klaatu, I don't know what galaxy you live in, but in mine paints such as ProMar 200 and so many others that you bash incessantly actually stick to the walls and reflect light. I mean, your constant hyperbolic rants really dilute your message.
I've found paints like SuperPaint and ProMar 200 to work fine. As for ceiling paint, roughly speaking, no one ever notices ceiling paint as long as it's flat and white. Sometimes people use an off white color choice which can be interesting, but the type of paint you use is not very interesting. It doesn't get dirty, it doesn't get touched, etc. It just sits there, reflecting diffused white light, like a flat white should. So it mostly comes down to usability. If you have white ceilings already, it's nice to have a white paint that can go on in one coat and not splatter, which saves you time and cleanup. SuperPaint will usually do that for me, if you apply it like a man.
For the walls, some discriminating people like Cashmere, and it's a fine paint, but the vast majority of people will never know beyond standard color and sheen. So again SuperPaint, ProMar 200 work fine for walls. ProMar 400 would be OK for a 1 coat covering of the same color. Any cheaper than that and paint just isn't really worth using IMO, just in terms of splatter, etc.
For trim each person has their priorities/favorites. If I'm doing a nice trim job (higher cost, more discriminating customer), I'll look for a trim specific paint with good leveling and protection, such as ProClassic in oil or waterborne oil. But frankly I end up using SuperPaint Extra White semi-gloss for an awful lot of trim and doors. Covers really well.
Maybe I never mentioned that I come from planet SOLD PROMAR 200 FOR 10 YEARS AND HAD TO DEAL WITH CONSTANT COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW OTHER BRANDS' CHEAPER LINES WERE BETTER THEN IT! The only redeeming feature that promar 200 has is that painting contractors can advertise using "premium" Sherwin Williams paints and then use Promar 200 so they can make a nice tidy un-taxed mark-up on it when they use it.
I've been to 2 jobs since the beginning of November at the request of "END USERS" to determine why the paint that was used by their painter looked so crappy on the walls. Both times I had no idea what paint was used until they showed me the cans. At both of them I would have sworn that a cheap a55 paint like Colorplace was used, but they were both Promar 200 lo-voc. I bash the product because I'm the one they complain too, mainly because they refuse to call the "painter" back to give them such a 5hitty paint again. Yeah so it looks good immediately after the job is done so the painter can get his check, but long term the stuff is crap.
And again, if you have never used anything but SW,Behr, or Valspar you have no idea whatsoever what the difference a "real" quality paint makes. In all honesty I have no problem with painters using PM200 as a high end re-paint product. Sooner or later people with half a brain will figure it out and call me to meet their expectations of what quality is.
And, the question of paint quality goes far, far beyond the chemistry, application, adhesion, etc,etc,etc aspects and moves into much more intrinsic
and personnel beliefs of what a quality FINISH the paint has. Paint that looks like chalk has no place on a persons home. Higher grade paints (purchased somewhere other then SW,HD,Lowes) leaves the end user with a much smoother, less chalky, and more durable paint for the same price any day of the week. That may be my opinion, but it is based on 31 years working for SW,Duron,PPG,Benjamin Moore, Pratt and Lambert, California etc.
My job is not to sell a retail DIY'er a crap paint at an outrageous mark-up but to sell the the best value they can afford. And that is NEVER Promar 200 for anyone with a brain. Just because it "works OK" doesn't mean it is a value for anyone but the painter. It is a high end apartment grade and commercial paint, per SW's own recommendations. Just because the SW stores can sell the hell out of it because it is cheap and the painters can get a mark-up on it when they use it does not make it a good paint for DIY'ers to use.
No if you don't mind I need another cup of coffee.:vs_coffee: