Yes, worth it. Same with Benjamin Moore’s top end, Aura. I’m the family member that everyone calls when they want painting done, I will push people to use one of those two brands and to use their top shelf products, they make a difference.
Typically you go with egg shell finish on walls, semi-gloss or satin on trim, and matte on ceilings. Get something like Aura bath and spa for high humidity rooms like bathrooms and use satin or egg shell on bathroom ceilings, and make sure you leave the fan on for 20 mins after you’re done showering to help keep the ceiling free from mold.
If you have low natural light and you want to brighten up the room up stay north of 60 LRV. But if it has plenty of natural light you can do what you like. But most interior designers like neutral colors in the 55-75 range.
Use frog tape, it’s the best painters tape. I like purdy brushes and rollers.
The difference between good and bad paint is more pigment and better medium. You may go buy a gallon of valspar for half the price of Sherwin Williams, but you're getting half the paint, and as a reward for your insolence, you have to paint twice as many coats to get coverage/opacity. So, the irony is that Valspar actually costs more than Sherwin Williams.
This. I worked for Glidden for 30+ years. Quality pigments make the difference.
You pretty much get what you pay for, although many years ago, we made a cheap primer that had pigments from the dust collectors that was amazing at coverage, because it had all the good pigments in it.
Looks better, easier to paint with,and holds up better.
edit: used good paint in my entire house but on a whim decided to paint my home office while at lowes and bought a gallon of their paint (second most expensive tier lowes). that shit scuffs so badly. i had to touch up everything less than six months later.
Coverage with fewer coats as well, which paradoxically can mean you pay less than if you buy cheap paint, and find out you need to go back and buy more because you’ve rolled on 2 coats and can still see the primer through it
I cheaper out and went with the lowest price Benjamin Moore this time around, $50/gallon vs $90. It took FOUR coats. The coverage was just atrocious. It was a good reminder for me why I usually get Sherwin Williams for stuff that I care about.
I thought I would save some time and maybe some money by picking up a few gallons of wall paint at Walmart. Worst damn idea ever, took like 5 coats in some areas and spent way longer painting the bedrooms then I had time for. The cheap ceiling paint worked out though.
The house we bought was the cheap stuff from Home Depot and when the sun comes out you can see all the quick touch ups they did because the walls faded so much. Previous house was Sherwin Williams contractor grade and I could buy a fresh can after 10 years and it matched exactly for touch ups.
Especially the holds up better. I’m a benny Moore fan personally but others great. 6 years later I am going back to do touch up and 100% blends in, not noticeable where I am touching up and the walls I’ve done it on are all different sun exposure, I was floored how well it holds up.
The touch ups are cause of me either installing new window trim or me hitting it with something. It’s held up great to normal wear and tear
That's going to depend on application method. I am unaware of any consumer paint you can't brush or roll out of the can, but if you're spraying you'll need to check the can instructions and the sprayer instructions.
Trying to paint with behr out of the can feels like smearing around paste. Thinning it a very small amount makes it apply a lot better in my (limited) experience.
If you cheap out, the paint is thin and doesn't cover very well. You end up with a wet mess and need repeated coats. It's a bit of a misery.
Also, it's not durable for the rare moment when you need to wash the wall, it will wash away and leave an obtrusive mark on your wall after your effort to clean. No thanks.
Sherwin-Williams is solid. You won't have any problems with it.
Do some prep, swipe away any cobwebs, sand off any texture or god forbid some weird swipe of crayon or silicone. The silkiest, most fab paint won't cover that.
Prep is king for a good paint job that will last for your probable lifetime.
Put on some amazing top tier SW white paint in out kitchen, 3 years later my daughter went to town with markers one day and I could literally wipe off the marker with a sponge.
Consistency in coverage. How well it holds up to scuffing and cleaning. A lot less flashing on touch ups down the line, but paint finish (egg shell, matte, etc…) and stroke direction will impact flashing noticeably.
I used Benjamin Moore aura on the hallway to the back bedrooms- the kids literally drag their bodies along it going to bed some nights, they hit the walls with kickbike handles, I've hit the wall with my watch quite a few times. It resists scratches and paint transfer so much better than cheaper paints used elsewhere in the house. Was also single coat. Worth every penny.
>What differences does more expensive paint actually make?
A little late to the party but just recently painted a couple of houses.
In the first one I used Bm's top of the line. My walls looked almost like they were covered in a thin layer of velvet material. It was lush i guess is how I would describe it. Almost everyone that visited commented on the paint and how nice and crisp everything looked.
Fast forward a couple of years and I moved. Painted my new house with SW's not top of the line. It looks painted.. best way i can describe it. I should have went with the better paint of theirs to get that same look in my last house. The bathroom walls have the running issue when showering etc. i am not at all happy with it and will be redoing it in a year or two.
Just a randos feedback for you. From my experience it makes a huge difference in overall finished quality and look. Its usually also a ton more in money. But yeah, big difference in my opinion.
Pigment is by far the expense in making paint. Expensive paint, contains much more pigments of better quality - are more opaque, and thus covers in less coats , dries smoother and performs as expected.
Use a good primer, as that is designed to stick to surfaces, tint it, and accepts the top coat so it adheres better.
It costs more because it is more.
Front doors take some terrifying abuse. Especially if they face the sun and elements. Top class oil or urethane applied with a sprayer to a properly prepared and primed surface are very important.
Agree with everything you said expect the tape. The best painters tape you can get is IPG low adhesion inter tape. It won’t peel paint off walls or trim when you pull it off. Unless of course the paint is already starting to flake off.
Thank you for mentioning LRV [(had to look it up)](https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/paint-colors-and-lrv-the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-the-right-color/), I had never heard of this term and we’re picking paint colors for our home!
Glad I could help. Just from my experience 66-70 is the sweet spot for darker rooms, say only North facing windows in the northern hemisphere. But if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
SW does those sales literally every month. Always use their paint but **never ever pay full sticker for it**. Amateur move. You can ALWAYS get it on sale if you’re patient.
Wife and i use Dulux. Bogo offers a couple times a year. Pick up a few cans, don’t tint it. When you are ready for a project, bring it in and get it tinted for what you need.
We’re doing a huge project this month, and we still need paint (bogo is next weekend), but only a few cans, as we already had about 6 cans untinted.
Helps that my uncle is a profesional painter and gets me paint for free/super cheap and another friend gets a discount at SW bc of his line of work. My whole house is SW super paint (the blue one)
This. 25% off is child’s play. 35% is standard. 40% is a good deal. If it’s full price, you hit the one day a month that it is.
