Residential paint brands

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We're going to be painting our new home. We may be in this home for the rest of our lives in the Greenville South Carolina area.

What paint brand and why?
 
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Benjamin Moore. It goes on great, covers really nice and lasts! I always apply 2 thinner coats vs 1 coat. It can be expensive but if it lasts a long time it's worth it. Years ago, I used to use Glidden, haven't had much success with HD paint (doesn't cover well) and liked M.A.B. paint but I think they merged with Sherwin Willams so went to Benjamin Moore .. glad I did.

Also, good quality painting tools - Purdy or Wooster paint brushes and rollers.
 
Yes, I won't be cheeping out on the brushes and rollers. This will be my 3rd house I've lived in and painted. I hope it's my last....
 
Like car makers, they have different grades. Aura at Benjamin Moore is their best paint line.
 
Sherwin Williams has some excellent levels of paints too, especially their top of the line stuff. Whatever you use should be well-suited for very high temps and humidity. There are some good 10-20 yr paints out there.
 
Sherwin Williams has Duration which is supposed to be one of their top brands, not sure if they came out with anything newer lately. Once you sign up with them, they're always sending you coupons for 25-30% off. They have 40% off just a couple times a year, those 30% off sales tend to happen all the time around holidays. Price wise it's a little cheaper than Aura with the 40% off. Benjamin Moore has individual dealers and some will discount, but they have a max discount that doesn't really take the price below Duration. I've gotten it in the past by telling them I was a landlord and had multiple properties, they also give it to painting contractors.
 
Sherwin Williams exterior house paint retails for about $58 a gallon, but they do run decent sales. I've used SW Superpaint on a Florida home, but I prefer Benjamin Moore paint, which often goes on sale at Ace Hardware. Ben Moore Regal exterior paint lasted 10 years on my house in a coastal environment, and I would use Ben Moore again.
 
I painted my 70 year old home about 7 years ago, shortly after I bought it. It was sided with Cedar and had been coated with opaque stains.
I also painted a detached garage/outbuilding that was previously painted with latex paint.

I went with Sherwin Williams. I watched for the 30-40% sales, as previously mentioned. The stuff is bullet proof. Indiana weather is hot and humid in the summer and cold in the winter. It's held up GREAT. I'm super impressed with their product!!

I didn't buy their super top of the line paint (Duration), I used their "Super Paint".....it's in the middle. This is based on info from the store manager and several professional painters.

My small decks were painted as well with latex prior to me owning the home and I ended up painting the deck and hand railing with Sherwin Williams product called TreadPlex. It's 100% acrylic paint. That stuff is expensive, but it's help up well.
 
I've been pleased with Benjamin Moore... probably spent over $1k with them to do the whole house (remodeled, new drywall). Ultra Spec primer, Regal matte on the walls, Ceiling ultra flat on ceilings and Aura Bath & Spa in the bathrooms.

My local BM store, small mom/pop were very knowledgeable and helpful. I used their rollers as well, $5 a pop and some free
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It wasn't worth cleaning them between colors... I just wrapped them in foil between the two coats.
 
Originally Posted By: Phishin
I painted my 70 year old home about 7 years ago, shortly after I bought it. It was sided with Cedar and had been coated with opaque stains.
I also painted a detached garage/outbuilding that was previously painted with latex paint.

I went with Sherwin Williams. I watched for the 30-40% sales, as previously mentioned. The stuff is bullet proof. Indiana weather is hot and humid in the summer and cold in the winter. It's held up GREAT. I'm super impressed with their product!!

I didn't buy their super top of the line paint (Duration), I used their "Super Paint".....it's in the middle. This is based on info from the store manager and several professional painters.

My small decks were painted as well with latex prior to me owning the home and I ended up painting the deck and hand railing with Sherwin Williams product called TreadPlex. It's 100% acrylic paint. That stuff is expensive, but it's help up well.



I like to use Duration for the exterior, painted one place about 10 years ago and the paint is still holding up well. For my interior rental properties I just use their Superpaint line. It's ok and you tend to repaint with different colors after 3-5 years anyway.

For Benjamin Moore, Regal used to be their best line til Aura came out. Aura started the one coat, paint and primer in one. It's a fast drying paint so it's actually possible to paint one coat and come back in another hour or so and do a second coat if you want to.
 
I also deal with a local store for BM and they routinely give me a discount. I usually get their Regal for interior painting, I don't need to paint exterior. I think I bought the Aura Bath paint for a bathroom ceiling but don't remember.

Good tip with the foil, I use food storage bags myself.
 
