Sherwin-Williams Ceiling Paint: ProMar vs Premium vs CHB

Sherwin-Williams sells two dedicated ceiling paints and one flat for walls and ceilings alike: Premium Ceiling Paint (A27W00600), its brightest white acrylic; ProMar Ceiling Paint (A27W05050), a vinyl acrylic built to be sprayed on new construction; and CHB Interior Latex Flat, a new-construction flat sold ready-mixed in whites such as Extra White and Dover White. On their data sheets all three dry to 0 to 2 gloss units at 85 degrees, cover 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon, recoat after 4 hours and stay under 50 g/L of VOC. Premium Ceiling holds the most solids (33% by volume against 29% and 28%), is the only one with a published light reflectance value (LRV 92) and adds mildew-resistant agents. For rolling a repaint in a lived-in room, the data point to Premium Ceiling; for spraying a new build, ProMar Ceiling; for a new build where walls and ceilings share one flat, CHB.

How this comparison works: every figure comes from Sherwin-Williams' product data sheets, product pages and color data, read on October 29, 2026. Calculations made from them are ours and labeled as such. No paint was applied for this page and no spatter or hiding test is claimed. Sherwin-Williams showed no price for these products without signing in, so this page quotes none.

Which Sherwin-Williams ceiling paints are on sale in 2026

What Sherwin-Williams' own site lists:

• Premium Ceiling Paint, Interior Acrylic Latex Flat, product A27W00600, in 1 and 5 gallon cans. On October 29, 2026, it was the only paint in the homeowner site's ceiling paint category; its product page calls it the "brightest, whitest ceiling paint".
• ProMar Ceiling Paint, Interior Latex Flat, product A27W05050, listed as "ProMar Interior Latex Ceiling Paint" on the contractor product page, in 1 and 5 gallon cans. This is the product behind the search "promar ceiling paint".
• CHB Interior Latex Flat, products B30WC4051 (Extra White), B30WC4070 (North White) and B30WF4082 (Dover White) on its data sheet, sold in 1, 5 and 55 gallon sizes according to its product page. Sherwin-Williams does not spell out the three letters on the data sheet or the product page we read, so treat any expansion you see online as unofficial.

Older listings also name Eminence High Performance Ceiling Paint and Brilliance; we found no current product page for either. The HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams ceiling paint sold at Lowe's is a separate retail line, not covered here. To compare brands rather than products, see our Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore interior comparison, which covers the wider lineups.

ProMar Ceiling vs Premium Ceiling vs CHB: the data sheets side by side

Figures from the Premium Ceiling Paint data sheet (October 2023), the ProMar Ceiling Paint data sheet (October 2021) and the CHB Interior Latex Flat data sheet (June 2020). Drying times are at 77°F and 50% relative humidity.

The coverage, drying and VOC rows are identical: the solids, the resin and the white separate these paints. And while the Premium Ceiling product page promises "self-priming, one-coat coverage", its data sheet asks for two coats on bare drywall, plaster and wood, and says unpainted surfaces hide best with a primer plus two coats. Read the one-coat claim as a repaint over a sound white, not a new-drywall system.

Same coverage, different film: why the solids number matters

A US gallon is 231 cubic inches. Spread 1 mil (a thousandth of an inch) thick, it covers about 1,604 sq ft; at the 4 mils wet that all three sheets specify, 401 sq ft, the top of the published range (our calculation). What stays on the ceiling once the water has gone depends on the volume solids:

• Premium Ceiling: 4 mils x 33% = 1.32 mils of dry paint per coat (the sheet rounds to 1.3).
• ProMar Ceiling: 4 mils x 29% = 1.16 mils (sheet: 1.2).
• CHB: 4 mils x 28% = 1.12 mils (sheet: 1.1).

Per coat, Premium Ceiling leaves about 14% more dry film than ProMar Ceiling and about 18% more than CHB (our calculation from the nominal values; each solids figure carries a 2-point tolerance). Two coats give roughly 2.6, 2.4 and 2.2 mils. How much better the thicker film hides is not something these sheets measure: none publishes a hiding figure. For the same arithmetic on Benjamin Moore's ceiling paint, which holds 37% solids and covers 400 to 450 sq ft per gallon on its N508 data sheet, see our Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint review.

