Ready to start thinking about painting this monster (20x20 living room --- major remodeling/repair project). I know everybody has different preferences/experiences with different paints, so I'm just looking for an overall "feel," here. I've used the Valspar (American Traditions - Lowe's) exterior trim paint and really liked the way it handled (compared to some others I've used.) Can't find much in the way anecdotal reviews of the Valspar interior though. Most of the paint reviews by pros of paint brands that are easily available to me seem to point toward Benjamin Moore. I suspect the Ben Moore is more expensive , and I also have much farther to go to get it.

So, what is y'all's opinion(s) of Benjamin Moore and/or Valspar?

 

Keep in mind that different products (different manufacturers) are better suited for different purposes. some work well in some applications as compared to others. They all have their place, while some shouldn't even be on the market. Also keep in mind that paint is best bought at a paint store, not a discount store. But if I had to pick one over the rest:

Ben Moore wins, hands down.

MHO

As a side note, Valspar's paints never performed well for my applications, but their stains and varnishes are very good, superior to most. Their American Tradition line is in MHO a watered down or cheapened version made exclusively to sell to DIY at discount stores, you won't see many pro's or decorators spec'ing this for a job.

 

Thanks for the reply, Prowallguy! I called the Ben-Moore store, and the price they gave me on their best eggshell interior was $29.99 a gallon. In the scheme of things that's not that much more, maybe 50-75 bucks for this room. So I'll be going with that. I've had to do so much patching, filling, etc., on this room that I'm skim-coating the walls in an effort to get a homogenous substrate. Can I just prime that with Kilz water-base or what? The final color will be a fairly light beige, with the ceiling about 3 tones lighter (I hate dead white ceilings .) The ceiling is so badly stained that it's getting primed with Zinsser B*I*N.

 

BIN is an excellent primer, use good ventialtion, it reeks.
Kilz2 isn't very good IMO, if you are going with Ben Moore, might as well get their Regal 1st Coat or Fresh Start primer.
With any sheen, especially eggshell, expect to apply 2 coats for even sheen level.

 

Tell me about it I actually found a job I could hand off to the husband-figure (he is NOT a craftsman LOL) and had him strip (citri-strip, wonderful stuff) and prime the front window sashes (I'm replacing all of the casing, but keeping the "guts" of this large, multiple window.) Fortunately it's RIGHT by the front door, and we could get a good airflow going through the house. We also discovered that with the BIN, you might as well kiss the brushes goodbye as it's next to impossible to get them clean enough to re-use.

You're right, I might as well get the Ben-Moore primer also. Man, I'm ready for this project to be over! This is where it gets dangerous, as I'm so tired of the mess, work, etc, and just want to see the finished product that it's real tempting to rush through the last part. Besides, I want to get to the trim. I like that ; I get to use my Bostitch finish nailer.