# Where, when, what interior paint to buy?



## digitalatlas (Jun 6, 2015)

Hi,

My wife and I are figuring out if we want to go ahead and paint the house. Where and when is it best to buy paint, and what kind of paint would you recommend?

I don't want to buy really cheap paint, it's for our primary residence so I'm willing to shell out for good quality stuff, but I also love a good deal 

Sherwin Williams is having a 30% off sale until end of January, and I was told they have big sales once or twice a year. Benjamin Moore has been recommended to me, expensive stuff at the high end. Then there are other brands from chain stores, Behr and Valspar?

We have cheap contractor flat paint from when the house was built now, looks good when new, but zero durability. We want something that's not shiny, and won't get shiny if you try to clean it...you know what I'm talking about if you've ever had to deal with it. Want something that has some durability but looks good.

Thanks!


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

I use sherwin Williams for my rentals. It's a good compromise between quality and price. Not all their lines of paint are the same...I prefer their old general paint lines like breeze. I hate behr. 

Benjamin Moore is the best choice though if you don't mind the price.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

I agree. We use top grade Benjamin Moore for all our paint jobs. We find it second to none.... remembering that labour is the longest/hardest part of the job. Do the job right once and it will last a very long time.


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

Benjamin Moore - not the top grade, the one just below. We've been using it for years. Eggshell for walls and pearl for trim. 
We buy at a local small Rona.


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## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

AltaRed said:


> .... remembering that labour is the longest/hardest part of the job. Do the job right once and it will last a very long time.


Wash the walls with TSP in warm water. Then rinse pass. 

I had tenants once paint without washing and forever the paint will chip off with a bump or tape application to hold the kid's art on the wall. The paint is neither on, nor will it systematically come off. The only real fix is to replace the drywall. Or sell the house:sneakiness:

hboy54


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

hboy54 said:


> ... I had tenants once paint without washing and forever the paint will chip off with a bump or tape application to hold the kid's art on the wall. The paint is neither on, nor will it systematically come off. The only real fix is to replace the drywall.
> hboy54


Sounds like it might a case of latex over alkyd without proper prep/proper latex?


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## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Sounds like it might a case of latex over alkyd without proper prep/proper latex?


That is a possibility too. I do not know what they used or the rules for different chemistries. And when I did wash the walls after they left, the water was a nicotine yellow.

Hboy54


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Could probably be fixed with a proper cleaning and a new coat of primer.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

hboy54 said:


> ... when I did wash the walls after they left, the water was a nicotine yellow. Hboy54


I had a rental like that once too. Yikes! Seeing that filthy sponge and water really made you appreciate what must have gone into their lungs. And this wasn't from cooking, it was in the bedroom and bathroom (along with the butts).


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## welsh-investor (Jan 5, 2017)

I have used Benjamin Moore for years. I would recommend applying neutral colours in case you decide to sell in the near future. I know from personal experience, buyers can be turned off by a single poorly placed colour.


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## digitalatlas (Jun 6, 2015)

thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. 

How do you wash the walls, what's TSP? This is good, useful information for my rental.

Also, I was actually soliciting thoughts about paint for my personal residence in my original post. It seems like good thoughts about Benjamin Moore all around, the highest Aura and second highest Regal Select seems to be about high $70s to low $80s per gallon. With the 30% off of Sherwin Williams right now, the highest end Emerald is only $56 a gallon.

I measured everything and have about under 3,800 sq ft to cover, but I'll need a few different colours so there will be some cans that won't be all used up. Coverage seems to be about 350-400 sq ft per gallon for most cans I've seen.

Is BM worth the extra cost? Anyone used both?


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Wouldn't bother with Benjamin Moore for a rental. As I said, sherwin Williams breeze eggshell and HP2000 semi gloss is what I use in my rentals.

With a rental, you're reprinting much more often.

TSP wash the walls, don't forget to rinse.


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## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

TSP is trisodium phosphate. Usually in a box about the size of a 1 litre milk container for under $10. Find it at any hardware store, Canadian Tire etc.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

My wife is the painter (I'm not allowed!) but while she likes Benjamin Moore she feels it is over priced and prefers Behr.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

The best would be either Benjamin Moore or Behr, to avoid the shine use a Satin finish.


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## VLT (Jan 1, 2017)

Ha! A question that I can answer. I'm a professional Interior Designer and have been specking paint for decades. If this is for your own home, here's my advise. 

