I use Sherwin Williams paint, both oil based enamel and wall paint.
I use Sherwin Williams paint, both oil based enamel and wall paint.
I try to buy the opps paint and use that for the first coat. I get a color similar to the final one and call it primer if the wife does not like the color after it dries.
Bill D.
We use SW for everything. they always have at least a 30% off going around, which brings it down the the price of most of the others. Lowes stocks some SW stuff now too.
Benjamin Moore ultra spec wins best value for me for eggshell or pearl finish. If we need flat finish we use BM Aura matte. Is Aura a better paint? Absolutely. Is it so much better that it’s “worth” it in most cases. Not in my opinion.
Ben Moore vs. Sherwin Williams is coke vs Pepsi. Ford vs Chevy etc.
we are a Ben Moore company but that’s mostly due to store level service locally. Whch brings me to my next point. Find a real paint store. Not a home center. You have a better chance of finding a professional behind the counter that can answer questions and make products suggestions. When in doubt explain what you’re doing what your goal is and ask what product they recommend.
Neil, most of my home interior is coated in Aura since that was used for our addition project in 2008. Totally worthy and it cleans up wonderfully. SW Emerald is similar and I recently used that in our kitchen and am happy with it. I do mostly SW now simply because I have contractor status with them and they are in a convenient location.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
I'm with Jim on BM Aura and SW Emerald for walls. I find the Behr paint to be very uneven from batch to batch. Sometimes it is good, other times or in other lines it's not. I suspect it has to do with who is making it for HD that week. For trim I use the BM Impervo oil-based enamel.
I find the better paints to spatter and drip less, for a neater job in finished space, easier to cut in a clean line with, and better coverage. I generally do fine with one coat on a reasonably close color match. The difference in ease of application is worth the price difference for me.
SW paints go on sale regularly, you definitely don't want to pay full freight for them!
When I started painting my house my parents swore by Sherwin, because that is what "all the pros" use. I'm a little more empirical and noted Behr's top ratings on CR. So we did a side by side test. SW Cashmere vs Behr Marquee. My parents had a discount with SW through an employer benefit so prices were basically the same. Frankly, I didn't know what to look for, but during the test I noticed I had to go back to the bucket about 2x as often for more paint with the Behr. Did one coat and SW had slightly better coverage. So I went with the SW Cashmere. Now Behr Premium is definitely cheaper and if price is a major concern I would probably do a side by side test to determine if I was willing to accept any tradeoffs with the cheaper Behr.
And the Cashmere is a very mid-grade paint, too... interesting comparison, Brandon!
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Don't remember why, but during one of my trips to SW years ago, they set me up as a contractor and now I always get a 10% discount. Or possibly it is just a not-so-frequent flyer discount. Maybe contractors do even better.
NOW you tell me...
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
We missed the SW 30% off paint sale through Feb 28. We tried, I finished the mudding a month ago in the utility room. But just something always came up lately. I guess I will wait for the next paint sale.