I wrapped up a new client kitchen project a couple of weeks ago, but also wanted to talk some more about products that I’ve been learning about and using as I continue to grow my business, as well as my skills and techniques. I’m always looking into and trying new primers, fillers, etc… but have stayed true to my trusty standby as far as paint goes – Benjamin Moore’s Advance.
In doing some reading and research, I’ve discovered that Breakthrough by PPG has gotten great reviews as a product for painting cabinets, and I’ve been working with it and using it (and loving it). I thought it would be helpful to do a side by side comparison of the two products. They’re both awesome, but they each have pros and cons to consider, and it’s worth taking a closer look.
Benjamin Moore Advance – Pros
Like I said, I’ve been using Benjamin Moore’s Advance for years now, and have been a loyal customer. There are lots of reasons why I love it and have used it for as long as I have. Let’s do a bulleted list, as I like to see things all organized. 😉
- Advance is a waterborne alkyd, that hardens like an oil. This means soap and water clean up, which I love. I know there is a time and a place for solvent-based products, but I really hate working with solvents. They’re smelly, messy, and the clean-up is awful. So this product is the best of both worlds, in my opinion – great durability without the hassle of dealing with smelly solvents.
- Advance levels out beautifully, whether you spray it or brush and roll it.
- I use Advance in a satin finish, and it is perfection. Just the right amount of shine to it, without being glossy.
- No topcoat required.
Benjamin Moore Advance – Cons
- The biggest con for me when it comes to the Advance, is the dry time. It’s a 16 hour recoat time, which means you spend a lot of time waiting for paint to dry. When you’re painting cabinet doors with two coats of primer and two coats of paint – on both sides – that’s a lot of waiting for paint to dry, and it drags out the production process.
- It takes 30 days for Advance to fully cure. That’s not to say that you have to wait that long to touch your cabinet doors, or rehang them. But you need to be a little gentle until the paint fully cures. With dark colors, the dry/cure time seems to be longer.
- While Advance levels out well, you have to be mindful and not mess with it if you’re brushing and rolling it. If you goof up, leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the worse it gets. And oftentimes, the mistakes level out to where you hardly even notice them.
PPG Breakthrough – Pros
Granted, I’m a newer user of PPG Breakthrough, but I’ve been doing loads of research and reading, and have also talked with other painters and the PPG reps about this product. But really, products speak for themselves, don’t they?
- Breakthrough is a waterborne acrylic, so you still get the easy clean-up like you do with Advance.
- Dry time – this one is a big one for me. It’s dry to the touch in 15-20 minutes, and you can recoat in two hours. That’s just amazing, and for me, it cuts down on my production time in a big way. And, it reduces the time that I need to be on-site when painting cabinet frames, which is great too.
- Durability – it’s hard as nails, and you can handle/move the doors soon after painting them without having to worry about the paint still being tacky. Another bonus – especially when you’re transporting the doors to install them. Speaking of durability, my local PPG store has a laminate counter painted in Breakthrough. Hard as nails I tell you.
- No topcoat required.
PPG Breakthrough – Cons
- Not everyone sees this as a con, but the satin finish in Breakthrough is a bit more matte than that of the Advance. I personally prefer the satin finish of the Advance, but I know people who prefer the Breakthrough. And honestly, it’s not that noticeable, I just notice it because I work with it often.
- Leveling – Since Breakthrough dries so fast, it doesn’t level out as well as the Advance – but this is only when I’m brushing/rolling the frames – it sprays just fine. However, if you use the right painting tools, you can still achieve a beautiful finished look. One must have tool is a flocked foam roller. I experimented with quite a few, and this roller gave the smoothest finish when I hand painted the frames. Trust me on this one. Use the flocked foam roller. Here is an end panel that I painted in the Breakthrough:
- Breakthrough is a thinner consistency and doesn’t cover quite as well as the Advance, so you’ll use more paint as a result. There have been times where I’ve had to buy another gallon of paint to finish a job, whereas with the Advance, I could have finished it with one gallon. Not a deal-breaker, but something to take into consideration.
- Important: Make sure you use the Breakthrough that is VOC250 vs. the VOC50. There have been issues with the 50, and the higher VOC version of Breakthrough will hold up better. If you can’t get the VOC250 in your area, go with the Advance.
But as you can see, the end result is gorgeous.
So there you go – a comparison of two great products, each with its own merits. I like both of them for different reasons, and I think you’ll be happy with either one. It’s a matter of personal preference, and what matters most to you.