Paint: You can't go wrong with Benjamin Moore or Pratt and Lambert. It's important to buy from the actual dealer and get their top stuff. I've been using Benjamin Moore, Regal Select.

(Exception: The colour yellow, BM doesn't have good yellows)

Painters: Be careful and get them to show you their purchase receipts because they usually buy paint at a deep discount wherever they have an account and match the BM-colour. They will insist that the quality is as good or better, trust me, it's not! (contractors lie) Also, watch out for stores like Canadian Tire that have Benjamin Moore colours but the paint is an inferior product. 

Again, if you want quality go to the dealer, listen to their advise and pay the price. With paint, we absolutely get what we pay for. 

Finishes: Be careful because paint companies use different names for the same finish so you need to review their samples. Using Benjamin Moore as an example, most people like a flatter look so eggshell is a good choice. 
For average homes (not historic) I prefer a bit more sheen and durability and use the Pearl finish on the walls and the baseboards. It saves labour.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

VLT said:


> For average homes (not historic) I prefer a bit more sheen and durability and use the Pearl finish on the walls and the baseboards. It saves labour.


We're in the middle of renovating an apartment in a building built around 1900. We want to preserve the historic character wherever reasonable. I was planning eggshell walls and satin baseboards, would you suggest anything different? We're going Benjamin Moore for sure, have used it before and find it well worth it.


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## VLT (Jan 1, 2017)

Hi Spudd, 
Eggshell for the walls is good. BM has a new finish called Soft Gloss. Either Soft Gloss or Semi Gloss would be tougher than the Pearl for doors and trim.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

VLT said:


> Hi Spudd,
> Eggshell for the walls is good. BM has a new finish called Soft Gloss. Either Soft Gloss or Semi Gloss would be tougher than the Pearl for doors and trim.


Awesome, thanks!


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

I have used BM, mostly eggshell, for several years but was surprised to read about the differences from the paint store vs canadian tire. I usually buy from ct when it is on sale and save $5-7 a gallon. I have been very happy with it, covers well. I usually buy the best one or one below. Have bought cheap paint over the years but it doesn't cover.


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## VLT (Jan 1, 2017)

That's good if it's working for you. Paint companies have a variety of products with a range in quality. The Canadian Tire/Benjamin Moore product is probably a decent product with a reliable colour match. BM wouldn't put their name on a product without the quality being good but it might be equivalent to their contractor quality.


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## Mechanic (Oct 29, 2013)

Thanks for the heads up VLT. I will certainly be taking another look when it's time to buy paint again. A few $ more per gallon isn't going to have a huge impact.


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## VLT (Jan 1, 2017)

I've confirmed that Benjamin Moore makes a product specifically for Canadian Tire that compares with their contractor grade. It's interesting that colour names are different from their own (dealer) products.


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## RCB (Jan 11, 2014)

I don't understand why so many dislike Behr, I love working with it in both my home and rentals. It has great coverage and is durable. We painted neutrals on our main floor 10 years ago, and it still looks like new, even raising two kids. As for coverage, I'm in the process of painting a whole house that we just re-drywalled, each room having one dark or intense colour. I used Speedhide white primer, and the dark colours of the Behr are providing complete coverage with only one coat, except for deep red, which required two coats because I wasn't using enough light when painting. No tinted primers used for anything.

The Behr white in eggshell has held up wonderfully in the student rentals, and they are hard on walls. Extremely scrubbable. One front porch/entry they have hands on walls, crud on the lower walls from winter salt and sand, food on walls from keeping recycling and garbage there. I swoop in at the end of the lease and can have those porch walls looking like new in 5 minutes, painted 5 years ago.

I have always used eggshell, except for this new house where I used flat everywhere except bathrooms. Too many windows bringing in light from multiple directions to bounce around on the walls. I may come to regret that decision, but we'll only be two adults there.


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## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

Is there really any point in paying more for "higher quality" paint? I used Beauti-tone from Home Hardware to paint one of my bedrooms, it was $18 per 3.64L can, the cheapest paint I could find, and the room turned out fine.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

I think consumer reports does testing of paints. Should be able to get free @ library


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

Late - but my vote goes to Benjamin Moore. The paint goes on easily and wears well. 

Consumer Reports appears to like the Behr Marquee from Home Depot. I'll stick with Benjamin Moore.


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