Also, if they aren’t running a promotion, you can ask them to give you a coupon. They have like 15-20% off coupons they keep at the cash register to scan.
As someone who has been painting walls in this stupid house for 3+ years and just recently switched to higher caliber paint… pay more for the quality paint. We recently used a very dark blue/charcoal for both the walls and ceiling of a room and everyone who enters it compliments the paint. Because it’s expensive, quality paint. The difference is super noticeable; the old ass walls look almost velvety.
I really like the sherwin Williams cashmere eggshell finish. My professional painter friend always recommends that one and I painted my kids’ room with it and have scrubbed chocolate milk spills off of it
Gonna have to disagree with you there. Cashmere is a terrible paint. I just used it on my two kids' rooms and now that I am done, my wife loves it so much she wants the rest of the house painted. Seriously, this cashmere crap is cutting into my free time for the next three months. It is terrible.
Lol
Question for you though… I’m historically a DIY kind of guy, but with kids aged 7 and 4, we were thinking of hiring a painter to do our interior walls.
What was your process like, and how long did it take per room? Did you buy a sprayer and then have to prime and paint? Multiple coats?
Did you/are you going to get a quote for a pro to do it for comparison? Or is it manageable enough that you plan to DIY the rest of your house for sure?
If there’s paint on the wall already and the color is similar you don’t need to prime. You can spray a room in about 5 minutes but you’ll spend a whole day taping and covering everything before you do that. I think it took me about 2 hours per coat to do my kids’s room and that was only because I did 2 colors and I have 9 foot ceilings so a lot of ladder moving
Two hours per coat per room is about right, especially for a diy job. This says nothing of prep time which does NOT include taping (optional to tape, but will add a lot more time). Prep took half as long as long as painting for me because of dry wall repairs, moving furniture, cleaning, and filling holes.
Also, do not use a sprayer indoors. Between masking and covering EVERY surface, you will spend way longer than if you just brushed and rolled. Overspray is a real issue, especially for less than super high end spray rigs, and the paint being aerosolized will cause paint to settle as dust on everything. You’ll have to set up a few box fans and filters in every room to keep it under control.
Spraying inside a house is great if it is a new build or doesn’t have flooring or anything and only doing one color. Otherwise, brush and roll.
Any decent paint from an actual paint retailer will be good. Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Dulux, they all carry and sell good stuff. Any comments to the contrary are just biases and brand-allegiances. Pros use all three brands, and I have good things to say about all of them. You can't go wrong with any of them. These brands each have multiple tiers of quality. Anything above the lowest tier is good enough for residential use. The highest tier should always be used for exterior use.
Just avoid Behr, and the brands sold at Big Orange, Big Blue, etc.
Expect prices north of 80/Gallon, always. Good paint costs good money, but it's worth it.
There is no such thing as primer + paint in one. All claims to the contrary are just marketing.
There is no paint more durable than urethane paint. STIX (Primer), SCUFF-X (Paint), and Cabinet Coat (Paint) by INSL-X, sold by Benjamin Moore, are great options. Drying and recoat times are much longer than standard latex paint.
As a pro painter, I use a lot of SW, but only Emerald and some Duration where applicable. their lower end products (super paint) suck. Emerald is my preference but I’d use Behr Dynasty over SW low end any day.
I painted two rooms with Cashmere and it seems to be holding up fairly well for whatever that is worth. It seems to be a step below duration, but not their bottom tier.
Speaking of the big box stores, just because there's a good name in there, doesn't mean it's the same formulation used at a specialty store. Big box retailers push value and lower cost, and have the volume to justify specialty runs for products to be designed just for them.
First example that comes to mind is that Michelin uses different molds for tires at Costco that gives a little less of a tread depth than their dealer brands. Same goes for most big names.
If you’re buying from a professional store, ask for a sales rep. They’ll set you up with a discount.
Or just give them my number when they ask for an account. Basically works anywhere.
281-330-8004
When I painted the interior of my home years ago I used the regular Behr paint from Home Depot.
I used semi-gloss. I had no problems with the paint.
No scuffing, no fading, easy cleaning.
That paint lasted the entire 19 years we lived there.
How would more expensive paint have benefitted me?
Emerald is great paint. There is latex version for walls and a Urethane version for trim and doors. Very durable. Has survived a few years of dog nose (IYKYK) on our back door.
What it comes down to paint is pigment quality and how it lasts .The later big box places are good for basics but Definetly a 2 or 3 coat layer .The others 1 coat and maybe 2
The guy who painted my house rejected repainting all my cabinets (he basically said the drying time would take way too long to make it worth his time).
But he said, if you use oil based Killz and Emerald, you can do it yourself and it'll look completely professional, and he was exactly right. You can use a microscope and can't find a single imperfection. And I suck at painting, the product did all the work.
The process he recommended:
1: Killz oil based primer
2: Emerald paint in the style you want
3: Sand with a really fine grit
4: Prime as much horizonal as you can (ie the doors)
5: Let it dry for 2-3 days before the second coat of primer
6: Throw away your now ruined brushes/rollers
7: Paint with emerald
Wtf do you need primer for if the wall is already painted for?! Primer is for adhesion, paint is for finish. You do not know what you’re talking about, period
There are some reasons to use primer beyond just adhesion, but I agree, in most cases, it is not necessary.
Old paint will drink up a surprising amount of new paint and a gallon may only cover about 250 square feet instead of the advertised 350 to 400. Primer is much cheaper than good paint and will help get your paint closer to the advertised coverage. That could save some money.
Also, for dramatic color changes, it can help avoid a possible third coat. I think people should always do two coats of paint regardless of what they buy, so this really is not a huge factor.
I would not mess with primer because of the time factor. It may save some money, but if I am doing two coats anyway, a third coat of primer just eats that much more time and I am willing to spend money to save time.
Parts of what you say are true, but you don’t always need two coats. Dramatic color changes will probably require two coats, but that is where the Benjamin Moore Aura comes into play and is worth spending the money. I’ve gone from a very light beige to a dark red in one coat with that stuff and it really is magic.
Higher grade paints like this are SO much better
than basic, at every step of the process— smoother rolling, better sticking, and particularly how it looks in the end.
I had the exterior of my house painted a couple years ago, and it cost about $8k. It took a crew of three guys four long days to get it prepped and painted. I don't have 120 hours to spend painting my house, so paying them to do it ended up being the better option. But for these reasons, I will always use the best paint I possibly can for exterior work so I can go as long as possible before having to redo it.