If you’re looking to paint your cabinets, check out my tutorials:
Do you have your favorite go-to products?
Jenny
146 Comments
wei
July 23, 2018 at 10:09 pmJenny, thanks for such a nice post. I want to DIY my oak cabinet. I plan to use BIN Shellac primer and a sprayer. I can’t decide on the paint. I am thinking of BM advance, PPG breakthrough and Sherwin Willimas ProClassic. I don’t care about the cure time. What I care is ease of use (since I am a first timer), beautiful finish and durability (no chipping). Which one would you suggest?
Also for BIN Shellac primer, I saw two kinds: shellac base and Synthetic shellac. Which is the one you use? Thank you.
Jenny
July 26, 2018 at 9:35 pmI use BIN Shellac primer, not the synthetic. As for paint, all three of them are good options – if cure time isn’t an issue, I would recommend the Advance. It levels beautifully and is great for first timers. 🙂
wei
July 27, 2018 at 3:52 pmThanks, Jenny. Would Advance works well with a sprayer? I plan to rent one from home depot called”20V Cordless Paint Sprayer”.
I came across some professional painters’ comments online related to Advance. They don’t think it is as durable as other paints like Aristoshield. How would you comment?
Last question, what is your favorite paint for cabinet if you don’t consider cure time?
Thank you.
Jenny
July 29, 2018 at 11:17 pmThere are lots of different ways to paint cabinets, and many different products to accomplish the task. I hadn’t even heard of Aristoshield until you mentioned it to me, and it looks like it’s comparable to other paints that are on the market for cabinets (although I don’t have personal experience with it). Advance is great for a DIYer because it levels out really well and is quite forgiving as a result. But I love PPG Breakthrough as well!
Scott Pratt
September 21, 2018 at 1:58 pmHi Jenny,
I have been going back and forth between Advance, Breakthrough, and ProClassic. My concern about Advance is the cure time. I want to use my Wagner HVLP Spray system to spray Breakthrough, but heard it may be too thick and should not be thinned. Lastly, I am painting large bookcases standing in their vertical position. Will I run into issues with drip and sag using Breakthrough? Any advise is appreciated!
Kristi Perozzi
October 28, 2018 at 1:00 pmI would also be curious about thinning the Advance. I am getting ready to paint my cabinets for the second time (just color change) and will be using an Earlex HVLP sprayer. The last time I used a General Finishes milk paint.
Thanks!
Jenny
October 29, 2018 at 7:32 amYou can thin the Advance – I usually aim for the consistency of heavy cream when spraying paint, if that helps at all.
Theresa Maher
October 3, 2018 at 7:21 pmIf using PPG Breakthrough, what type of primer would I use?
Jenny
October 7, 2018 at 4:28 pmI always use a shellac based primer like BIN or Sherwin Williams Pigmented White Shellac.
Melissa Cassley
October 27, 2018 at 10:30 amHello! Could you share the colors you used on the cabinets and island?
Jenny
October 29, 2018 at 7:33 amIf memory serves, the island was Chelsea Gray and the perimeter cabinets were Simply White (both Benjamin Moore colors).
John Nosacka
November 14, 2018 at 12:24 pmI just did my bathroom cabinets in Advance and my kitchen cabinets in Breakthrough. JEnny’s comments are pretty much what I experienced. Both sprayed well. Both recommend thinning about 6 oz we gallon. Neither we’re very forgiving when brushing, but the BReakthrough was especially bad. You had only one or two brushstrokes before it starts to set up set up. By the fourth brushstroke, you’re making a mess of it. I sure did like being able able to spray BReakthrough primer in the morning and paint in the afternoon.
I’ll probably stick with the PPG Breakthrough from now on
Galya Stanifer
June 5, 2019 at 6:45 pmI notice that you commented on, not to use the VOC50 Breakthrough. I have been using the product, and was very happy with the dry time, application and the finished product. But overtime we are experiencing failure as the product, did not hold up to normal use for cabinets. My rep, is telling me that he just found out this year, that we need to be using VOC250 for the durability. The local stores are no longer caring the VOC50, but for several years that was all they carried, and promoted the product for use on kitchen cabinets. I too, use the The BIN primer, and love the Breakthrough product. Just wish that I knew sooner, to use the VOC250.
When did you become aware that it was necessary to use VOC250?