How white is "ceiling white"? LRV of the Sherwin-Williams whites

Light reflectance value is the share of visible light a color sends back, from 0 for black to 100 for a perfect white. Premium Ceiling's data sheet gives its White an LRV of 92. ProMar Ceiling's brochure speaks of "good light reflectivity" without a number, and CHB reflects whatever named white you buy. For comparison, the published LRVs of Sherwin-Williams whites used on ceilings, read from Sherwin-Williams' color data on October 29, 2026 (hex values are approximate screen renderings):

What 92 against 82.5 means overhead. A ceiling at LRV 92 absorbs about 8% of the light that reaches it; one at 82.5 absorbs about 17.5%, more than twice as much (our calculation). The gap counts most where light reaches the ceiling first, under uplights or with daylight bouncing up from the windows, and least under recessed downlights, which send their light down. Note the trap in the name: Ceiling Bright White SW 7007 sits at 82.53, well below Premium Ceiling's 92. Our LRV guide explains the scale, and our guide to ceiling paint colors and whites covers warm versus cool ceilings and the same-as-walls approach.

Tinting limits. Premium Ceiling and ProMar Ceiling take at most 2 oz of colorant per gallon in their white base, which restricts them to light tints; ask the store whether a white such as Alabaster fits under that cap. The ProMar brochure says "tintable to hundreds of colors", but the data sheet's 2 oz cap governs. Sherwin-Williams' ceiling paint ideas page also suggests dark ceiling colors such as Tricorn Black SW 6258 and Billiard Green SW 0016: those need a wall paint line with deep bases in a flat sheen, not one of these ceiling paints. Our interior paint finish guide explains why ceilings stay flat in most rooms.

Drying, recoat and spatter

All three are dry to the touch in 1 hour and ready for a second coat after 4 hours at 77°F and 50% relative humidity, go on above 50°F and need no thinning. Each sheet adds that times depend on temperature, humidity and film thickness. Two coats on one ceiling fit in a working day with any of them; Benjamin Moore's ceiling paint recoats in 1 to 2 hours. Our interior paint drying time guide separates dry, recoat and cure for every type of paint.

On spatter, the paper trail is thin. The Premium Ceiling page claims "spatter resistance", the ProMar Ceiling and CHB pages make no spatter claim, and Benjamin Moore says its ceiling paint is "formulated for minimal spatter". Nobody publishes a measurement. The data sheets agree on tools: a nylon-polyester brush for cutting in and a 3/8 to 3/4 inch synthetic roller cover.

Spraying a new build or rolling a repaint

ProMar Ceiling is the clearest case. Its product brochure says it "eliminates the need to back-roll to achieve a uniform profile in new construction", calls it "a top performer for budget-conscious projects" and names new residential, commercial and multifamily properties: fresh drywall in empty rooms, where self-priming in two coats saves a primer step.

CHB targets the same market as a wall paint that also goes on ceilings. Its sheet advises touching up with the same application method and batch, and, when the original coat was sprayed, running the touch-up paint through the spray tip first. It is not described as self-priming: on drywall it goes over ProMar 400 Zero VOC Wall Primer.

Premium Ceiling reads like the repaint product: a "non-lapping formula" with "flow and leveling", which matters when you roll a ceiling in sections and the edges must not show as stripes. It also sprays, at a slightly higher pressure and a finer tip than the other two.

Primers, stains and bare surfaces

"Self-priming" in these sheets means two coats of the paint itself on bare drywall or cured plaster, not one. The full systems:

• Drywall. Premium Ceiling: 2 coats, or Premium Wall and Wood Primer plus 2 coats. ProMar Ceiling: 2 coats, or ProMar 400 Zero VOC Primer plus 2 coats. CHB: ProMar 400 Zero VOC Wall Primer plus 2 coats.
• Plaster. Cured, with a pH under 9. Premium and ProMar Ceiling self-prime with 2 coats or go over Loxon Concrete and Masonry Primer; CHB always over the Loxon primer.
• Wood. Premium Wall and Wood Primer under ProMar Ceiling and CHB; Premium Ceiling may self-prime. The Premium and ProMar sheets send wood that bleeds (tannin or knot-holes) to Multi-Purpose Primer first.
• Stains. All three sheets say stains from water, smoke, ink, pencil or grease must be sealed with an appropriate primer-sealer. A self-priming ceiling paint is not a stain blocker: an old leak mark will come back through it.

