Paint brands--Should I buy a cheaper or more expensive one? Which brand?

[Mrs Twain]

I am looking at buying a lot of paint from Benjamin Moore to repaint the main level of our house. There is a $25/gallon version, a $35/gallon version (paint and primer), etc. on up to $57/gallon. Is there a big difference between these types of paint that would compel me spend twice as much per gallon? Or is the $25/gallon good enough?

 

Most of the walls with be a neutral color.

 

Any thoughts?

Or should I go with a different company (Sherwin Williams, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.)?

[Lolly]

Home Depot- Behr. Eggshell finish. I prefer the paint/primer combined for a really thick paint. Truly excellent paint. :thumbsup:

Edited May 28, 2012 by Lolly

[justLisa]

I buy when Sherwin williams has a sale. I always get 30% off, and use the Duration Home in SATIN. It has very little sheen, but literally does scrub. It's been tested here, trust me!

 

I a big fan of paint! I always have them color match a Ben Moore color. I have used the Ben Moore Aura and it was NOT scrubbable. I then purchased the other one, I forget what it is called now, but the middle of the road BM paint. I just think it is over priced. Valspar I can attest is VERY watery and thin in comparison, making for a messy job.

[kalanamak]

If you are staying in a house, IMO, more expensive is better, and looks better longer, cleans up more easily, etc.

[itsheresomewhere]

Home Depot- Behr. Truly excellent paint. :thumbsup:

 

Behr has gone downhill, IMO. I painted the garage and shutters last year with it and it is now a peeling nasty mess. Neighbor painted her bedroom in it and has the same issue with peeling. Dad painted his mancave with it and has to repaint too.

 

Go with Benjamin Moore. I have DD bedroom painted in it and the kids bathroom. I have scrubbed those walls and stuff and still looks brand new.

[itsheresomewhere]

I don't know that it is Behr, but these combo paint/primer products. I have not heard good things about the combo paints. It seems like such a time saver, but apparently not.

 

I used a separate primer on this. It just seems very watery paint compared to what it was. Separate primer is the best.

[Mrs Twain]

Thank you for the info.

Scrubbable is defintely a necessity at our house. I should have thought of that!

 

By the way--

Do any of you have a favorite neutral color?

I am very terrible at picking out paint colors...:tongue_smilie:

[LillyMama]

I buy when Sherwin williams has a sale. I always get 30% off, and use the Duration Home in SATIN. It has very little sheen, but literally does scrub. It's been tested here, trust me!

 

I a big fan of paint! I always have them color match a Ben Moore color. I have used the Ben Moore Aura and it was NOT scrubbable. I then purchased the other one, I forget what it is called now, but the middle of the road BM paint. I just think it is over priced. Valspar I can attest is VERY watery and thin in comparison, making for a messy job.

 

When was the last time you painted? I ask because we've done all our home in Sherwin Williams Duration Home over the years and have loved it. BUT this past winter we finished our basement and an upstairs bathroom and bought the latest "recipe" of the newest Duration Home. It. Was. Horrible. I was so surprised, because I've always loved the paint. I'm wondering if we just got a bad couple of batches or if their new stuff is just not as good as the old.

 

And, to OP, we use a lot of beige/tan whatever you call it. I put up accent walls, either in a darker neutral on the same care or, in some rooms, an actual color. I think the neutral we have now is called Softer Tan (from Sherwin Williams) and the neutral accent walls are in Basket Beige. Various rooms in my house have colonial blue, royal blue, navy and red, and sage accent walls, and these tans seem to go with them all. My mother in law is an interior designer and she picked out these colors with me, if that's of any consolation. ;)

[Bluegoat]

One thing about more expensive paint is that it often gives better coverage, so the higher cost may not be as dear as it seems.

 

THe last room I painted was our bedroom. The whole house needs to be done but we've been waiting until our smallest is past the marking on the walls stage. The bedroom though was pesto-bismal pink and we just couldn't take it. I sprang for Farrow and Ball, and it is completely amazing paint. It totally changes its character with the light. It was quite different to paint with than other paints I've used.

 

The price nearly gave my dh a heart attack though.

[plansrme]

Oh not Behr! Please, no! Behr used to be good paint, but somewhere along the line, it went downhill.

 

A couple of days ago, I bought a new can of Behr in a color I bought three years ago. After painting one wall and letting it dry, it clearly was not the same color, practically white instead of a light blue, so I took it back to have them add more blue. The jerk at the paint counter was, well, a jerk, so I cut my losses, went to Sherwin Williams and had them color-match the original leftover BLUE paint. They not only matched the old Behr paint better than Home Depot, but as soon as I started rolling on the new paint, I could tell it was covering better. It took probably 30% less rolling time, covered better and was easier to control along the trim and ceiling.