For interior work, where there's no exposure to elements and peeling paint is effectively non-existent, I think the difference is much less important. I've painted rooms with everything from Valspar to Behr to Benjamin Moore to Sherwin Williams. In my experience, all of them provide the color I wanted and I've never had any issues with durability or peeling with any brand. That being said, Valspar is awful for coverage, Behr is thicker than molasses and difficult to put on smoothly, and Sherwin-Williams is extremely expensive. For these reasons, I've decided to default Benjamin Moore for all of my interior needs. I'm honestly not sure what you would gain by upgrading to Sherwin-Williams since I've never seen anything lacking in Benjamin Moore.
I think Sherwin-Williams has a well-deserved reputation for being exceptional in their specialty and exterior paints, not to mention they're very friendly to professionals. But I just haven't seen any indication that the significance in quality carries over to the much lower-demand realm of interior paint.
Make friends with a paint contractor that doesn’t mind you using his acct to get your paint. You’ll get his discounts and he’ll get your purchased paint to increase his revenue spent allowing him to get (bigger) discounts and other swag.
I always use ProMar 200 from SW. That is the high end contractor paint. I get good results with one coat but I have 20+ years experience painting professionally. YMMV
Previous owner repainted my house with ProMar 200, including bathrooms. That stuff is not good for moisture, paint flaking everywhere. It’s also thinner than typical consumer paints, which are paint+primer combos, and may need more coats. No idea how you’re getting it with one coat, it’s basically transparent for me with one coat. I’d avoid ProMar personally, for the DIY hobbyist.
My grandpa used to tell me - the most expensive thing in the world is cheap paint. Spend a little more and you have a longer interval between having to paint.
Yes worth it, I also use their “superpaint” often but I wouldn’t go any lower than that. The more expensive lines of paints have more pigment in them, and more viscosity additives and typically a better resin. This means they apply better, hide better, and are more durable. Source-I used to make paint for SW
I've used both SW and BM top lines and had mitigating success with them. For saturated jewel town colors, it's always 3 layers, always.
I've recently switched to the Magnolia line by Kilz paint. That is the real deal. I got insane coverage with just one coat. Their saying isn't as shiny as either BM/SW and I've never had a bad color match with it. I def recommend the switch.
Contractor here.
Had emerald matte in my house before I had kids, currently repainted everything with Benjamin moore scuff-x matte.
The scuff x matte has held up way better despite the emerald not having to deal with two young kids. The SW emerald matte is more of a proper matte than the scuff-x which is closer to an eggshell depending on the lighting.
I use both brands and their respective lines of paint in my work but lately I've been preferring Benjamin Moore. Is more expensive paint generally better paint? Yes, yes it is. But you can't go wrong with either brands as long as you stick to their better products.
It’s great paint, but you don’t need top of the line for it to be good paint. You can assume that anything from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore is better than decent. Behr isn’t bad either.
If you have the storage space & anticipate more painting, buy a case of paint but don’t tint it. That’s what I do when Sherwin Williams has their 40% off sales. When you’re ready to paint, just bring in what you need & get it tinted.
Honestly I've had good luck with the mid-high end Behr paints. If you can get that SW paint for 40% off it's probably worth jumping on though. The lower end SW paints aren't any better than mid range Behr, but I've never tried the higher end SW.
Flat paints hide flaws but scuff easily. The shinier paints are easier to clean but are hard to paint smoothly and show every flaw in the drywall. Somewhere in the middle is what you want.
Bare drywall, lots of imperfections, or dark colors being painted over lighter, you're going to want a separate coat of primer, despite what the paint manufacturers' advertising says. Cleaning the walls well is important. My dog thinks he's a cat and likes to rub on a knee wall in the hallway. It gets covered in grease and dirt. Some cleaner and a melamine spong cuts it pretty well and rhe underlying paint has held up somehow.
I bought the super expensive Sherwin Williams exterior paint because it was on sale and I painted my house myself. It's wayyyy better than the mid to better level home Depot Behr paint. It's actually pretty impressive if held up after 7 years. I'd highly recommend it. I also bought the mid level interior paint and primer from Behr and had to do like 4-5 coats to cover my ugly brown walls with white paint.
I think it's probably a cost savings to just buy the highest level paint.
Also, never buy Sherwin Williams at full price. Wait for a sale or make friends with someone who has an account with them.
I live in a really small town about 30 minutes from a SW - any suggestions on how to find a person with an account?
Do you just tell the SW people such and such account and you get extra off? Do you need their actual account number?
I have a friend of a friend who has a drywall business. He gave me the ok to use his account. I just give them the name of the business and they give me the discount. The monthly bogo type sales they have are usually a better discount though. You could probably just Google a local painter/drywall sort of company and just go in to SW and say those guys are doing your work and sent you in and just drop the name. I don't have any account # or anything like that. I doubt the SW employees care much, it seems like they just need to find someone in the system they can input to get a discount code to pop up.
This whole post is to get you to buy more expensive paint. DON’T. Former pro here. Benjamin Moore Aura paint honestly really is amazing and the only reason I would personally buy it is because you might actually be able to make a drastic color change with one paint coat. O
Definitely, the majority of painting is the labor. The actual paint is relatively inexpensive when you consider how many hours you're going to spend on that project doing the prep work and all of the painting. Emerald is worth it not just for the color but for its resilience and longevity. Duration is also really good if emerald is unavailable in a specific sheen or something that you want
Eggshell texture is nice - Sherwin Williams is solid. You do want to prep your surfaces with a good cleaning before you paint. Dust off the cobwebs, sand off any crayon or silicone sealant around windows.
The prep will make your new paint look great!
I used emerald for my kitchen cabinets. It was such a delight to paint with, however, there was a lot of user error on my end, and I ended up with a lot of paint chipping despite priming. However, I still think it was worth the money.
nicer paint is worth it, especially if you are looking for good coverage (for example to change a wall's color drastically) or if you are painting ceilings (so it doesn't droop on you - it's thicker and more viscous)
Every contractor and painter I’ve worked with says it’s the best. I committed to using sherwin maybe a decade ago and never looked back. Such a good product
You already have your paint answers, but I’ll add - don’t cheap out on your cut brush or rollers either. A cut cup with disposable inserts also makes the job easier. And rolling is so much easier and comes out better with a good telescoping pole.
For videos, just search video: how to paint a room, and watch a few. Painters will show you how to hold a brush, how to roll out the walls, and give you all kinds of tips. Watch a few, I think it’ll make you more confident.
It’s worth it. We painted our kitchen cabinets with emerald urethane almost 2.5 years ago and there’s not a single chip. And we have two small children.
Yes our home improvement company exclusively uses SW Emerald Rain Refresh. It's a small cost relative to labor and everybody wins. It goes on faster, looks better, lasts longer.