Jenny
June 9, 2019 at 10:23 amI had the same experience with the VOC50 product as you did. Very disappointing, and I had been using it for awhile before I was made aware of the issues (I even have it on my own cabinets). I started using the VOC250 in late summer of last year, and am now looking at changing over to Milesi 2k poly, as it takes a cabinet finish to a whole new level. What is shocking to me is that the Breakthrough 50 VOC is still recommended for hand rails – when hand oils are the culprit for the problems!! It’s really a frustrating situation.
Theresa Maher
June 9, 2019 at 10:43 amSo I just finished painting my kitchen cabinets and realized that I did not pay attention to your pointer about VOC50. Ugh! I wonder if the Milesi 2k poly (is that the specific name?) can go over the painted cabinets and would help them last longer.
Jenny
June 10, 2019 at 5:23 pmYou could use the Milesi, but I would probably prep and prime them again first. I’m going to be doing the same on mine.
Riki Terada
July 3, 2019 at 9:59 amI had the same experience using Breakthrough. I sprayed 50 Voc Breakthrough with a 5 stage hvlp. Looked good after spraying and dried fast. But we weren’t to impressed with the look the next day. Looked just a tad shinier than flat paint. Durability is not good as it easily chips. Granted I probably didn’t put my two coats on thick enough as I used very little paint.
Anyhow, I will be repeating painting with Advance satin with the same color match of Magnolia Silos White.
I had brushed advance semi gloss on the window trim and floating shelves and like the result. Shelves definitely took the 30 days before putting dishes on them.
But my question is – I am respraying Advance over Breakthrough. Do I need to use primer or can I just sand and spray the Advance?
Jenny
July 11, 2019 at 10:17 pmIf you’re dealing with the 50 VOC version of Breakthrough, I would err on the side of caution, and prime again. Better safe than sorry.
Win
July 5, 2019 at 5:54 pmWe are preparing to repaint our kitchen cabinets (we painted them 17 years ago). Any idea if one of thee products would be better than the other for painting over painted surfaces? What about any tips for preparing the painted surfaces? I read somewhere that one needed to choose the cleaner carefully if using an aklyd paint but it didn’t given any product recommendations.
Samantha Gardner
January 7, 2020 at 8:54 amHow many coats the the breakthrough do you recommend for cabinets? I primed BIN Shellac x2, sprayed breakthrough each side x2. Coverage looks good but wondering if anything more is necessary. Also used VOC250, gloss
Jenny
January 7, 2020 at 7:21 pmTwo coats of Breakthrough, assuming you get the coverage that you want.
Debra
February 15, 2020 at 12:17 pmHi Jenny, is the Milesi 2k poly you mentioned above a water clean up product? Btw great website! Debra
Jenny
February 16, 2020 at 4:57 pmYes, it is water clean up.
Denise
February 19, 2020 at 3:19 pmI will need to roll my cabinet frames, do you recommend the above linked foam roller or the Wooster mohair? Thanks
Nick Ramey
May 10, 2020 at 9:54 amFor breakthrough, the satin was too matte, does stepping up to semigloss match the satin of Advanced?
Jenny
May 26, 2020 at 8:21 pmI’ve never used the semigloss before. You could always do an experiment and do half/half to see if you get the desired sheen.
Rebecca Ackroyd
May 17, 2020 at 11:44 pmI’m using Advance for the first time on cabinets. I did two coats of the reccommended BM primer (tinted to nearly the same color as the Advance topcoat paint. I sprayed the doors with the Advance, and my single coat looks awesome. Do I really need to sand, wipe down and recoat if it looks great and the primer coats are similar colored?
Jenny
May 26, 2020 at 8:18 pmThat’s a call on your part. If you feel comfortable with the coverage, then let it be. Especially if your primer is tinted.
Ponthetta Mitchell
June 5, 2020 at 11:46 amHello, i have the Breakthrough VOC50 🙁 they said it was the 250 but after the mixed it, it was the VOC50. Anyway what are the issues with the VOC050 and what should i do to avoid it. The bottom cabinets have a urethane fortified acrylic (that’s chipping) & the top cabinets have chalk paint. What’s the best prep for each surface?
Jenny
June 24, 2020 at 9:02 pmThe VOC50 was not tested with hand oils and becomes tacky and gummy over time where hands touch it. The best thing to do is to get some VOC 250 Breakthrough and paint over the 50. As for the prep – I would sand the bottom cabinets as best you can and remove the chipping paint as much as possible. You’ll want to use a good bonding primer before painting – STIX is a good waterborne option. As for the chalk painted cabinets – it depends on whether or not you have wax on them. If they’re waxed, that’s a problem, because you can’t put anything over the top of them for worry that the wax will cause adhesion problems. I’ve heard that you can get the wax off with mineral spirits. From there, I would sand and prime – probably with an oil based primer and then paint.