 

Behr paint is thinner, I suppose, and tends to seep below the tape or shield, or just drip off of the brush. With the SW paint, I was able to paint freehand, and it looks great. I will never use Behr again--painting the exact same wall with SW paint probably 48 hours after painting it with Behr made me swear off Behr forever.

 

Terri

[Ottakee]

We bought Sherwin Williams and my friends who helped me paint said it was GREAT paint and they really liked painting with it.

 

We bought when they had the 30% off sale and found it had great coverage so our cost was really about the same as the cheaper stuff.

[kathkath]

benjamin moore shaker beige is a wonderful neutral.

[Lolly]

Behr has gone downhill, IMO. I painted the garage and shutters last year with it and it is now a peeling nasty mess. Neighbor painted her bedroom in it and has the same issue with peeling. Dad painted his mancave with it and has to repaint too.

 

Go with Benjamin Moore. I have DD bedroom painted in it and the kids bathroom. I have scrubbed those walls and stuff and still looks brand new.

 

Odd that everyone seems to think it is thin and bad. The stuff I have been buying (for the last couple of years now/latest purchase about a month ago) is about the consistency of melted chocolate. No peeling. Scrubs clean. Are you all using a flat or the eggshell finish? Maybe that is the difference? I won't use flat finishes in any brand.:001_huh:

Edited May 29, 2012 by Lolly

[gardenmom5]

paint with a primer mixed in costs more - but requires fewer coats so it is 1) faster painting, and 2) ends up costing less because you need less of the paint.

 

I've a friend who used regular paint to paint a wall red. it required five coats.

[Mrs Twain]

Benjamin Moore Aura (sp?)- worth it! You will only need one coat, so it doesn't end up costing you any more than if you went with Behr and needed two coats.

 

I believe you that it is good, but I doubt my dh would go for that at $68/gallon.

How about the Benjamin Moore "Concepts" $25/gallon or "Ben" $35/gallon which are cheaper? Are they lousy? Will I regret it if I buy one of them?

[indigomama]

We've had the worst experience with Behr, will never purchase again. It is so thin, I need 3 coats for off white over a white wall.

 

I really like Sherwin Williams and they frequently have sales up to 30% off. The staff at our Benjamin Moore store is way more knowledgeable but their paint is slightly more expensive.

[Mommyof4ks]

I buy when Sherwin williams has a sale. I always get 30% off, and use the Duration Home in SATIN. It has very little sheen, but literally does scrub. It's been tested here, trust me!

 

I a big fan of paint! I always have them color match a Ben Moore color. I have used the Ben Moore Aura and it was NOT scrubbable. I then purchased the other one, I forget what it is called now, but the middle of the road BM paint. I just think it is over priced. Valspar I can attest is VERY watery and thin in comparison, making for a messy job.

 

:iagree: If you do not want to repaint for 10 years, then Sherwin Williams is wonderful. If you repaint often, then just go with home depot or lowes paint since it is cheaper. Sherwin Williams satin is very easy to clean and holds up very well even with littles.

[Blessedchaos]

Huh. I paint a lot and have had great luck with Behr paint. It consistently rates a top pick by Consumer Reports. Unless I need a specific color, I buy their oops paint and often score the paint/primer gallons for $7 each. It has held up extremely well for us.

 

I also have had good luck with Valspar (Lowe's) and they similarly have oops paint and Kilz (Walmart). I used to use the cheaper paint but after painting with these three I'd never ever go back.

[AuntieM]

If I am painting something that will be repainted in a few years (ie, kids' rooms), I like Behr and Kilz. The ones with the primer built in are nice paints.

 

All my main room walls are done with Sherwin Williams. I just love it; every "level" is quality paint. The folks in the store will help you determine which one to buy.

 

For painting wood trim, or cabinets, the top of the line is worth the money, as it levels out and doesn't show brush strokes. It's pricey, but a good investment.

[Soror]

You get what you pay for, dh got talked into some cheap paint for some of the basement and we ended up pitching it as he didn't want to have to make 3 coats of everything. We use Valspar here and have been very, very pleased. I haven't heard good things about Behr, I had a friend who had to put up 7 coats once.

[LaxMom]

If I am painting something that will be repainted in a few years (ie, kids' rooms), I like Behr and Kilz. The ones with the primer built in are nice paints.

 

All my main room walls are done with Sherwin Williams. I just love it; every "level" is quality paint. The folks in the store will help you determine which one to buy.

 

For painting wood trim, or cabinets, the top of the line is worth the money, as it levels out and doesn't show brush strokes. It's pricey, but a good investment.

 

I just wanted to speak to this, because it's a good point. The really nice trim paints are intentionally thin for this purpose. It mimics the flattening you get with oil based trim paints, which are now hard to come by.