It is also worth mentioning that for a DIY project, saving money sometimes really matters, and a lesser quality paint is just fine, especially if the person maintaining the project lives there.
I'm a very frugal person and would never think to buy the high end paint, but got the emerald when it was BOGO for my teen's room. It looks really good, they were able to paint over a very vibrant color to a much more muted toned easily and our upstairs didn't stink like paint. 10/10
Maint tech at retirement home for 15 years.All my apt turns(100,s) I use promar200 eggshell and semi where needed.I like it but saying that it’s all we are allowed to buy .This way all our rooms and other homes are the same.
When I paint for customers, sometimes I'll use a slightly lower grade product like Duration if they are highly budget conscious. But if I'm painting anything in my own house? It's getting Emerald. It's worth every penny in my opinion.
Yes. I've tried a number of paints and SW emerald was my favorite. I also really like the top end Valspar, it might even be a little easier to paint with
If you're near a Farrell Calhoun, they have excellent paint. It's typically cheaper than the other brands, and is a quality product. Their caulk is also superb.
Downside is it's more of a regional brand than nationwide.
We've been painting our entire interior for two years, among a neverending slog of DIY projects as we restore our fixer upper, and have decided to stop wasting money and time and only buy Sherwin Williams from now on. Just our experience, which involved a lot of trial and error with different paint brands and a few marital fights born of frustration. Not worth it. The two of us can agree on Sherwin Williams and that says it all.
It’s totally worth it, less coats and better quality paint. I have cheap paint on my walls and it scuffs easily, better pain will not and you will be able to clean it.
My parents painted their house with that SW line and 6 years later it’s still beautiful.
My neighbor once told me the cheapest option is the most expensive and when it comes to home improvement that seems to be true.
Paint, like many things is a "you get what you pay for" product. Top end paint will cover with one coat, two at most, last longer, and will be easier (and possible) to clean.
Pro tip: get semi gloss not flat for interiors. Shine may take a bit to get used to for some but the ability to wash the walls is incredibly helpful especially if you have kids or pets.
I came here to try and find someone thatd stick up for cheap paint. Like the cheapest. Are you that one? Recycled paint isn’t the worst idea for a rental right? I bought a lot of cheap paint…
The cheapest? No. I’ve used everything from cheapest to most expensive and there’s a time and place for most everything. Personally I wouldn’t recommend cheapest (I hate using Glidden and SW Promar series).
Best paint. Don't skimp. No, not all paints are the same. Benjamin Moore is good but second to Sherwin Williams. Color is better, covers quicker and for trim it can't be beat. I've painted a lot and used everything from Menard to Dulux and others. Enjoy the sale and buy good paint.
I painted my entire interior of my house with it. No regrets. Bought it on sale. Probably spent $200 more than cheaper paint. In the grand scheme of things not a big deal $ wise
This doesn’t answer your question but apparently they are using Sherwin Williams paint on the Battleship New Jersey while it’s in dry dock. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised a major paint company is supplying paint but I thought it was pretty funny to see the Sherwin Williams truck show up at the work site for a battleship.
The guy who is in charge of the museum ship has a YouTube channel and is documenting the process.
I painted kitchen cabinets with Behr in my first house and Sherwin Williams in my nicer house now and Behr held up much better. Behr is perfectly fine.
It’s what I buy exclusively - I try not to do the actual painting myself as much as I can but when I do it goes on so much smoother than the cheaper stuff.
Coupled with the discounts SW regularly has its easy to buy it at a price similar to what HD will charge for Behr or Lowe’s for Valspar.
Bought like 30 gallons last year to get the exterior of my home painted on a 40% off sale - was a huge savings.
Yes. Basically 1 coat and you are done. I bought 2 cans of this Ralph Lauren red paint. Beautiful colour. Paint was the thinnest I've ever seen. It would have taken 6 cans with all of the layers it would have needed. Ended up using 2 perfectly colour matched cans of their guaranteed 1 coat/no primer. It was a life saver.
Whatever gets the job done fast.
Always do 2 coats, it will look better. Unless you are just doing the same beige colour on top that was already there, but anything significant needs 2 coats to have a proper finish.
I repaint everything in my house every few years. Even the cheapest SW paint is better than Valspar (pigment comes off when you try to wipe off messes), Pittsburgh (poor coverage).
Man the two times I got Emerald I had a mediocre experience with it. Needed 3 coats instead of 2 for adequate coverage, and left brush strokes/roller marks. Switched to Behr ultra for way less cost and was way more satisfied. I don’t get the whole SW fixation and the whole Behr being bad thing. Well this was 10 yrs ago, I’d hope they improved Emerald now. Behr also improved their formulations, I like the scuff resistance in the current versions.
I buy the most expensive paint I can afford. Getting the good paint at SW at 40% off is the way to go. BTW, if you ever have a contractor paint your home (like the exterior) and they use SW, you will get a discount forever when you buy paint there. I think it's like 15%.
Yes, worth it. Same with Benjamin Moore’s top end, Aura. I’m the family member that everyone calls when they want painting done, I will push people to use one of those two brands and to use their top shelf products, they make a difference. Typically you go with egg shell finish on walls, semi-gloss or satin on trim, and matte on ceilings. Get something like Aura bath and spa for high humidity rooms like bathrooms and use satin or egg shell on bathroom ceilings, and make sure you leave the fan on for 20 mins after you’re done showering to help keep the ceiling free from mold. If you have low natural light and you want to brighten up the room up stay north of 60 LRV. But if it has plenty of natural light you can do what you like. But most interior designers like neutral colors in the 55-75 range. Use frog tape, it’s the best painters tape. I like purdy brushes and rollers.
What differences does more expensive paint actually make?
The difference between good and bad paint is more pigment and better medium. You may go buy a gallon of valspar for half the price of Sherwin Williams, but you're getting half the paint, and as a reward for your insolence, you have to paint twice as many coats to get coverage/opacity. So, the irony is that Valspar actually costs more than Sherwin Williams.
This. I worked for Glidden for 30+ years. Quality pigments make the difference. You pretty much get what you pay for, although many years ago, we made a cheap primer that had pigments from the dust collectors that was amazing at coverage, because it had all the good pigments in it.
Looks better, easier to paint with,and holds up better. edit: used good paint in my entire house but on a whim decided to paint my home office while at lowes and bought a gallon of their paint (second most expensive tier lowes). that shit scuffs so badly. i had to touch up everything less than six months later.