Karen White
June 11, 2020 at 7:29 amWill the BM Advance in white yellow over time?
Jenny
June 13, 2020 at 10:34 amNot to my knowledge or experience thus far.
Cindy
June 19, 2020 at 9:13 pmJenny,
I heard good things about Milesi 2k. But is this avail in a paint or is it just polyurethane top coat? I’m going to be painting all of my trim and doors off white. Tried BM advance, and not that thrilled with it and seem to be spending way too much time researching for a better option
Thanks so much!
Cindy
Jenny
June 24, 2020 at 8:52 pmIt isn’t a poly top coat – it’s a two component product (thus the 2K name). Basically, you add a catalyst to the paint that gives it an extra level of hardness and durability. It’s not a product that can be purchased in your typical paint store – I order mine and have it shipped from a supplier. It’s some serious stuff – I gear up in a full face mask and paint suit when I use it.
CINDY
June 25, 2020 at 11:45 pmThanks so much for the clarification! Appreciate it!!!
megan
February 4, 2021 at 9:40 pmI have 4 kids under 6 and have a part time job outside of the house. I really want to paint my oak kitchen cabinets. Since this will likely take me some time to complete I want it to hold up to the wear and tear of my family for several years. I’ve recently joined cabinet painting groups who only recommend products such as Milesi and say the BM Advance isn’t worth the time. How do you feel about this? I feel very torn about using the BM Advance now but really wanting to update my kitchen cabinets. Help!
Jenny
February 11, 2021 at 12:08 pmMilesi is a great product, and I’m not sure if they’re recommending you use it as a 1K or 2K product, but the 2K is one that you have to be diligent with PPE if you’re going to spray it. I use a fresh air respirator when I spray, and a full paint suit, gloves, etc… These precautions are not necessary for the 1K (no hardener). I don’t know how it holds up as a 1K vs 2K product. Advance is a great product for homeowners as it levels out nicely and is easy to work with. You could also look into Cabinet Coat (a Ben Moore product) that I have also heard good things about.
Amy Kim
April 26, 2021 at 5:23 pmI just painted my cabinets and see generalized brush marks. I got the BM Advance because the store said it had great leveling capabilities. I sanded, primed and after those steps, they were smooth. I then so far only put one layer of paint and am so confused as to why I see so many brush marks. I used a nylon brush and mohair roller which stated it was for this purpose and would provide a very smooth end result. It has been a few hours only since it dried. Will it continue to level?? So discouraged…
Jenny
May 11, 2021 at 4:14 pmOne thing about Advance is to not fuss with it while you’re painting and see flaws. You’re better off to let it sit and dry and then sand out the imperfections and do another coat. What kind of brush/roller are you using? I really liked the mohair roller for Advance, and a Picasso brush works well for brushing.
Jamie E
May 27, 2021 at 3:42 pm250 is basically not in existence anymore. Even here in Texas, they can’t get it anymore at all, I checked with all PPG stores in my area and most of the employees don’t even know what it is, even though it’s still on the website. I am currently on a project and went with 50, we’ll see how it goes. It might be possible to do a satin poly over it, but you can weigh the pros and cons of that, there are definitely ones on both sides. The application of the 50 is excellent though, but as you mentioned the drying time makes leveling difficult. I don’t really care for flocked rollers though, I actually threw mine away and went with a good 1/4in nap roller about 5 minutes into this project, they just suck when actually using them, it’s hard to tell if you’re dry rolling or even not rolling because they don’t actually hold any paint. Maybe roll with a normal roller and follow with a flocked one? I would probably suggest going for a painting pad over a flocked roller, just my opinion on that though.
Also on the other comments about priming, just do a light sanding and use BIN primer, that stuff sticks to almost anything. Windex is good for hand cleanup though. It’s not cheap, and there is a slight learning curve to using it because most people don’t routinely use a shellac based product, but saves a lot of time.
Jonny
June 17, 2021 at 4:42 pmGreat work Jenny…your reviews are very informative. We need to repaint our kitchen that is white and I am guessing has a laquer on them or cheap paint. We are looking for something durable that resists teenagers. We have an airless sprayer and an HVLP gun. Any brand is fine, what do you recommend?
Jenny
June 23, 2021 at 9:35 amBreakthrough is a good option (as long it’s not the lower VOC version), and Ben Moore has a new product called Command that I’m experimenting with that seems pretty bullet proof. But, it dries super fast, so you need to keep that in mind when working with it.