 

Honestly, I used to love Behr for walls and oil based SW paints for trim and floors. I've used the zero-VOC Olympic paints for walls recently (wipable, not scrubbable) and I wonder if the thinness that people are experiencing with Berh is because they've cut VOCs.

[nono]

I found the Benjamin Moore Aura a really comfortable consistency, but it is different than traditional paint. Also, someone earlier in the thread said it's not scrubbable. I've wiped off a couple of spots where a handprint landed, and the paint is just fine. But scrubbing? I guess I am in a camp that doesn't scrub my walls. If you do, please heed that person's advice because I would have no idea about that! :)

 

That being said, the main reason I picked the Aura was for the lower voc. We were painting in the late fall, and the house was closed up. This time of year, I don't know that I would choose it, as the house is open to the ocean breezes, so the vocs are heading toward the mainland I guess. ;)

 

Also, I have found that the same paint handles differently depending on how much tint has to be added. So, that's something to consider as well. Good luck!!!

[FaithManor]

We really like Behr paint from Home Depot. It's not cheap, but it is not the most expensive either and it has good coverage per coat.

 

Faith

[Night Elf]

Home Depot- Behr. Eggshell finish. I prefer the paint/primer combined for a really thick paint. Truly excellent paint. :thumbsup:

 

:iagree: I don't remember what we were buying before but we got hooked on the Behr primer/paint. It goes on so easily and only takes 2 coats to cover up some of the more bold colors in my house such as bright red, black, and bright aqua blue.

[kroe1]

Another vote for Benjamin Moore. I'm not sure exactly which one would be the right one for your project, however. Make sure you speak with the sales guy. You'll need to tell them if you are covering oil or acrylic as well as the color you are trying to cover up. Benjamin Moore is designed to go on with one coat and some touch ups. It's also important to use the right size roller. A smooth wall will need a shorter nap while a porous or textured wall will need a thick nap.

 

When I use Benjamin Moore I put on one coat and then spot brush over a few spots after the first coat is dry. If I'm going from dark or bold color to a lighter color, I will use a separate primer first.

 

:)

[Mrs Twain]

Thanks to everyone so much for all of the advice, especially the specific color names.

LillyMama, I might wish I had your mother-in-law right now.

I think I am leaning either toward Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams.

My walls are all white now, so no need to cover up any colors. However, they are porous and take a lot of paint to cover well per one of my neighbor's comments.

Too bad there is not a paint store that only has 25 colors to choose from. I would probably shop there. ;)

[AuntieM]

Thanks to everyone so much for all of the advice, especially the specific color names.

LillyMama, I might wish I had your mother-in-law right now.

I think I am leaning either toward Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams.

My walls are all white now, so no need to cover up any colors. However, they are porous and take a lot of paint to cover well per one of my neighbor's comments.

Too bad there is not a paint store that only has 25 colors to choose from. I would probably shop there. ;)

 

You might want to get something like Bullseye and paint a coat of primer. It comes in different price points, but there's one for under $15 a can. That's a lot cheaper than two coats of $35+ per gallon paint.

[justLisa]

Thanks to everyone so much for all of the advice, especially the specific color names.

LillyMama, I might wish I had your mother-in-law right now.

I think I am leaning either toward Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams.

My walls are all white now, so no need to cover up any colors. However, they are porous and take a lot of paint to cover well per one of my neighbor's comments.

Too bad there is not a paint store that only has 25 colors to choose from. I would probably shop there. ;)

 

 

What do you mean by porous? Do you mean like heavily textured AKA orange peel texture? And for that, you just need a thicker nap roller

[PeacefulChaos]

If you are staying in a house, IMO, more expensive is better, and looks better longer, cleans up more easily, etc.

 

:iagree:

 

We do Sherwin Williams here.

[Momof3littles]

LOOOOVE BM Aura. It is expensive. We have used better paint before (less expensive BM products, SW, etc.) however, Aura is in a class of its own. Check gardenweb :)

 

It self-levels a bit, you can cut a whole room then go back and roll, one coat has amazing coverage (we never do one coat, believe me, and Aura makes it possible), it cleans up really well.

 

We used less expensive BM paint and then SW in some other rooms of our house, but used Aura in the main traffic areas (hallways, staircase, kitchen, etc). DH says had he known how good it was, he would have liked to use it everywhere. The rooms we used it in were some of the last to be painted, otherwise we would have shelled out for the Aura in most rooms. Well worth the $$ over the long term I think. You need less paint overall, it scrubs up much better than other brands, etc. Great stuff. It is an acrylic, so read the instructions because it is a little different than typical latex paint in how you are supposed to apply it.

 

I think their less expensive paints are great too. SW won't warranty their paints without two coats (no biggie because I don't know of too many people who try to use a warranty on their paint anyway). Both are nice, but yes, I think the more expensive paint like Aura is definitely different.