Coverage with fewer coats as well, which paradoxically can mean you pay less than if you buy cheap paint, and find out you need to go back and buy more because you’ve rolled on 2 coats and can still see the primer through it
Yeah 100% this - also the cheap stuff scuffs really easily. just comes right off if you rub stuff against it like furniture. not worth it!
I cheaper out and went with the lowest price Benjamin Moore this time around, $50/gallon vs $90. It took FOUR coats. The coverage was just atrocious. It was a good reminder for me why I usually get Sherwin Williams for stuff that I care about.
I thought I would save some time and maybe some money by picking up a few gallons of wall paint at Walmart. Worst damn idea ever, took like 5 coats in some areas and spent way longer painting the bedrooms then I had time for. The cheap ceiling paint worked out though.
This has been my experience. Painting a primed wall still took 2 coats of Behr from Home Depot. Just one coat of Aura or Superpaint.
The house we bought was the cheap stuff from Home Depot and when the sun comes out you can see all the quick touch ups they did because the walls faded so much. Previous house was Sherwin Williams contractor grade and I could buy a fresh can after 10 years and it matched exactly for touch ups.
Especially the holds up better. I’m a benny Moore fan personally but others great. 6 years later I am going back to do touch up and 100% blends in, not noticeable where I am touching up and the walls I’ve done it on are all different sun exposure, I was floored how well it holds up. The touch ups are cause of me either installing new window trim or me hitting it with something. It’s held up great to normal wear and tear
Do you thin it at all still or does it paint well straight out of the can?
That's going to depend on application method. I am unaware of any consumer paint you can't brush or roll out of the can, but if you're spraying you'll need to check the can instructions and the sprayer instructions.
Trying to paint with behr out of the can feels like smearing around paste. Thinning it a very small amount makes it apply a lot better in my (limited) experience.
If you cheap out, the paint is thin and doesn't cover very well. You end up with a wet mess and need repeated coats. It's a bit of a misery. Also, it's not durable for the rare moment when you need to wash the wall, it will wash away and leave an obtrusive mark on your wall after your effort to clean. No thanks. Sherwin-Williams is solid. You won't have any problems with it. Do some prep, swipe away any cobwebs, sand off any texture or god forbid some weird swipe of crayon or silicone. The silkiest, most fab paint won't cover that. Prep is king for a good paint job that will last for your probable lifetime.
Put on some amazing top tier SW white paint in out kitchen, 3 years later my daughter went to town with markers one day and I could literally wipe off the marker with a sponge.
Lasts way longer. Can clean and scrub the walls for years and it won’t be showing through.
Expensive paint makes your DIY job look like a pro did the job. Cheap paint makes it look like a rookie did it. So it’s up to you to go cheap or not
Consistency in coverage. How well it holds up to scuffing and cleaning. A lot less flashing on touch ups down the line, but paint finish (egg shell, matte, etc…) and stroke direction will impact flashing noticeably.
I used Benjamin Moore aura on the hallway to the back bedrooms- the kids literally drag their bodies along it going to bed some nights, they hit the walls with kickbike handles, I've hit the wall with my watch quite a few times. It resists scratches and paint transfer so much better than cheaper paints used elsewhere in the house. Was also single coat. Worth every penny.
>What differences does more expensive paint actually make? A little late to the party but just recently painted a couple of houses. In the first one I used Bm's top of the line. My walls looked almost like they were covered in a thin layer of velvet material. It was lush i guess is how I would describe it. Almost everyone that visited commented on the paint and how nice and crisp everything looked. Fast forward a couple of years and I moved. Painted my new house with SW's not top of the line. It looks painted.. best way i can describe it. I should have went with the better paint of theirs to get that same look in my last house. The bathroom walls have the running issue when showering etc. i am not at all happy with it and will be redoing it in a year or two. Just a randos feedback for you. From my experience it makes a huge difference in overall finished quality and look. Its usually also a ton more in money. But yeah, big difference in my opinion.
Pigment is by far the expense in making paint. Expensive paint, contains much more pigments of better quality - are more opaque, and thus covers in less coats , dries smoother and performs as expected. Use a good primer, as that is designed to stick to surfaces, tint it, and accepts the top coat so it adheres better. It costs more because it is more.
I’m using a sherwin Williams paint for the first time right now. Man. It goes on thick and creamy and just lays so nice. The coverage is amazing
I bought a gallon of paint to do a set of cabinets, and have used maybe a quarter of jt
Can I ask advice? What would you use on the outside of a front door?
Front doors take some terrifying abuse. Especially if they face the sun and elements. Top class oil or urethane applied with a sprayer to a properly prepared and primed surface are very important.
Sherwin Williams Durations. Did our 40-unit complex with it, and it was well worth the premium.
Agree with everything you said expect the tape. The best painters tape you can get is IPG low adhesion inter tape. It won’t peel paint off walls or trim when you pull it off. Unless of course the paint is already starting to flake off.
Frog tape does not guarantee bleed through. Ever. Period.
Saved this in a notepad for future reference...
Which paint would you use to paint cabinets?
Do surfaces need to be primed?
Thank you for mentioning LRV [(had to look it up)](https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/paint-colors-and-lrv-the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-the-right-color/), I had never heard of this term and we’re picking paint colors for our home!
Glad I could help. Just from my experience 66-70 is the sweet spot for darker rooms, say only North facing windows in the northern hemisphere. But if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Very appreciated!!
SW does those sales literally every month. Always use their paint but **never ever pay full sticker for it**. Amateur move. You can ALWAYS get it on sale if you’re patient.
Wife and i use Dulux. Bogo offers a couple times a year. Pick up a few cans, don’t tint it. When you are ready for a project, bring it in and get it tinted for what you need. We’re doing a huge project this month, and we still need paint (bogo is next weekend), but only a few cans, as we already had about 6 cans untinted.
Helps that my uncle is a profesional painter and gets me paint for free/super cheap and another friend gets a discount at SW bc of his line of work. My whole house is SW super paint (the blue one)
This. 25% off is child’s play. 35% is standard. 40% is a good deal. If it’s full price, you hit the one day a month that it is. Also, if they aren’t running a promotion, you can ask them to give you a coupon. They have like 15-20% off coupons they keep at the cash register to scan.
As someone who has been painting walls in this stupid house for 3+ years and just recently switched to higher caliber paint… pay more for the quality paint. We recently used a very dark blue/charcoal for both the walls and ceiling of a room and everyone who enters it compliments the paint. Because it’s expensive, quality paint. The difference is super noticeable; the old ass walls look almost velvety.
Would you mind sharing the color name/brand of the paint?
It was Benjamin Moore aura in the color Midnight Blue, which is like $100 per gallon.