Michelle
July 16, 2021 at 7:14 amI know this site is more for cabinets and I have painted kitchen cabinets as I tend to do in our new house, eventually, but what is the best option for painting over all of our shiny beige oil based crown molding baseboards doors wainscoting etc. ?
Jenny
July 19, 2021 at 5:27 pmWhatever you do, make sure you PRIME that oil based crown molding! If you prime it, you can use whatever topcoat you choose. Benjamin Moore Advance is a great option for trim.
Flo
July 26, 2021 at 3:46 pmDid you try Break-Through lately? It’s been improved for brush and roll, now with excellent flow and leveling for an ultra-smooth finish.
Jenny
July 26, 2021 at 7:30 pmI have moved on from Breakthrough and am using 2k poly products currently.
Rebecca
July 26, 2021 at 8:43 pmIs there a product you are using now you’d suggest to the at home diy-er?
Jenny
August 3, 2021 at 3:33 pmAdvance is a great product for a DIYer. It’s very forgiving and self-levels really nicely. You just have to respect the dry times with it.
Jim Wilmot
July 28, 2021 at 9:22 pmI specialize in spraying
Jim Wilmot
July 28, 2021 at 9:51 pmContinuing- I specialize in spraying kitchen cabinets on sight. I started out using bm advance but was frustrated with the drying (hardening) time because I spray the doors one side at a time and put them on a rack to dry. They’re not really hard enough overnight to turn them over and do the other side. Then someone told me about ppg breakthrough and I tried it and loved it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t told there was a low and a high voc and didn’t find out for a couple years. And that was after bragging to my clients about how durable it was. Then I got a couple of calls back about, as someone mentioned, hand oil breakdowns. I’m chagrined about that. Maybe that’s what “breakthrough” actually means.
I tried the 250 voc and experienced something I’ve never heard from anyone else. The Matt finish it produces has a very slightly speckled sheen when you look at it in good lighting. I gave up on it all and use pigmented conversion varnish now. You can’t beat the look or the hardness. You can pack it and ship it the next day if needed.
Jenny
August 3, 2021 at 3:32 pmAdvance is a nice product, but the dry times make it difficult if you’re doing this professionally. I had the hand oil issue too with Breakthrough, and while the higher VOC version is better, that whole experience left me jaded. Having to redo work due to a paint failure is no fun, and I felt misled by PPG, since it was still marketed to me as a cabinet paint, but with a “new formula”. I’m working with 2K poly products now and they dry super fast and are very durable!
Rebecca
August 3, 2021 at 3:41 pmWhat are the 2k poly products you are using?
Jenny
August 8, 2021 at 10:24 pmMilesi.
Robert
February 17, 2022 at 4:12 pmSorry to revive an old thread, but I was hoping you may have some insight into an issue I encountered. I’ve sprayed Breakthrough 250 before on a pre-primed door and got WONDERFUL results. I was so impressed, I was convinced I was going to use it to refinish my cabinets. Because of the excellent adhesion and from the research I’d seen, primer isn’t really needed with Breakthrough. But I figured I’d test it out to see for myself. I tried it directly over lacquer and another area over BIN shellac. To my horror, the area I sprayed over the BIN crazed really bad. I was so glad I tested rather than shooting the entire cabinet. It would have been a nightmare. Researching the issue, I’ve seen so many people saying they paint Breakthrough over shellac without an issue. And some have reported exactly what I encountered.
That said, I no longer need a solution to refinish my cabinets because I encountered analysis paralysis and put it off long enough that we decided to build a new home. But that’s created a new problem:
Construction costs have been out of control and we decided to paint our new home ourselves to save on cost. I still really, really love the results of Breakthrough and would still like to make it work on our new cabinets. But I’m concerned about tannin bleed and everyone says use BIN. I’m also not sure if I need to worry about Breakthrough over the the parts of the cabinet that are made with particle board or if that will need a primer. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Jenny
March 6, 2022 at 2:32 pmI always, always prime. If you’re concerned about tannins, prime the first coat with shellac, and the second coat with a different primer (i.e., Stix). I do this quite a bit myself because sometimes shellac can be brittle under certain coatings. You could also prime with oil, but I really try to stay away from oil overall. So messy, cleanup is a pain, and dry times are too long.
Hope this helps!
Nick S
September 20, 2022 at 7:14 pmThis is the comparison I was looking for. I have used and love the dry time of Breakthrough, thank you for this write-up!