This post is for all the homeowners out there ... especially Texas homeowners ... who are searching through the online paint forums and are confused by the wealth of opinions out there about what brand of paint to use on the exterior of their home.
Ya know ... an old adage comes to mind: Opinions are like that orifice that one has in their posterior ... everyone has one! And, I'm no different! LOL
So, if you've spent a couple hours researching the paint forums, you'll notice that a lot of professionals (like the ones over at painttalk.com) say that they use Sherwin Williams Duration exclusively. Many berate others for any suggestions of using other brands of paint. Yes, of course there are other opinions in those forums ... but, if you are like me, you're most likely wondering whether spending $69 a gallon for Sherwin Williams Duration is worth it.
That last statement will most likely generate some responses that try to justify the cost by talking about coverage rates, thickness of application, and longevity of the product. Yeah, I've seen those posts too.
You may have also noticed a few postings about a recent Consumer Reports review that found this result for exterior paints:
1. California - Fresh Coat Velvet Flat
2. Behr - Premium Plus Flat
3. Valspar - DuraMax Satin
4. Behr - Premium Plus Semigloss
5. Valspar - DuraMax Flat
That statement about Consumer Reports will most likely generate a lot of responses about whether or not Consumer Reports reviews are valid for whatever reason. Yeah, I've seen those posts too.
So, by now you've most likely came to the conclusion, as I have, that trying to justify the extra cost for the Sherwin Williams Duration is rather questionable. Good for you!
Here are some hard facts for you: We live in Austin, Texas. As you can imagine, the amount of blazing sun that beats down on our home every year is relentless. Last year, we had 90 days of 100+ degree days of sun. If a homeowner gets 10 years from their paint job down here, they jump up and down for joy.
We painted the exterior of our home 10 years ago with "Valspar Home Traditions" paint. If it was not for the brutal summer that we had last year, I think we could have gotten another year or two out of our paint job. But, alas, we can now see fading and it's time to repaint.
We are VERY happy with the Valspar paint. It held up very well in this heat and humidity. The only issue we are having now is fading. Yesterday, we stopped into Lowes and noticed that they no longer sell Valspar "Home Traditions", but now have "Duramax" at $39 and "Ultra Premium" at $28 a gallon.
We also stopped by Sherwin Williams to talk to a salesperson there about Duration. I told him of our good experience with Valspar Home Traditions and then asked him if Duration would give us any more life than Valspar. Well, let me tell you, he did not exactly like that question and he would not commit to telling me that Duration would hold up any longer in the Texas heat.
So, is Sherwin Williams Duration worth the extra cost? I certainly cannot find any reasons to justify it. From reading the paint contractor forums, I get the feeling that many paint contractors who use Sherwin Williams Duration use it like it is some sort of badge of honor or something. I don't get it. Frankly, I think contractors use it so that they get job referrals from the salespeople at Sherwin Williams. After all, why should they care how much of someone else's money they are spending?
Yeah, the salesperson we spoke to at Sherwin Williams offered to refer us to a paint contractor. Uh huh, I get the game they are playing. No thanks!
Do yourself a favor. Don't get sucked in to the Duration hype. At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself just a few questions:
1) How easy is it to apply?
2) What is the rate of coverage?
3) How long will a good paint job last?
To me, the answer is rather clear. We'll be painting with Valspar again (Duramax) because we've had a good experience with it, it has good ratings, and it seems to be the best bang-for-the-buck. And, we'll be applying two coats again ... just like everyone who wants a quality paint job does ... no matter what paint they use.
Ya know ... an old adage comes to mind: Opinions are like that orifice that one has in their posterior ... everyone has one! And, I'm no different! LOL
So, if you've spent a couple hours researching the paint forums, you'll notice that a lot of professionals (like the ones over at painttalk.com) say that they use Sherwin Williams Duration exclusively. Many berate others for any suggestions of using other brands of paint. Yes, of course there are other opinions in those forums ... but, if you are like me, you're most likely wondering whether spending $69 a gallon for Sherwin Williams Duration is worth it.
That last statement will most likely generate some responses that try to justify the cost by talking about coverage rates, thickness of application, and longevity of the product. Yeah, I've seen those posts too.
You may have also noticed a few postings about a recent Consumer Reports review that found this result for exterior paints:
1. California - Fresh Coat Velvet Flat
2. Behr - Premium Plus Flat
3. Valspar - DuraMax Satin
4. Behr - Premium Plus Semigloss
5. Valspar - DuraMax Flat
That statement about Consumer Reports will most likely generate a lot of responses about whether or not Consumer Reports reviews are valid for whatever reason. Yeah, I've seen those posts too.
So, by now you've most likely came to the conclusion, as I have, that trying to justify the extra cost for the Sherwin Williams Duration is rather questionable. Good for you!
Here are some hard facts for you: We live in Austin, Texas. As you can imagine, the amount of blazing sun that beats down on our home every year is relentless. Last year, we had 90 days of 100+ degree days of sun. If a homeowner gets 10 years from their paint job down here, they jump up and down for joy.
We painted the exterior of our home 10 years ago with "Valspar Home Traditions" paint. If it was not for the brutal summer that we had last year, I think we could have gotten another year or two out of our paint job. But, alas, we can now see fading and it's time to repaint.
We are VERY happy with the Valspar paint. It held up very well in this heat and humidity. The only issue we are having now is fading. Yesterday, we stopped into Lowes and noticed that they no longer sell Valspar "Home Traditions", but now have "Duramax" at $39 and "Ultra Premium" at $28 a gallon.
We also stopped by Sherwin Williams to talk to a salesperson there about Duration. I told him of our good experience with Valspar Home Traditions and then asked him if Duration would give us any more life than Valspar. Well, let me tell you, he did not exactly like that question and he would not commit to telling me that Duration would hold up any longer in the Texas heat.
So, is Sherwin Williams Duration worth the extra cost? I certainly cannot find any reasons to justify it. From reading the paint contractor forums, I get the feeling that many paint contractors who use Sherwin Williams Duration use it like it is some sort of badge of honor or something. I don't get it. Frankly, I think contractors use it so that they get job referrals from the salespeople at Sherwin Williams. After all, why should they care how much of someone else's money they are spending?
Yeah, the salesperson we spoke to at Sherwin Williams offered to refer us to a paint contractor. Uh huh, I get the game they are playing. No thanks!
Do yourself a favor. Don't get sucked in to the Duration hype. At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself just a few questions:
1) How easy is it to apply?
2) What is the rate of coverage?
3) How long will a good paint job last?
To me, the answer is rather clear. We'll be painting with Valspar again (Duramax) because we've had a good experience with it, it has good ratings, and it seems to be the best bang-for-the-buck. And, we'll be applying two coats again ... just like everyone who wants a quality paint job does ... no matter what paint they use.