It’s painting day! You have your color picked out and now it’s time to get the paint and other supplies. You’re on your way out to get what you will need, but wait not so fast.
Where you purchase your paint and the type of paint that you buy can make a big difference in not only the quality of the job, but the ease of application and maintenance down the road. Or can it?
Anyone who has ever done any painting can tell you that there are a multitude of places to choose when it comes to purchasing paint and there are even more types of paint once you get there.
Depending on where you live there can be several different kinds of stores to purchase paint. You have big box retailers like Home Depot and Lowes, you have smaller neighborhood hardware stores and then of course you have specialty paint stores. And each one serves a different niche.
Here in my area we have retailers that carry quality paints like Bejamin Moore, Sherwin Williams and Pittsburgh, but we also have Home Depot which carries Behr a cheaper paint that they are able to buy at a good price that is passed on to the consumer.
Faced with so many choices of paint how do you decide? Well, just like with most everything else, you get what you pay for. Cheap paint usually means less pigment, less binder which adheres the paint to the wall and less solvent which is what makes the paint easy to roll on.
So what does this mean to you? While better paints use better pigment that looks fuller and hides blemishes better, cheaper paints use synthetic pigments that supposedly don’t work nearly as well, right? Where a better paint may cover in 1 or 2 coats a cheaper paint may need 3 or even more. Less expensive paint will take you longer to roll on and not wash nearly as well.
I read one post in a forum that I read regularly where someone needed 6 coats to do a decent job using a lesser quality paint. Other posts that I have read talked about drips and runs using lower end paints.
Personally I use both Bejamin Moore and Behr paints and have not experienced problems with either one. Although based on what I read, I do continue to wonder if there is going to be a problem with the Behr being it is considered low quality paint. I have noticed that sometimes it doesn’t seem to cover as well and application can be slightly more difficult. Yet, I have done some beautiful jobs with it.
When it comes to paint does quality play a difference? Do you find that more expensive paints do a better job? What experiences have you had?
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Glad you brought this point up on here. A lot of people don’t think it matters. I’ve probably used five different brands of paint for house jobs in the last few years. It makes a huge difference. Where you save in money for cheaper paint, you lose in the time investment because more coats are needed. It doesn’t drip more from my experiences. So whenever I hear general advice that a gallon of paint covers x square feet, I don’t follow it.
Time to look around here more!
Katie
Thanks Katie, I have been following your blog for a while and value your opinion! You seem to agree with the consensus – that is exactly what I have been hearing on the forums. And you must be right because a representative for Behr came into the forums a couple of weeks ago and asked for honest opinions on their product. He also told us that they will be changing their product which leads me to believe that they realize that they are getting poor feedback. So at least for one brand, low quality paint isn’t working as well as better paint. Thanks for stopping by and participating!
Thanks again for the great advice. I have used Behr but can’t render an opinion because I haven’t used anything else. I think I’ll try Benjamin Moore for a bathroom I have to paint. Just to see how I like it.
I wish I had read this before I was halfway through painting my living room.
Since I didn’t know anything about the differences in quality, I went with to brand that had the shade I wanted, which turned out to be Glidden. Two coats have worked out fine for me, but I wonder if I might not have injured my wrist if I’d gone with a brand that was easier to apply. Something to consider for next time. Thanks!
I always go for quality over “savings”. I’ve had good luck with Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams. Bennie Moore is better, but not readily available in NC, where I have a beach house.
My tips: Get the best quality you can afford. Never count on covering in 1 coat (unless it’s Bennie’s Moore’s Aura) no matter what they say. Tack on 2 extra coats for deep shades of red that lean towards cool. Warm reds cover better. Never use “ceiling white”. It’s cheap and looks it. Why not try matching the ceiling to the trim color? Finally, plan on spending 3/4 of your time prepping and 1/4 of your time painting.
Regarding Aura, it’s an amazing paint. Amazing! It covers in 1 coat. But, you have to practice with it. It dries very quickly. It looks better on walls than trim.
Thanks Jennifer – all good information! I very much do agree with going for quality over savings. Funny that you should mention painting with reds, because it red which will really let you know the quality of the paint that you are using. I also love the Aura.
Glad to find your site and amen!
There’s also another less fortunate feature to some of the inexpensive paints – some don’t adhere well and may rub off, which isn’t great if your white blouse meets your cappuccino walls!
Cheers!