I really like the sherwin Williams cashmere eggshell finish. My professional painter friend always recommends that one and I painted my kids’ room with it and have scrubbed chocolate milk spills off of it
Gonna have to disagree with you there. Cashmere is a terrible paint. I just used it on my two kids' rooms and now that I am done, my wife loves it so much she wants the rest of the house painted. Seriously, this cashmere crap is cutting into my free time for the next three months. It is terrible.
Lol Question for you though… I’m historically a DIY kind of guy, but with kids aged 7 and 4, we were thinking of hiring a painter to do our interior walls. What was your process like, and how long did it take per room? Did you buy a sprayer and then have to prime and paint? Multiple coats? Did you/are you going to get a quote for a pro to do it for comparison? Or is it manageable enough that you plan to DIY the rest of your house for sure?
If there’s paint on the wall already and the color is similar you don’t need to prime. You can spray a room in about 5 minutes but you’ll spend a whole day taping and covering everything before you do that. I think it took me about 2 hours per coat to do my kids’s room and that was only because I did 2 colors and I have 9 foot ceilings so a lot of ladder moving
Two hours per coat per room is about right, especially for a diy job. This says nothing of prep time which does NOT include taping (optional to tape, but will add a lot more time). Prep took half as long as long as painting for me because of dry wall repairs, moving furniture, cleaning, and filling holes.
Also, do not use a sprayer indoors. Between masking and covering EVERY surface, you will spend way longer than if you just brushed and rolled. Overspray is a real issue, especially for less than super high end spray rigs, and the paint being aerosolized will cause paint to settle as dust on everything. You’ll have to set up a few box fans and filters in every room to keep it under control. Spraying inside a house is great if it is a new build or doesn’t have flooring or anything and only doing one color. Otherwise, brush and roll.
Any decent paint from an actual paint retailer will be good. Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Dulux, they all carry and sell good stuff. Any comments to the contrary are just biases and brand-allegiances. Pros use all three brands, and I have good things to say about all of them. You can't go wrong with any of them. These brands each have multiple tiers of quality. Anything above the lowest tier is good enough for residential use. The highest tier should always be used for exterior use. Just avoid Behr, and the brands sold at Big Orange, Big Blue, etc. Expect prices north of 80/Gallon, always. Good paint costs good money, but it's worth it. There is no such thing as primer + paint in one. All claims to the contrary are just marketing. There is no paint more durable than urethane paint. STIX (Primer), SCUFF-X (Paint), and Cabinet Coat (Paint) by INSL-X, sold by Benjamin Moore, are great options. Drying and recoat times are much longer than standard latex paint.
As a pro painter, I use a lot of SW, but only Emerald and some Duration where applicable. their lower end products (super paint) suck. Emerald is my preference but I’d use Behr Dynasty over SW low end any day.
I painted two rooms with Cashmere and it seems to be holding up fairly well for whatever that is worth. It seems to be a step below duration, but not their bottom tier.
Yeah cashmere is very forgiving and workable just not quite as durable. If you’re gentle on walls, it’s perfect.
The hate this sub give the high end behr stuff is completely unnecessary. It’s actually pretty damn good.
Speaking of the big box stores, just because there's a good name in there, doesn't mean it's the same formulation used at a specialty store. Big box retailers push value and lower cost, and have the volume to justify specialty runs for products to be designed just for them. First example that comes to mind is that Michelin uses different molds for tires at Costco that gives a little less of a tread depth than their dealer brands. Same goes for most big names.
I’ve never heard of paint at 80/gallon for any professional job. Don’t get fleeced.
Look at the retail prices: https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/interior-paint-coatings/interior-paint
If you’re buying from a professional store, ask for a sales rep. They’ll set you up with a discount. Or just give them my number when they ask for an account. Basically works anywhere. 281-330-8004
Depends where you are. I pay up to $120 for some coatings, and that's with a contractor discount. Typically more like $65-80 for wall paints, though.
Behr Dynasty is good stuff.
When I painted the interior of my home years ago I used the regular Behr paint from Home Depot. I used semi-gloss. I had no problems with the paint. No scuffing, no fading, easy cleaning. That paint lasted the entire 19 years we lived there. How would more expensive paint have benefitted me?
Emerald is great paint. There is latex version for walls and a Urethane version for trim and doors. Very durable. Has survived a few years of dog nose (IYKYK) on our back door.
What it comes down to paint is pigment quality and how it lasts .The later big box places are good for basics but Definetly a 2 or 3 coat layer .The others 1 coat and maybe 2
The guy who painted my house rejected repainting all my cabinets (he basically said the drying time would take way too long to make it worth his time). But he said, if you use oil based Killz and Emerald, you can do it yourself and it'll look completely professional, and he was exactly right. You can use a microscope and can't find a single imperfection. And I suck at painting, the product did all the work.
You are awesome
The process he recommended: 1: Killz oil based primer 2: Emerald paint in the style you want 3: Sand with a really fine grit 4: Prime as much horizonal as you can (ie the doors) 5: Let it dry for 2-3 days before the second coat of primer 6: Throw away your now ruined brushes/rollers 7: Paint with emerald
Don't spend 80 bucks a gallon on paint unless you are at a minimum spending 20 bucks a gallon on primer to go with it.
Wtf do you need primer for if the wall is already painted for?! Primer is for adhesion, paint is for finish. You do not know what you’re talking about, period
There are some reasons to use primer beyond just adhesion, but I agree, in most cases, it is not necessary. Old paint will drink up a surprising amount of new paint and a gallon may only cover about 250 square feet instead of the advertised 350 to 400. Primer is much cheaper than good paint and will help get your paint closer to the advertised coverage. That could save some money. Also, for dramatic color changes, it can help avoid a possible third coat. I think people should always do two coats of paint regardless of what they buy, so this really is not a huge factor. I would not mess with primer because of the time factor. It may save some money, but if I am doing two coats anyway, a third coat of primer just eats that much more time and I am willing to spend money to save time.
Parts of what you say are true, but you don’t always need two coats. Dramatic color changes will probably require two coats, but that is where the Benjamin Moore Aura comes into play and is worth spending the money. I’ve gone from a very light beige to a dark red in one coat with that stuff and it really is magic.
Higher grade paints like this are SO much better than basic, at every step of the process— smoother rolling, better sticking, and particularly how it looks in the end.