I painted my last house with top of the line Sears Semi Gloss latex 15 years ago in Pennsylvania and the house still looks good. I am in the process of painting my house now in Florida. I went with Valsper because I get a discount t at Lowe's. Not top of the line, but second down. Make sure you go with a Semi Gloss. It lasts much longer than flat. I also tried Glidden on a barn in Florida and it was Awful. Looks terriable after 5 years. I have used Behr down here in Florida extremely impressed. I would use that but only Home Depot carries it and I want my discount at Lowe's.
 
California Paint, I tried it for exterior trim after I got tired of repainting the Ben Moore product. I got ten years out of it before I sold my house and it still looked great. CR always gave it top ratings , they are a small player and not widely distributed and I was lucky enough to have a local dealer. http://www.californiapaints.com/
 
California , Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams are safe bets .

Putting up several color samples in different sheens can save a lot of money and time .

Sometimes buying a quart and seeing how the color looks dry on a large scale in the will affect the decision on the specific paint color .

Benjamin Moore has many different grades of paint . Speak to a dealer about your needs and remember to ask if the line you choose is available in gallons and quarts . Some less expensive lines only come in gallons .
 
Well,

since your kid will start to walk, scratch, draw, splash food, put hands and feet everywhere...

i would choose at least an satin/egshell (washable with a magic eraser) sheen for the walls.

no offense, but semigloss/high-gloss should be for trim/doors/rentals washable walls

whatever color you test on the walls, make sure:
- you do a large 2'x'2 area
- look at it in various lights !!! (i have apricot orange and earthy pale pink: depending on day/night light it goes from vivid colors to very gray-ish)
- if you don't know what was used before last coat you found in the house, use a good primer! (dealing in a kitchen with paint adhesion substrates problems); (also for your wife and kid peace of mind you want fresh paint everywhere)


P.S. Home depot/lowes has some plywood which is shiny white on one side: hint hint for a temporary/draw zone/creativity area for the kid

P.S.2: since i know you know how to talk to people, i would strike a conversation with your local Benjamin/Sherwin/Lowes/Behr/HomeDepot guys. if not i heard donuts and some coffee and a big smile at the contractors desk could make wonders....
also i think there are 10% coupons from lowes online which are honored by homedepot....(hint hint)

all the best from cloudy grimy cold-ish Chicago
 
Keep in mind some colors fade more and are more delicate than others. Some people rate there liking of a particular paint based on how well it applied and hid the previous paint job on one coat. I've never been a fan of paints touting hiding ability on one coat, such paints lack depth imo.
 
The prep for paint is everything. If prep is done correctly even cheaper paints hold up well. Painting over grease, smoke, and such on a wall is going to cause paint failure. Lots of good paints have been suggested here. They all have different price points and again if you prep the room correctly you will have good success. I have used SW, BM, Valspar, Behr, and Glidden. They all worked out well for me. I paint two coats no matter what the can claims. Two coats just look better and will last better.

Glidden has been mentioned as a cheap paint to avoid. I have had some problems with Glidden using some of their past formulations. That was in the past. The newer formulations have been holding up well for me. I usually choose a paint based on finding the just right color with any of the various brands paint chips. Valspar and Glidden usually have the color I finally choose. Yes I do check all brands color chips. I like to use satin for the wall and semi-gloss on the trim for interior painting. For exterior I use satin on wall and trim. For exterior hose down your house twice a year. Washing down makes it look better for longer. Getting the dust and crud off makes my exterior paint last longer.
 
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the PPG-era Glidden works well, but that was their Diamond series from Home Depot. Akzo Nobel neglected the Glidden brand - I remember most hardware stores carried the Spred series, then it disappeared. They made a big push into Home Depot, and I did notice a difference between the Spred line sold at hardware stores and the Evermore series for HD. I did a fair amount of painting for my parents.

I prefer Benjamin Moore, but it can get pricey if you get Aura. I like Kelly-Moore as well, local paint company in the Bay Area. Behr is honestly not that bad these days, it's not as colorfast as Ben Moore/Kelly-Moore/Dunn-Edwards(also from CA, but more SoCal-centric) but their newest Premium Plus Ultra and Marquee seem to work as well as the top of the line offerings from BM/SW. Keep in mind that Behr is consumer-centric, of course professional painters won't/don't like to work with it as DIYers and professionals have different criterion to judge paint on. DIYers want something nice, thick and comes in all colors of the rainbow, pros want something that flows well, cuts in well and covers up/touches up without a fight.
 
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