied over old oil-based paints.

What is the best paint for hard-wearing woodwork?

A lot of people assume you need to stick with oil-based paint, or you’ll have issues with durability. However, now there are several hard-wearing water-based options. One of the most durable paints for woodwork that I’ve used is Johnstone’s Aqua Guard.

Why won’t my satinwood paint dry?

This can be down to a couple of issues: it might be that there were oils or cleaning products on the surface you have painted. These contaminants can bleed through your paint and settle as a film on top, preventing the vapour from escaping.

The other thing that may be preventing your satinwood paint from drying is poor ventilation. The vapour needs somewhere to go once it escapes the paint. If you have a confined space full of vapour, then your paint won’t carry on expelling vapour.

Does Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood go yellow?

Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood is predominantly water-based, but it does contain a little bit of alkyd oil. This means it may discolour very slightly over a few years, but barely. I doubt you’ll notice it.

Do I need undercoat under satinwood?

It depends on the satinwood. A lot of satinwood paints are ‘self-undercoating’, which just means you can apply it to a previously painted surface without an undercoat. However, you should still use an undercoat if trying to achieve a colour change, or you’re painting a difficult surface like ceramic tiles.