Last time I buy Benjamin Moore paint

[Peter Pedisich]

I've painted a lot of exterior projects (barn doors, windows, etc) for many years with all types of paint, and I can tell you after tonight I'll not pay a premium for Benjamin Moore an longer.
I purchased a quart of Regal Low Lustre exterior acrylic and it's too darn thick and plasticky. I don't like to add any flow conditioners to exterior work, but maybe I should?

I've had much better luck with Glidden as far as brushability and retouching. With this BM Regal if you touch a spot from 3-5 minutes earlier it just ruins it.

I never thought I'd prefer Glidden to BM, but there you have it.

[David Weaver]

Sherwin williams has some thick paints, too. You have to paint your area with them and move on, that's just the way they work.

When my contractor finished working over a room on my house, he suggested one of the thicker sherwin williams paints just because that thickness helps it cover faster. I'd imagine you'd find that most of the people who prefer the really thick paints are contractors who want to make sure they've got perfect coverage in two coats.

Never used BM, but it's positioned the same way if I understand it right.

I used to like Behr, but I have to agree with the contractor, the S-W heavy paints were nicer to use because of how well they covered, as long as you made absolutely sure you didn't go and work them a second time. Out of thrift, I turned around and bought a quart of behr for the outside of a metal door on the same room (all of the S-W stuff was interior) and there was an enormous difference, especially on metal. It was definitely a different experience, but I'm sure the B-M is made that way because there's a segment that wants it to be that thick.

[Jim Tabor]

I've had good luck with Sherwin-Williams Super Paint for exterior work. Very smooth to apply, good coverage and long lasting. Not cheap unless you catch it on sale.

[Peter Pedisich]

Thanks guys, I guess I'm a little cranky from being up late painting!:eek: I really miss quality oil paint, but those days are gone. I should just buy a sprayer.

[David Weaver]

Sprayers are definitely a big help on anything you can mask off, and especially anything you can lay down flat and that also has elements that are a pain to paint (like doors with trim on them or mock raised panel grooves, etc).

Painting stinks no matter what, though.

[Harry Hagan]

S-W has a 40%-off sale several times a year. The last time I took advantage of a 40%-off sale they also accepted a 30% digital coupon on my iPhone adding up to a 58% discount.

[Mark Bolton]

David had it spot on. The thicker paints and BM in particular want you to get it on fast and leave them alone. They flow out and flatten on their own. If your accustomed to fussing and going over and over trying to hit a spot your screwed. It's hard to get use to but it's a good system and it forces you to be fast. The Aura line is really fussy about being fussy. You have to just fly it on and walk away. It'll look fine in a on hour.

We lost distribution of BM (local shop went out) and switched to glidden (not the Home Depot stuff but from a glidden shop) but they have since closed too. I can't stand SW but we are either stuck buying glidden from HD (don't like to support box stores) or drive over an hour to a BM dealer.

[Mac McQuinn]

My aluminum siding house was painted 13 years ago using BM by a licensed contractor. Other than a complete soap/water/brush washing every other year, It has received less than 15 minutes of touch up in 13 years. The contractor who did the job mentioned to me at one time, if BM went out of business, he would quit the business...........
Mac

[David Weaver]

S-W has a 40%-off sale several times a year. The last time I took advantage of a 40%-off sale they also accepted a 30% digital coupon on my iPhone adding up to a 58% discount.

That's the way to buy their stuff. I got a contractor's discount there because I was just doing the painting and floor in a job I hired a contractor to do. But the discount wasn't 40% (my wife mentioned that she'd seen the stuff cheaper on sale, though).

This is the first time I used their paint, but I've brushed/built up shellac with a brush and it reminds me a little of that, except it flows out better, like you say. I really like the way it works. I like to do jobs like painting in a linear way and not have to touch up my work.

S-W also has a primer that works on pretty much everything and is dry in an hour. It's the first paint I've had any luck with priming and two spray-coating a door and getting it back up on the hinges in the same day - and without the paint getting stuck to the weather seal.

[rogers kevin]

I had great experience with California paints, and they have ample of varieties in both interior and exterior paint its durability is also good.

[Rich Engelhardt]

My aluminum siding house was painted 13 years ago using BM by a licensed contractor. Other than a complete soap/water/brush washing every other year, It has received less than 15 minutes of touch up in 13 years. The contractor who did the job mentioned to me at one time, if BM went out of business, he would quit the businessIn a way - that's sort of ironic....
It was 13 years ago (2000) that Warren Buffet bought BM.
Did the contractor ever quit the business?

[Mac McQuinn]

Did BM go out of business? Last time I was at my local Paint Store, their BM sign was still up and product was on the shelves. The painter who did our house still has his business card on file there.
Mac



In a way - that's sort of ironic....
It was 13 years ago (2000) that Warren Buffet bought BM.
Did the contractor ever quit the business?

[Montgomery Scott]

I used BM oil based primer and top coat for my cedar sided house several years ago. I used a high end sprayer rented from HD to apply both products and was very pleased with the results.

[Peter Pedisich]

I used BM oil based primer and top coat for my cedar sided house several years ago. I used a high end sprayer rented from HD to apply both products and was very pleased with the results. Love oil base primer, used it for years with excellent results. I also think BM Fresh Start water based primer is great - really coats well in one coat.

[Jim Becker]

Folks have brought up a very good point in this thread...many current paint products "go on" differently than paints of old and for various reasons. We should never assume that a product will work identically to some other product we have used in the past. This is yet another good reason to buy paint and coatings from a "pro" store as they can offer specific application advice for the products they sell better than most big-box operations could ever dream of providing.

[Chris Padilla]

My local hardware store (Orchard's Supply Hardware if you're curios) is having a sale on their BM paints so I plan to pick some up this weekend. First time ever with BM but I hear it is darn good paint.

[Stephen Cherry]

I use ben moore interior paint- the cheap contractor line, and like it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Did BM go out of business? Last time I was at my local Paint Store, their BM sign was still up and product was on the shelves.BM didn't go out of business - but - they were gobbled up in 2000 by Berkshire Hathaway.

[Chris Hachet]

Sprayers are definitely a big help on anything you can mask off, and especially anything you can lay down flat and that also has elements that are a pain to paint (like doors with trim on them or mock raised panel grooves, etc).

Painting stinks no matter what, though.

I am really the odd bird out in that I really enjoy painting, and also enjoy paint that is a little bit thinner. Used Sherwin Williams super paint inside my house in several rooms, did not like the thick quality or brush work with it, and had the colors matched at Lowes with Valspar.

Like the Valspar much better!

[Brian Elfert]

The new paints/stains are indeed different. I just got back from a week of volunteer work at a Boy Scout camp. One project included applying exterior stain to some wood before installing the wood. My father was helping and he expected a thin stain that wouldn't run. The stain they use is water based, very thick, and runs easily.