Best paint?
Is there any consensus on a better brand for an ordinary interior paint job? I was previously told that Benjamin Moore was the best, but I had someone at Home Depot assuring me that Behr had the highest rating with Consumer Reports.
FishieFishie
in Painters and Painting & Stripping 13 years and 6 months ago
10
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10 replies
JorgeF | 13 years and 6 months ago
benjamin moore is what most professionals will use in thier own homes, forget about consumer reports go with advice from the pros
anonymous | 13 years and 6 months ago
benjameen moore is the best.save labor time,fine finish and easy to apply.
Hardcharger | 13 years and 6 months ago
I like Pratt Lambert. I also think that painting is a skill worth paying for. You can see the quality that a skilled painter produces from the same can of paint.
daveinbedstuy | 13 years and 6 months ago
I fourth that Behr is the worst. That said, HD also sells Glidden and I used that for the frist time and liked it a lot. Any other brand is fine…benj Moore, Martin Senour, Pratt & Lmbert, etc. The only truly expensive paint I’ve used is the Fine Paints of Europe for the super glossy finish but prep work makes this whole thing 3-4 times more work and about 10x more expensive but it’s worth it for that glassy finish
callalily | 13 years and 6 months ago
Oh yes, another thing about Benjamin Moore (and Farrow & Ball too): You only need one coat. Even when I painted tomato soup red over white, I only needed one coat. Talk about a savings of labor and materials. I suppose though if you were painting white over black you would prime or use several coats of paint. You don’t need primer with any brand of paint unless you are painting over bare plaster or switching from oil to latex or vice versa.
callalily | 13 years and 6 months ago
I have used them all. Benjamin Moore is the best. Behr is the worst. Benjamin Moore has a lovely texture when applying compared to the other top brands, although they are fine too. Behr is to be avoided because it uses too much clay and not enough pigment. You are wasting your labor painting with Behr because after a few months it will look dark and dingy (even if the color is white) because of the high clay content. I am also fond of Farrow & Ball because of its natural looking pigments. It has a nice chalky texture when dry that looks good on old plaster. The colors are mixed precisely so every can is exactly the same. However, it’s a bit of a specialist paint. Most of the colors are Georgian. The paint must be used pretty much immediately because it doesn’t keep well in the can (apparently they don’t use preservatives and stabilizers). If you don’t have a resale license it’s twice the cost of Benjamin Moore. It takes a week to deliver from Canada. Sometimes I buy Benjamin Moore in F&B colors for kitchens and baths when I need a more durable finish than F&B offers. Another fantastic thing about F&B is they have sample pots for every color. I was thinking of trying Stark Paint Colours by David Oliver next because it has Victorian colors that would work well in my house, but I haven’t tried it yet.
jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 6 months ago
Benjamin Moore is the only I spec and my house is covered with it.
josh | 13 years and 6 months ago
I was researching something similar earlier today. I found this helpful blurb: I won’t use anything other than Benjamin Moore any time I’m going to be painting with a brush (such as on trim or paneling). I prefer their water-borne Satin Impervo for it’s nice leveling (the paint goes on flat, so you don’t see the brush strokes as much). The Sherwin Williams paint I’ve tried does not self-level at all. I bought their scrubbable Duration paint, and I really don’t like how it brushes on at all. Duron paint is horrible stuff, don’t touch it. I’ve thrown the stuff away it’s so bad. Behr tends to be thin, so you’d need to put on more coats, but other than that I don’t know anything wrong with it. When using a sprayer or roller, you generally don’t have to be as picky (thinner paint is better for a sprayer anyway). The Sherwin Williams rolls on fine, as does the Benjamin Moore. The Behr is thinner, as I’ve said, so you might need to put up a third coat, especially if you’re putting up a dark color or a red or something like that. But in general it’ll be OK. Don’t forget to prime first — it really helps adhesion.
stevecym | 13 years and 6 months ago
I have always sworn by Ben Moore, Pratt and Lambert, and Pittsburgh, but I have, from time-to-time, been required to use Behr by customers. I have to tell you the truth, I can find no reason not to use it and I like the way it goes on and covers. Steve
Laura | 13 years and 6 months ago
Benjamin Moore is the best. Behr doesn’t go on the wall as smoothly and isn’t as easy to clean.