Picking an interior paint

[Magni Yonguti]

Hello,

We are painting our home interior for the first time, and we would like help in choosing where to buy our paint. We have visited Sherwin Williams and were very impressed by the service. However, I am starting to hear that their paints are not very good. We are planning to use light colors in a satin finish. The current walls are white with water stains that will require priming. Can someone help us?

Thanks,

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

We are painting our home interior for the first time, and we would like help in choosing where to buy our paint. We have visited Sherwin Williams and were very impressed by the service. However, I am starting to hear that their paints are not very good. We are planning to use light colors in a satin finish. The current walls are white with water stains that will require priming. Can someone help us?

Thanks,

I used S-W many year ago and it was OK. More recently I've used Benjamin Moore and Pittsburgh with good results.

If you have water stains, use something like Kilz as a primer.

 

[George (archive)]

Hello,

We are painting our home interior for the first time, and we would like help in choosing where to buy our paint. We have visited Sherwin Williams and were very impressed by the service. However, I am starting to hear that their paints are not very good. We are planning to use light colors in a satin finish. The current walls are white with water stains that will require priming. Can someone help us?

Thanks,

I have noting but good results using Sherwin Williams paints. I wouldn't go near any of the paints sold by the big box places.

 

[Doug Miller]

Hello,

We are painting our home interior for the first time, and we would like help in choosing where to buy our paint. We have visited Sherwin Williams and were very impressed by the service. However, I am starting to hear that their paints are not very good.

Who's telling you that? In my experience, Sherwin-Williams paints are great - I rarely buy anything else. I've been completely satisfied with all of the paint that I've ever bought there.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

We are painting our home interior for the first time, and we would

like help in choosing where to buy our paint. We have visited Sherwin Williams and were very impressed by the service. However, I am starting to hear that their paints are not very good. We are planning to use light colors in a satin finish. The current walls are white with water stains that will require priming. Can someone help us?

Prep is the most important thing. I've never had a bad experience with any paint, unless it is really cheap stuff. SW is fine.

For your water stains, you'll need to prime with something like "BIN" made by Zinnsser. It is available anywhere.

 

[Baron]

Don't be too concerned about the service you get from the paint store. It is the paint you are putting on the walls, not the service.

When comparing paints, it is important to compare the same type of paint from brand to brand. That is, you should be comparing, say, 100% acrylic paints across brands. It is of no use to compare vinyl paint to acrylic.

That said, both Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore are pretty reliable brands. Be careful, though. They tend to reformulate their paints frequently so what may be good for you one year might not be so good for you in another year. You might also consider local brands. They may not change their formulations frequently but they will make paint very suitable for your climate and environment.

As for priming, I like Zinser's BIN but there are other primers that should work as well. I like BIN because it cures really quickly, it is pigmented shellac, and does the job reliably every time.

Good Luck.

 

[goodgutgut]

I didn't like Bin compared to Killz. I used killz and then eggshell paint by Behr and Ralph Lauren by Behr. The costlier latter required more coats but felt thicker and smelled delectable. In hindsight, the Behr color selection wasn't bad at all.