Best Paint Brands?

Hello everyone, I just signed up today. I'm so happy to have found this forum. DH and I are about to embark on the DIY interior painting journey for the first time. I've researched lots on the internet, and gone to OSH and Lowe's to check out my options.

The guy working at OSH said Easy Living (by Sears) is a good brand, and while Dutch Boy is a little more expensive, Easy Living is just as good. DH and I really liked the richness of colors in the Impressions line from Dutch Boy. I've also found through research that Lowes Valspar American Tradition is quite good, and so is Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Behr Premium Plus.

So, with so many choices, which ones do you find are best? I'm not so much worried about the money, as I am with finding true, rich colors; we don't want flat, dull colors. Help!!

 

Welcome

The"brand" thing is a little misleading, as most "brands" have different lines and levels of quality
You will also, even with the worst "brands", find people that were satisfied with their product for whatever reason(s)

(think of it, even a horrible 25% failure rate means 75% didn't fail)

Basically what your research has shown is that you can find people that will recommend just about anything

In truth, with paint, you tend to get what you pay for
And will nearly always get better product from a Paint Store rather than a paint dept. somewhere

AmTrad and Behr are no where near Ben Moore Regal or Sherwin Williams Duration in quality
But Ben Moore and Sherwin Williams both have cheapo "contractor" lines that simply aren't that great

You'll want to compare apples to apples

IMHO
Stay away from Behr/AmTrad
I won't touch either no matter how much you pay me
It's not worth the headaches

I don't recall using Easy Living, but then none of us contractors buy our paint from Sears
It's not that we are spoiled, if we thought it was going to save us and our customers money, or provide better quality coating, we'd be all over it

My Dutch Boy usage has been limited
I found it was nothing special, but have not used a lot of it

Over the years I have found Ben Moore, Sherwin Williams, Pittsburgh, and California to have premium lines that are consistently good
Again, they also make cheap stuff, but if you stick with the premium lines your project will go smoother, quicker, and look better

 

...unless you're a glutton for punishment. I painted my dining room with Easy Living. It was torture. I had a color match done on a Restoration Hardware color. Turned out not even remotely close. Still, I liked the color so I went forward. It took my every drop of 2 gallons to paint a 12x12 room that only had three walls. The coverage was horrible.

I'll be upfront and say that I'm not a pro, but I am a very experienced DIY'er when it comes to painting. I hated American Traditions the first time I tried it. I liked Behr OK in lower sheens (nothing glossier than eggshell). Then I tried SW. I can't believe I ever liked Behr. Recently completed my first stint with BM Regal -- wow. Very nice. Not sure that I liked it better than SW Harmony (SW's low odor line), but I liked it an awful lot. I don't think I'll paint with anything other than those two in the future.

 

Thanks so much for all of the information. Luckily, I do have BM and SW stores near me, so I'll go check those out. Do you know if these stores offer real samples that you can paint with, not just a color card?

 

For $5, SW will mix up a quart of most available colors in some "sample-quality" paint. (As in, you pretty much have to topcoat it once you have made your decision.)

Also, you can buy a full fan deck from them for $10.

Lastly, sign up for their "Preferred Customer" program, unless you want to pay their crazy list prices.

SirWired

 

BM dealers can vary, as they are usually independently owned
But many do the samples

 

I would add that any good paint store should be able to match any color if provided a sample. Some stores will have formulas on file for some of the competitor's more popular colors.

 

That's very good advice, Marksr -- I didn't realize that until I went to the BM store and told them I'd have to bring in a color chip for them to match. When I told the guy the color name (The Right White from Restoration Hardware), he found it right away in the computer. RH has gorgeous colors but so-so quality. I'm happy to have BM mix it for me!

Terrific advice from you, too, Sirwired. I got a Behr fandeck free of charge just for asking. I was told at our Ace store that the BM decks are $40 each (and there's two of them). I'd happily pay $10 for a SW fandeck! Thanks for the pointer.