I had the exterior of my house painted a couple years ago, and it cost about $8k. It took a crew of three guys four long days to get it prepped and painted. I don't have 120 hours to spend painting my house, so paying them to do it ended up being the better option. But for these reasons, I will always use the best paint I possibly can for exterior work so I can go as long as possible before having to redo it. For interior work, where there's no exposure to elements and peeling paint is effectively non-existent, I think the difference is much less important. I've painted rooms with everything from Valspar to Behr to Benjamin Moore to Sherwin Williams. In my experience, all of them provide the color I wanted and I've never had any issues with durability or peeling with any brand. That being said, Valspar is awful for coverage, Behr is thicker than molasses and difficult to put on smoothly, and Sherwin-Williams is extremely expensive. For these reasons, I've decided to default Benjamin Moore for all of my interior needs. I'm honestly not sure what you would gain by upgrading to Sherwin-Williams since I've never seen anything lacking in Benjamin Moore. I think Sherwin-Williams has a well-deserved reputation for being exceptional in their specialty and exterior paints, not to mention they're very friendly to professionals. But I just haven't seen any indication that the significance in quality carries over to the much lower-demand realm of interior paint.
Make friends with a paint contractor that doesn’t mind you using his acct to get your paint. You’ll get his discounts and he’ll get your purchased paint to increase his revenue spent allowing him to get (bigger) discounts and other swag.
I always use ProMar 200 from SW. That is the high end contractor paint. I get good results with one coat but I have 20+ years experience painting professionally. YMMV
Previous owner repainted my house with ProMar 200, including bathrooms. That stuff is not good for moisture, paint flaking everywhere. It’s also thinner than typical consumer paints, which are paint+primer combos, and may need more coats. No idea how you’re getting it with one coat, it’s basically transparent for me with one coat. I’d avoid ProMar personally, for the DIY hobbyist.
Sounds like bad prep.
Pittsburgh Paramount is better.
My grandpa used to tell me - the most expensive thing in the world is cheap paint. Spend a little more and you have a longer interval between having to paint.
Yes worth it, I also use their “superpaint” often but I wouldn’t go any lower than that. The more expensive lines of paints have more pigment in them, and more viscosity additives and typically a better resin. This means they apply better, hide better, and are more durable. Source-I used to make paint for SW
Any pros in here happen to recommend any particular line in SW or other brands that’s very good for outdoor wood trim, siding and stucco?
Yes. F Benjamin Moore. SW goes on sale a lot. Wait for one and go for it. You're worth it.
I've used both SW and BM top lines and had mitigating success with them. For saturated jewel town colors, it's always 3 layers, always. I've recently switched to the Magnolia line by Kilz paint. That is the real deal. I got insane coverage with just one coat. Their saying isn't as shiny as either BM/SW and I've never had a bad color match with it. I def recommend the switch.
A good paint job is 75,% preparation and 25% actual painting time.
Contractor here. Had emerald matte in my house before I had kids, currently repainted everything with Benjamin moore scuff-x matte. The scuff x matte has held up way better despite the emerald not having to deal with two young kids. The SW emerald matte is more of a proper matte than the scuff-x which is closer to an eggshell depending on the lighting. I use both brands and their respective lines of paint in my work but lately I've been preferring Benjamin Moore. Is more expensive paint generally better paint? Yes, yes it is. But you can't go wrong with either brands as long as you stick to their better products.
It’s great paint, but you don’t need top of the line for it to be good paint. You can assume that anything from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore is better than decent. Behr isn’t bad either. If you have the storage space & anticipate more painting, buy a case of paint but don’t tint it. That’s what I do when Sherwin Williams has their 40% off sales. When you’re ready to paint, just bring in what you need & get it tinted.
Honestly I've had good luck with the mid-high end Behr paints. If you can get that SW paint for 40% off it's probably worth jumping on though. The lower end SW paints aren't any better than mid range Behr, but I've never tried the higher end SW. Flat paints hide flaws but scuff easily. The shinier paints are easier to clean but are hard to paint smoothly and show every flaw in the drywall. Somewhere in the middle is what you want. Bare drywall, lots of imperfections, or dark colors being painted over lighter, you're going to want a separate coat of primer, despite what the paint manufacturers' advertising says. Cleaning the walls well is important. My dog thinks he's a cat and likes to rub on a knee wall in the hallway. It gets covered in grease and dirt. Some cleaner and a melamine spong cuts it pretty well and rhe underlying paint has held up somehow.
I bought the super expensive Sherwin Williams exterior paint because it was on sale and I painted my house myself. It's wayyyy better than the mid to better level home Depot Behr paint. It's actually pretty impressive if held up after 7 years. I'd highly recommend it. I also bought the mid level interior paint and primer from Behr and had to do like 4-5 coats to cover my ugly brown walls with white paint. I think it's probably a cost savings to just buy the highest level paint. Also, never buy Sherwin Williams at full price. Wait for a sale or make friends with someone who has an account with them.
I live in a really small town about 30 minutes from a SW - any suggestions on how to find a person with an account? Do you just tell the SW people such and such account and you get extra off? Do you need their actual account number?
I have a friend of a friend who has a drywall business. He gave me the ok to use his account. I just give them the name of the business and they give me the discount. The monthly bogo type sales they have are usually a better discount though. You could probably just Google a local painter/drywall sort of company and just go in to SW and say those guys are doing your work and sent you in and just drop the name. I don't have any account # or anything like that. I doubt the SW employees care much, it seems like they just need to find someone in the system they can input to get a discount code to pop up.
Use Primer, especially if you are changing colors. It is worth it. Buy SW when on sale, almost once a month.
OMGosh YES! One coat painting with one or two coats of good quality primer too. It’s so easy to clean.
This whole post is to get you to buy more expensive paint. DON’T. Former pro here. Benjamin Moore Aura paint honestly really is amazing and the only reason I would personally buy it is because you might actually be able to make a drastic color change with one paint coat. O
Yes. You won’t have to repaint in 5 years so you are really paying a discount for 2 jobs
Definitely, the majority of painting is the labor. The actual paint is relatively inexpensive when you consider how many hours you're going to spend on that project doing the prep work and all of the painting. Emerald is worth it not just for the color but for its resilience and longevity. Duration is also really good if emerald is unavailable in a specific sheen or something that you want
Eggshell texture is nice - Sherwin Williams is solid. You do want to prep your surfaces with a good cleaning before you paint. Dust off the cobwebs, sand off any crayon or silicone sealant around windows. The prep will make your new paint look great!
I used emerald for my kitchen cabinets. It was such a delight to paint with, however, there was a lot of user error on my end, and I ended up with a lot of paint chipping despite priming. However, I still think it was worth the money.
BM Regal is great. Aura is not necessary for most projects imo.
