Why Spring for the Better Paint?

There is a saying – “You get what you pay for” – that can be applied to many things, and interior/exterior paint is definitely one of them. It’s just like anything else; if you do not know any better, or have not used more than one brand, a little education on what to look for is helpful. The characteristics of a higher-quality paint purchased from an actual independent paint store, and not your mass home center or discount store, are many.

The better paints start with a higher concentration of solids in the paint, mainly more titanium dioxide. It actually weighs more – you can feel a noticeable difference when you hold a gallon in each hand by the sheer weight of the gallon.

Better paint is easier to apply, and we all want painting to be easier. There are less brushstrokes, it flows out better. There is less splattering when applying, especially when painting a ceiling. You get much better coverage, which can give you fewer coats, and it hides imperfections in the drywall. You also have the ability to touch up areas in the lower sheens. We have all had this happen, you go to get a gallon of paint from the basement to touch up a few areas, and the paint doesn’t match at all! Now what??

Consumers have seen this often, when buying a new home, the quality of paint the builders use does not hold up well, you have no durability and cannot clean the walls, the paint comes off. When repainting, you will see a vast difference when using the better-quality paint in that it will hold the color better, resists pealing and flaking, and provide a longer service life.

The high-quality paints contain mildewcide in the paint to help with high humidity areas.  You can now get interior paints in a flat/matte finish, which is scrubbable; a lower sheen is optimal to hide imperfections in the drywall. The higher the sheen of a paint finish, the more durability and scubbability. This is why we used to use a satin or semi-gloss for bathrooms, now you can use a matte or eggshell, and they cover better as well.

Green paint products have a new category in the coatings industry. Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), and Zero VOC products are needed for women who are pregnant, have babies and toddlers, or people with asthma and allergies.  These products are completely water-bourne, and do not emit VOCs (low odor) into the environment.

Higher-quality paint does cost more due to the raw material and manufacturing costs; but in the end you will find that you get better, longer-lasting results, and can accomplish it in half the time, and use less material. Do you really want to spend the additional time painting a room three or four times to get the paint to cover? I think you have more important things to accomplish this holiday season.