Painting - cost and quality of paint

If I have three choices to buy paint sherwin williams, true value, or Wal-mart where do you think I should buy. Explain some if you could. Of course you have to look at cost benifit, innitial costs, quality and all that. Thanks

Buy the best quality paint that you can afford. Also buy quality rollers and brushes. Quality materials will give you a professional looking paint job. Don't skimp on the prep work.

Most manufacturers tend to market good, better, best levels of quality. You will find that opinions will differ on what is the best brand of paint. Brand does not mean that it is necessarily the 'best' paint offered by that manufacturer. Avoid 'good' or 'economy' grades.

I haven't used enough paint from walmart or true value to evaluate them but I've used 1,000's of gals from SWP. Generally you get a better paint and advice at a paint store versus a paint dept.

SWP has paint that is no better than the paint for sell at big box stores but thier mid line and better is superior. Quality paint usually applies easier and covers better than it's cheaper counterpart.

you can't go wrong at a paint store. I don't like to recomend SW because I compete with them, however, if that is your only paint store choice then definetly go there. they will have an entire range of paint grades. the paints at walmart and the hardware store are simalar to SWs lower end products. this means they are terrible products. further, paint store employees have gone through more training and work with paint every day so they an answer your questions.

I totally disagree with the assesment of hardware store paints and personel.As a 30 year hardware store veteran the opinion that the paint is "terrible" and the knowledge level less than those of a "paint store" employee is completely off base.

I work in an Ace store.I have been to the Ace paint manufacturing facility in Illinois and attended several Ace paint seminars.These paints are manufactured to the same quality and durability standards as national brand upper level products and tests show they are comparable in every way.

There are numerous training seminars and classes regularly and requirements that store personel attend them.

Hardware stores are the cross roads of the home improvement world.We encounter customers after they have been to the big boxes AND paint stores and hear the horror stories and the anecdotes of personel that either don't know or don't care.

All Ace stores also carry at least one national brand line as well as the Ace brand which Ace manufactures itself.Customers are given a choice and neither products is given preference.In my store we also carry Pratt and Lambert which is a Sherwin Williams brand and top quality.

Hardware store personel are trained and have knowledge in a variety of catagories not just paint.This gives us the ability to think outside the box and offer solutions and alternatives a narrow catagory store can not offer.

I cannot speak for True Value but the opinions expressed are just not true concerning any Ace store.

I think hardware stores tend to fall in between the big box stores and paint stores. From what I know, the best hardware store paint can be found at Ace. However, I still agree that the best option would be to visit a paint store - after all, if they don't know paint, they're out of business. If the hardware store doesn't know paint, they can still sell wrenches.

i've used both "cheap" (wal-mart) paint and expensive (behr) paint. honestly, they both looked the same. the wal-mart paint was actually easier to apply, as it felt thinner. painting with behr paint ($26/gallon) was like painting with glue.

both looked good, and i've had no problems with either one. in my mind, paint is paint, but i know i am just a consumer. :)

i've almost never used anything BUT Walmart paint. i have almost nothing to compare it to, but i've never had any problems with it either. maybe i've gotten lucky, or maybe i didn't have problem walls, and i've usually used light to medium colors, etc but it's worked fine for me. so far. in the near future when i need to paint a deep rich color (burgundy), though, i'll probably spend more & get SW or BM just to avoid any of the "dark color problems" and to get better coverage.

but for painting light colors over light colors, Walmart has been fine for me.

i've used both "cheap" (wal-mart) paint and expensive (behr) paint.

The pros here avoid both of these brands.

If all you've ever used is cheap paint, you wouldn't know the difference. Better paint gives better results with less effort, but it costs more to buy (though getting the job done with fewer coats makes cost less of an overall factor). There is nothing wrong with using cheap paint, I just wouldn't want to now that I know how much better the good stuff is. Incidentally, I use BM Regal inside my house.

Behr is just another "cheap" paint.
I almost always use SWP, even in my own house. Pratt & Lambert is good paint, too. I only know a handful that have used Porter Paints, and they were not satisfied.