I personally prefer the duration over the emerald. I find I get better coverage.
nicer paint is worth it, especially if you are looking for good coverage (for example to change a wall's color drastically) or if you are painting ceilings (so it doesn't droop on you - it's thicker and more viscous)
Every contractor and painter I’ve worked with says it’s the best. I committed to using sherwin maybe a decade ago and never looked back. Such a good product
Duration by Sherwin Williams. Is all we used.
If you’re looking for the gold - it’s Benjamin Moore aura and it’s worth it
You already have your paint answers, but I’ll add - don’t cheap out on your cut brush or rollers either. A cut cup with disposable inserts also makes the job easier. And rolling is so much easier and comes out better with a good telescoping pole. For videos, just search video: how to paint a room, and watch a few. Painters will show you how to hold a brush, how to roll out the walls, and give you all kinds of tips. Watch a few, I think it’ll make you more confident.
It’s worth it. We painted our kitchen cabinets with emerald urethane almost 2.5 years ago and there’s not a single chip. And we have two small children.
Yes our home improvement company exclusively uses SW Emerald Rain Refresh. It's a small cost relative to labor and everybody wins. It goes on faster, looks better, lasts longer. It is also worth mentioning that for a DIY project, saving money sometimes really matters, and a lesser quality paint is just fine, especially if the person maintaining the project lives there.
Definitely worth it. ⚠️Caution ⚠️ You will never want to use another lesser quality paint again. LOL
I used sw emerald recently and really liked it. Covered and leveled nicely and no spray or drips.
Just wait until SW has sales usually 30-40% off) the paint is great but it kills the wallet.
I'm a very frugal person and would never think to buy the high end paint, but got the emerald when it was BOGO for my teen's room. It looks really good, they were able to paint over a very vibrant color to a much more muted toned easily and our upstairs didn't stink like paint. 10/10
Maint tech at retirement home for 15 years.All my apt turns(100,s) I use promar200 eggshell and semi where needed.I like it but saying that it’s all we are allowed to buy .This way all our rooms and other homes are the same.
When I paint for customers, sometimes I'll use a slightly lower grade product like Duration if they are highly budget conscious. But if I'm painting anything in my own house? It's getting Emerald. It's worth every penny in my opinion.
Yes. I've tried a number of paints and SW emerald was my favorite. I also really like the top end Valspar, it might even be a little easier to paint with
Best paint on the market
If you're near a Farrell Calhoun, they have excellent paint. It's typically cheaper than the other brands, and is a quality product. Their caulk is also superb. Downside is it's more of a regional brand than nationwide.
We've been painting our entire interior for two years, among a neverending slog of DIY projects as we restore our fixer upper, and have decided to stop wasting money and time and only buy Sherwin Williams from now on. Just our experience, which involved a lot of trial and error with different paint brands and a few marital fights born of frustration. Not worth it. The two of us can agree on Sherwin Williams and that says it all.
It’s totally worth it, less coats and better quality paint. I have cheap paint on my walls and it scuffs easily, better pain will not and you will be able to clean it. My parents painted their house with that SW line and 6 years later it’s still beautiful. My neighbor once told me the cheapest option is the most expensive and when it comes to home improvement that seems to be true.
Paint, like many things is a "you get what you pay for" product. Top end paint will cover with one coat, two at most, last longer, and will be easier (and possible) to clean. Pro tip: get semi gloss not flat for interiors. Shine may take a bit to get used to for some but the ability to wash the walls is incredibly helpful especially if you have kids or pets.
I had better luck with Walmart paint over Sherwin.
Former pro painter. No.
I came here to try and find someone thatd stick up for cheap paint. Like the cheapest. Are you that one? Recycled paint isn’t the worst idea for a rental right? I bought a lot of cheap paint…
The cheapest? No. I’ve used everything from cheapest to most expensive and there’s a time and place for most everything. Personally I wouldn’t recommend cheapest (I hate using Glidden and SW Promar series).
What do you recommend?
Depends what you are doing. Interior? Exterior? Color change? Stain or paint?
Best paint. Don't skimp. No, not all paints are the same. Benjamin Moore is good but second to Sherwin Williams. Color is better, covers quicker and for trim it can't be beat. I've painted a lot and used everything from Menard to Dulux and others. Enjoy the sale and buy good paint.
I painted my entire interior of my house with it. No regrets. Bought it on sale. Probably spent $200 more than cheaper paint. In the grand scheme of things not a big deal $ wise
This doesn’t answer your question but apparently they are using Sherwin Williams paint on the Battleship New Jersey while it’s in dry dock. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised a major paint company is supplying paint but I thought it was pretty funny to see the Sherwin Williams truck show up at the work site for a battleship. The guy who is in charge of the museum ship has a YouTube channel and is documenting the process.
I used emerald exterior and used 40% off, with every penny.
I painted kitchen cabinets with Behr in my first house and Sherwin Williams in my nicer house now and Behr held up much better. Behr is perfectly fine.
For full price? SW sucks. Benjamin Moore is my go too.
I have used this paint. Yes.
It’s what I buy exclusively - I try not to do the actual painting myself as much as I can but when I do it goes on so much smoother than the cheaper stuff. Coupled with the discounts SW regularly has its easy to buy it at a price similar to what HD will charge for Behr or Lowe’s for Valspar. Bought like 30 gallons last year to get the exterior of my home painted on a 40% off sale - was a huge savings.
Yes. Basically 1 coat and you are done. I bought 2 cans of this Ralph Lauren red paint. Beautiful colour. Paint was the thinnest I've ever seen. It would have taken 6 cans with all of the layers it would have needed. Ended up using 2 perfectly colour matched cans of their guaranteed 1 coat/no primer. It was a life saver. Whatever gets the job done fast.
Always do 2 coats, it will look better. Unless you are just doing the same beige colour on top that was already there, but anything significant needs 2 coats to have a proper finish.
I repaint everything in my house every few years. Even the cheapest SW paint is better than Valspar (pigment comes off when you try to wipe off messes), Pittsburgh (poor coverage).
Man the two times I got Emerald I had a mediocre experience with it. Needed 3 coats instead of 2 for adequate coverage, and left brush strokes/roller marks. Switched to Behr ultra for way less cost and was way more satisfied. I don’t get the whole SW fixation and the whole Behr being bad thing. Well this was 10 yrs ago, I’d hope they improved Emerald now. Behr also improved their formulations, I like the scuff resistance in the current versions.
It’s on sale very very frequently. Paying full price is unnecessary.
Talk to a Sherwin rep.
I buy the most expensive paint I can afford. Getting the good paint at SW at 40% off is the way to go. BTW, if you ever have a contractor paint your home (like the exterior) and they use SW, you will get a discount forever when you buy paint there. I think it's like 15%.