When the repaint involves a drastic color change, for example white over a dark ceiling, all three sheets say a primer coat will improve hiding. Our interior paint primer guide covers stain-blocking primers in detail.

How much ceiling paint you need

All three are rated 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon per coat, so the arithmetic is the same whichever you pick (our calculation, two coats, smooth ceiling):

The rate assumes a smooth, sealed ceiling. Benjamin Moore's ceiling paint sheet notes that the real rate depends on surface texture and porosity: round up for a textured or unprimed ceiling, and keep leftover paint from the same batch for touch-ups. For room sizes not shown, our interior paint coverage calculator guide works through walls and ceilings together, and the ceiling painting cost guide adds labor if you hire the job out.

VOC, emissions certifications, lead and old popcorn ceilings

Under 50 g/L of VOC is low, not zero. The EPA notes that many VOCs are consistently higher indoors, up to ten times higher than outdoors, and advises more ventilation when using products that emit them (EPA, VOCs and indoor air quality); the three data sheets likewise ask for open windows and doors during application and drying.

Premium Ceiling and ProMar Ceiling both hold a UL GREENGUARD Gold certificate (UL 2818 and the California Department of Public Health method), valid until September 9, 2027 according to the certificates linked from the product pages. UL says Gold sets lower emission limits and covers more than 360 VOCs plus total chemical emissions. CHB states no GREENGUARD certificate and "No" for LEED v4 emissions. Our low-VOC interior paint guide compares certifications across brands.

Each sheet's surface preparation section opens with a lead warning: scraping or sanding old paint can release lead dust. In homes built before 1978, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting program requires anyone paid to disturb paint to be certified; homeowners in their own home are generally exempt, and the agency recommends its lead-safe practices for DIYers. For old textured "popcorn" ceilings, the EPA says you generally cannot tell asbestos by looking, that material in good condition should be left alone, and that suspect material should not be sanded or scraped (EPA, asbestos exposure); sampling is a job for an accredited professional.

Which Sherwin-Williams ceiling paint to buy

• Premium Ceiling Paint, to roll a repaint in a lived-in home. The most solids, an acrylic resin, a non-lapping formula and the brightest published white (LRV 92).
• Premium Ceiling Paint, for kitchens and other humid rooms. The only one with anti-microbial agents, which inhibit mold and mildew on the paint film. A damp bathroom needs ventilation first: see our mold-resistant bathroom paint guide.
• ProMar Ceiling Paint, to spray new drywall. Sprayed without back-rolling, self-priming in two coats, GREENGUARD Gold, aimed at budget-conscious projects. Our page on ProMar 200 for walls covers its wall-paint sibling.
• CHB, when walls and ceilings share one flat. Ready-mixed whites for new construction, up to 55-gallon containers; plan a primer on drywall.
• None of them for a dark ceiling. The tint caps keep them in whites and pale tints.

Ask a contractor's quote to name the ceiling product, not just "ceiling white": the three share a coverage figure but not a film or a white. For a whole-room budget, see our interior house painting cost guide.

Sources and references

• Sherwin-Williams, Premium Ceiling Paint product data sheet (10/2023) and product page: LRV 92, coverage, film, solids, recoat, tinting, systems, mildew and spatter claims, GREENGUARD Gold.
• Sherwin-Williams, ProMar Ceiling Paint product data sheet (10/2021), contractor product page and brochure: specs, spray positioning, tinting.
• Sherwin-Williams, CHB Interior Latex Flat product data sheet (06/2020) and product page: specs, primer system, touch-up advice, sizes and whites.
• Sherwin-Williams, ceiling paint category and color pages for SW 7757, 7006, 7005, 7004, 7007, 6385 and 7008: current lineup and published LRVs, read October 29, 2026.
• Benjamin Moore, Waterborne Ceiling Paint N508 data sheet: solids, spread rate and its dependence on texture and porosity, recoat, spatter claim.
• UL Solutions, UL GREENGUARD Certification: what Gold adds; GREENGUARD Gold certificates for Premium Ceiling Paint and ProMar Ceiling Paint (UL 2818, valid to September 9, 2027).
• U.S. EPA, VOCs and indoor air quality, RRP program, lead-safe renovations for DIYers and asbestos exposure guidance.