I tried a gallon of Behr two years ago. Never again. It took me twice as long to paint the room one coat, not to mention it needed a second coat to look good. It was a light color, too. Contrast that with the SWP Cashmere I used last year and its night and day. The Cashmere practically painted itself and covered in one coat. It was between a medium and a dark green.

Do you REALLY have 3 choices only? Just wondering...

ACE does carry nice paint. I've used the Pratt & Lambert...it's really nice.

Also, there's this one ACE brand paint that came out w/some nice flat or semi that was washable, durable, etc. that I wanted to use and it was rated one of the top brands or top type of paint but for some reason they couldn't get the color I wanted.

when people talk about ratings of paint, to whom are you refering? Do not trust consumer reports. Too often I have found their comparisons not be between simalar products. rather they compare a high-end paint to a low-end one. I sugest that a person contact professional painters who have been around for a number of years. you will find that they very, very rarely use paint from a box store and never from walmart, kmart, or any other retailer like that.

I sugest that a person contact professional painters who have been around for a number of years. you will find that they very, very rarely use paint from a box store and never from walmart, kmart, or any other retailer like that.

Plenty of pros here and that's exactly what they all say.

sorry, I was tired. I meant contact them in your local area to see what brands are available locally. for example, in the twin cities metro area in MN they may hear about Hirshfield's, SW, BM, P&L, PPG, ect. In the northern part of the state they may only have BM, P&L, or behr to choose from.

No, your post was clear in its meaning, I just wanted to add that there are a lot of pros here who all say the same thing you did. Visiting a local paint shop like you mentioned is an excellent idea.

I'm no pro, but over the last year or so I've painted almost every room in my house, and half of the exterior. I'd agree with what the experienced painters in this forum have to say, and I've taken their advice in the past with great results.

Anymore, I almost always use SW paints, preferably their Superpaint. It goes on easy, covers well, and looks fabulous. Their staff has been a big help. I've also used Pratt and Lamber from Ace, as well as their Ace Royal brand with great success. I'd agree with spdavid that their staff is quite knowledgeable and helpful, much more than you'd get at a box store or any other hardware store. Behr, in my opinion, is about the worst thing you could use. I haven't had any luck with it, and wouldn't buy their products again. The only time I'd use paint from Wal-Mart would be for a garage, basement, or storage room, but even then I'd go with another brand if I could afford it.

And, as twelvepole recommends, buy quality brushes and rollers. They will make your life so much easier, and if you take proper care of them they will last a long time. Using a good primer, and the right primer for the job, also makes a big difference.

After reading the posts in this thread I am glad that several people who have actually been in an Ace store and used the products spoke up and gave reviews that are of no surprise to me.

As for the comment suggesting that any Ace store would not actively support and pursue sales of an item that takes up a considerable percentage of floor area and store investment....well....I am assuming they have never run a retail business and have little experience with hardware retail because the statement is ridiculous.Not to mention that most hardware customers come to a store for a variety of reasons and items and having bad experiences with one large key area would impact any other possible business that customer might want to do with your store.

It's difficult to understand why the single most relevant business entity to the term "do it yourself" would ever be considered seriously inferior on a site called "do it yourself".

As for paint stores....we in retail hardware often encounter people AFTER they have gone to paint stores,big box stores and other specific catagory stores.We are the ones that hear the stories.Paint store personel and service are not significantly better and it's a real crap shoot as to whether or not you get good service and advice.Choose carefully and pay attention.Don't just let the words "paint store" automatically sway you to accept what you are given or told there.Some paint stores are far too interested in contractor business to bother with caring about the general public.Big boxes offer little or no help and questionable products.Walmart and the like offer you nothing but a can of paint on a shelf and the rest is up to you.

Everyone has different experiences and every business has strengths and weaknesses.Never assume any business or it's products is better or worse just because of it's "title".

the original poster has been given some good advice. question has been asked & answered. arguments & debates aren't necessary or allowed.