What are you paying for a gallon of paint?

Git

Stopped by the local Sherwin Williams store to do some pricing on some future projects. Here is what they had, prices are per gallon:

Superpaint in flat for most of our walls
List $41.29 contractor $29.96

Duration in satin for some kitchen and bath areas
List $39.99 contractor - same, $39.99

Pro Classic in semi-gloss for trim and doors
List $50.99 contractor $38.04

Pro Block primer
List $37.49 contractor $28.63

I actually had an email from Sherwin Williams that gave me 30% off all paint except Duration and that was 20% off. The discounted prices were slightly below their contractor's price. Also, I found it interesting that if you purchased a five gallon bucket, it was the same price per gallon as the individual cans - why not use all 1 gallon cans then?

AtlanticWBConst.

Their sales must be slow.....(?)

__________________
- Build Well -

mark942

Every one is paying at the fuel pump ,so no one can afford painting projects.

"Why not use a 5 gallon can"

IMO: it is because a 5`r is easier to work out of.

You made mention of future projects,Maybe by then prices will be down a bit?

__________________

revere22

the cost of living- sometimes the bigger home center stores have sale prices and the quality is good..
Munro Products

sirwired

Yeah, the Sherwin list prices are a complete fiction. Even when they aren't having an official sale, the "Preferred Customer" program still takes at least 20% off.

SirWired

Git

I called a couple of different Sherwin Williams stores in my area. They both confirmed list price of the Superpaint interior flat at $41.29 (S Cal). If I opened "an account" they would both give me a 15% discount, which would bring the price down to $35.09.

I am a firm believer that Sherwin Williams Superpaint is the best, if not one of the best paints out there. I don't think you can beat their "preferred customer" program with the 30% discount - so if your interested in buying some of their paint in the future, you should go to the SW website and sign up

Preferred Customer

joanpattycake

I must say i am quite envious of the people here who can actually buy 5 gallons of paint. I can't even commit to buying a gallon of paint, let alone a 5 gallon can. Maybe someday i'll stop being a such a penny pincher and buy enough paint for the house and maybe my friends will stop poking fun at me. For now, myperfectcolor's 1 pint cans make me happy.

melbostl

Seek out a less expensive brand. I use Devoe, Martin Senour.
Usually pay $15 to $18 gal for interior finishes and rarely more than $20 to $22 for exterior latex.
Certain brands rely on customers (homeowners) impressed by their marketing and promotions.

Nestor_Kelebay

Melbostl:

Really, the truth is that with paint you generally get what you pay for.

However, the reality of the situation is that most people in most situations don't need all that they're buying in a can of paint. For example, if you're like me and repaint apartments the same colour on a regular basis, you only need good hide on the first repainting. After that, you're painting over one colour with the same colour. In that case, you're wasting your money buying a paint with great hide.

And, the other side of the same coin, most people don't know enough about the paint they're buying to make intelligent choices in which paint to buy. So, they'll go out and buy a $58 dollar can of C2 (or anyone else's) interior latex paint thinking they're buying the best, and discover that it takes 4 coats for it to hide an underlying colour, and that it didn't stand up well on they're laundry room floor. So, next time they buy paint, they switch to a different brand cuz the C2 paint they bought last time wuzn't any good.

If you pay more for a can of latex paint, then you're getting:

1. A binder that's made out of plexiglas resins that will dry to a harder film that's less prone to common paint problems (like cracking and peeling in wet areas, like bathrooms or sticking to itself on door frames and window frames).

2. MORE solids in the can (both binder and pigments) so that the film dries to a thicker (and therefore more protective and durable film).

3. More of the white pigment (titanium dioxide) in white and pastel tint bases for better hide.

4. A harder extender pigment that will protect the paint's surface better under hard scrubbing so that it doesn't lose it's gloss when you try to scrub off a stubborn mark.

5. A better additives package that will give you better spreading, better leveling and less spatter. (along with better resistance to freezing and attack by mold and mildew)

6. If you buy your paint at a paint store (which will generally have a dedicated tint machine for every brand of paint they sell) better pigments in the colourants so that the paint hides better and doesn't fade as much from exposure to the Sun.

Lotsa times you don't need all or even most of those benefits, tho.

Really, the problem is that people generally don't know enough about the paint they're buying to know what they're paying extra for. They rely on brand loyalty instead, and that's probably about the least reliable way to make a paint purchase decision. Thankfully, most people have the good sense to choose a paint that's meant for their application, and they'll buy a "Porch & Floor Paint" for a floor, or a Bathroom paint for painting a bathroom, and that's probably the best thing most people should do to guide their paint purchases.