paint brand: best bang for your buck with decent quality?

newbpainter

I live in southern california. Whats the best value in terms of price and decent quality. (edit: for interior paint) Please name the line of the brand. I have these paint shops around me: Frazee, Dunn Edwards, Sherman Williams, Vista, Benjamin moore, and the big boxes....lowes, homedepot, true value..etc.

Buttersdad

Well, you didn't specify interior or exterior but here goes. Both Moore and Williams make products pros have sworn by for years. Dutch Boy and Sherwin Williams are produced by the same folks. I have had good luck with top of the line Dutch Boy paints for folks on a budget. Additionally, in Southern Cal you should have Standard Brands outlets which carry products made by the same folks who produce Behr paints which many Home Depots carry and with which I have had good luck. As you may know, much of a satisfactory outcome in the painting process comes in the preparation. If you are painting over well bonded paint, then deglossing and degreasing it with TSP or a similar product is a great start. If your walls are bare or a radical color change is contemplated then a decent primer chosen to bond chemically with your topcoat is a must, lastly hit this site or diynet to pick up little tips like delinting your rollers by winding tape around them and peeling it off and you'll be in good shape

chrisn

Sherman? Any of the ones you listed top of the line paints will do a good job. You get what you pay for, lesser price = lesser quality.Personally,I have never had problems with Ben Moore, I don't use SherWin Williams because the people working there have been jerks in the past, but I am sure that is a local thing.

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slickracer

I've used a couple Ace paints and have been very impressed. Their Senstation interior matte is an excellent paint for the price.

sirwired

Hmmm... perhaps the top-line "Contractor" paint from an actual paint store might do the trick, depending on how long you want the job to last. You can be reasonably assured that the paint will apply well, even if it won't last as long as the flagship paints (i.e. Duration, Aura, etc.)

SirWired

slickshift

Most of Southern California has different regs, so the paint I'd recommend for the other 49 (or Canada) might (most likely will) have a different formula for your area and I can't vouch for their performance (personally/professionally)

However, any of the BM Gennex Tint Platform paints will be the same
(Aura, Natura, and ben)
I can recommend any/all, as even the cheapest (ben) is pretty good
Aura (the most expensive) is King though...especially for rich, complex, or deep colors, or if wash-ability, durability, or color retention is important to you

I use other brands/lines, but that's the only line I know is the same across the board
Regardless of your area/regs, they are worth recommending anyway

vsheetz

Hi from San Diego.

I was recently introduced to Dunn Edwards paint by the fella doing some dry-wall work for me. We have recently painted most all the interior walls and ceiling of the house with Dunn Edwards - with excellent results. Coverage, application usability, looks, etc. Over the years I have used many of the popular brands from dedicated paint stores as well as the big box stores - I'll be using Dunn Edwards as my first choice going forward for interior painting.

newbpainter

I appreciate all opinions.

Anyone else's recommendations would be welcomed. Please remember to include the name of the particular line of the brand.

jckloo

I second the Dunn Edwards recommendation. I did a test a couple of weeks ago and got similiar colored samples from Ben Moore, Kelly Moore, Behr (Home Depot), Sherwin Williams and Dunn Edwards. The Dunn Edwards paint went on easier and covered better IMHO. I've now painted several rooms with it in various sheens (decovel, suprema, semi-gloss). If you're a AAA member, they'll give you a 25% discount, which brings the price down almost to Behr level. The only issue for non-pros like me is that DE gears their stores to contractors - all the ones around here (SF Bay Area) are only open from like 6am-3pm M-F, so you do have to plan ahead.

newbpainter

Thanks jacko for mentioning the AAA discount. That makes Dunn Edwards very very attractive for me. That, and I've read Dunn Edwards is quality. Quality paint but at behr prices? Sounds like a winner to me. Thanks again, jacko.

bruter

I don't care about cost. Color matching they are all pretty good from my experiences. Coverage is my main concern. I want a one coat paint that lays smooth. I've been using Behr because Home Depot is convenient but not really happy with coverage. Some contractors I know use Vista and I've tried it and it seems to work better than Behr and dry harder but it's a real inconvenience to get to their store and it can take a couple of hrs or more for a color match.

sdsester

Ben was created as the head to head box store competitor for Ben Moore. I would go with the contractor grade of Benjamin Moore though. It is nice to work with but has less acrylic than the top consumer brands. Worth looking at if your primary motivation is price though. Same with Sherwin Williams.

When I was in California Kelly Moore was my go to brand but perhaps it is not availed to you in the south. I don't have experience with other brands you mention save for Behr and only when forced to use it when it was donated. I found the experience frustrating.

As mentioned, as you start paying more for paint you gain things like washability, colorfastness, etc. that are just not going to happen in a cheap paint.

Of course, whatever paint you buy prep is important and invest in nice tools. Those bag-o-brushes for $10 ain't not never gonna work out well!

And don't fall for the typical consumer traps like "one coat coverage" or "paint and primer" in one can.

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Thadius856

Cost of paint isn't the factor you should be worrying about.

Anything from improper roller nap to low quality tape to poor brush technique can easily result in needing an additional coat, which offset any price savings. Additional, for exterior projects, the paint is there to beautify and protect work which costs far more than the paint itself. Failure on a weather-facing wall can be very expensive to repair.

Every inch of my house is covered in Sherwin Williams. I've not used other premium paints, but it beats the pants off everything I've ever bought at a big box store. Duration used to be their top-of-the-line consumer paint, and almost every square inch of my house is covered in it, but they now have a higher-rated Emerald line.

Since I probably won't be able to disuade you from the cost aspect, Sherwin is having a 40% off sale from Nov 9 (tomorrow) to Nov 11. Stack on a $10 off $50 coupon (enter your zip code here, then print) will bring it right down to Behr/Glidden/etc prices. Supplies are also 30% off, so you don't have to make a second trip to the big box for rollers, etc.

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bruter

What does the acrylic do for paint?

Thadius856

Binds everything together.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/arti...9538-2,00.html

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