# Paint Review - Exterior and Interior



## General Trades

Howdy!
Looking for comments and review about the following paints for exterior and interior. How does PPG compare to the others. Much appreciate your comments. Thanks! :thumbsup:

SW (Sherwin Williams)
BM (Benjamin Moore)
DE (Dunn Edwards)
PPG (Pittsburgh Paint)


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## Pete'sfeets

I can't say there are many choices where I live.. Dunn edwards, I never seen before and pittsburg is mostly available at lowes and I gather it would be the lowest line which is typical for box stores. That only leaves sherwin or Dilux


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## tyb525

I have only used SW A-100 exterior to paint a house once. I loved it, it seemed to cover very well and it dried fast. But I don't have anything to compare it to besides interior paints.


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## shesbros

In Order interior and exterior.

Interior
wall primer ICI Aqualock
Wood Primer Ben Moore Alkyd Enamel Under body.
Wall Finish Either Ben Moore Regal or California Pacific Eggshell.
Trim Oil Ben Moore Stain Impervo (Best interior oil trim finish of all time period.)
Trim Latex California Kitchen and Bath Semigloss.
Also we have been very impressed with the new Ben More Advance Homogenized hybrid.

Exterior
Primers
Oil the new California Storm Quick Dry oil.
Latex Mad Dog Elastomeric Primer

Body (we are in Massachusetts so its all wood or Fibercement) 
California Freshcoat or 2010 Flat or Eggshell
Second would be Ben Moore's Moorlife or Moorguard. The exterior Regals, and the exterior "Ben" are absolutely terrible.

Trim California 2010, or Ben Moore Mooreguard.

Latex Stains

California Storm Stain Matte Finish or the new Ben Moore Arborcoat Waterbourne. Both are excellent.

We don't use Sherwin Williams mostly because of inconsistencies we have found from time to time and location to our work area.

We will not as a policy use anything Cabot since they were bought by Valspar. The products are nothing like they used to be.


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## General Trades

Much thanks to you all for the comments. This is very helpful. We were approached by PPG and wasn't sure how it weathers in comparison to other brands. Thank you!


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## CrpntrFrk

Dunn Edwards is all we/I use. 

Pete'sfeets, Dunn Edwards is here in the west mainly AZ, CA, NM?, etc. It's really good stuff IMO. ACE just started carrying it locally but we never can get them to mix it correctly so we do what we have done for years to get it which is drive about an hour to the valley of the sun.


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## thom

Frk, won't DE deliver to you?

I use Dun Edwards exclusively, just call them up and they drop it off. 

I have 15 rentals, all with the same paint colors/scheme. That makes it easy to keep track of what's what, use up leftovers on the next repaint. 

I just call up DE and they drop off the paint, either at my house or the job site, wherever I ask. If I call in the morning it will be that day, if I call in the afternoon it will be the next morning.


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## WarnerConstInc.

I use my mom and pop paint store here in town. The carry Dutch Standard, made by the Harrison paint co. I really like the paint and the service I get there.


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## PatsPainting

Personally I think DE is worse then Behr and all the other low end junk out there. It was much better years ago. Many of my recent estimates have been where the customer had their house painted 3-4 years ago and the paint faded real bad and started to peel.

Just my opinion. I'm a BM guy, nothing beats aura for exterior trim. Regal select or even Ultra spec for stucco.

Pat


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## CrpntrFrk

thom said:


> Frk, won't DE deliver to you?
> 
> I use Dun Edwards exclusively, just call them up and they drop it off.
> 
> I have 15 rentals, all with the same paint colors/scheme. That makes it easy to keep track of what's what, use up leftovers on the next repaint.
> 
> I just call up DE and they drop off the paint, either at my house or the job site, wherever I ask. If I call in the morning it will be that day, if I call in the afternoon it will be the next morning.



Really!? I'll have to check that out!



PatsPainting said:


> Personally I think DE is worse then Behr and all the other low end junk out there. It was much better years ago. Many of my recent estimates have been where the customer had their house painted 3-4 years ago and the paint faded real bad and started to peel.
> 
> Just my opinion. I'm a BM guy, nothing beats aura for exterior trim. Regal select or even Ultra spec for stucco.
> 
> Pat


Hhmmmm....haven't *ever* had that problem when the surface had been properly prepped. I have used it for over 8 years and the company I work for has used it as long as they can remember.

I will give you the fading but out here in the AZ sun nothing stands much of a chance. Paint, roofs, .........me:laughing:........whatever.


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## PatsPainting

CrpntrFrk said:


> Really!? I'll have to check that out!
> 
> 
> 
> Hhmmmm....haven't *ever* had that problem when the surface had been properly prepped. I have used it for over 8 years and the company I work for has used it as long as they can remember.
> 
> I will give you the fading but out here in the AZ sun nothing stands much of a chance. Paint, roofs, .........me:laughing:........whatever.


Not sure where in Az you are from, my parents live in sun city and most of all the houses out in that area are pretty simple, all stucco and wood eaves and fascia. Here in Long Beach we have a chit load of old 1920's , 30's wood siding houses. It just does not seem to hold up on those. Most of the contractors that use DE here seem to be more of the production types and not the quality types. "Just my observation" as DE is much cheaper then BM.

For me I just want to put the best stuff on these houses and I feel it's BM. 

Plus I'm not much of a fan purchasing paint from a guy wearing a tie. :blink:

Pat


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## CrpntrFrk

PatsPainting said:


> Not sure where in Az you are from, my parents live in sun city and most of all the houses out in that area are pretty simple, all stucco and wood eaves and fascia. Here in Long Beach we have a chit load of old 1920's , 30's wood siding houses. It just does not seem to hold up on those. Most of the contractors that use DE here seem to be more of the production types and not the quality types. "Just my observation" as DE is much cheaper then BM.
> 
> For me I just want to put the best stuff on these houses and I feel it's BM.
> 
> Plus I'm not much of a fan purchasing paint from a guy wearing a tie. :blink:
> 
> Pat


:laughing: Well I won't play the "mine is bigger" game with you but we aren't building cardboard boxes out here. So I will respectfully disagree with you.:thumbsup:


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## PatsPainting

CrpntrFrk said:


> :laughing: Well I won't play the "mine is bigger" game with you but we aren't building cardboard boxes out here. So I will respectfully disagree with you.:thumbsup:


Just giving my opinion, that's all. 

Pat


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## Pete'sfeets

I'm happy with a daily BM


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## ALC_custom

I've been using a lot of Pratt & Lambert Gold and really like it, seems great to me. Has anyone else used this or have any thoughts on it? Local paint store markets it as "contractor-grade." Seem like a great middle to upper-middle of the road paint to me and a great price.

I recently tried PPG pitt-tech DTM on a job, repaint of a school cafeteria. for $12/gallon more than the Pratt & Lambert Gold I was not too happy with it, much thinner and wanted to run much easier.


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## Derek1157

For exterior I use SWP all the way. I live on the NW coast and I've had the best luck with their products. Resilience has a chemical in it that causes the film to skin over quicker while it's curing, so the mist and drizzle won't ruin it. It let's you start earlier and paint later in the day. Their products are very durable with great adhesion. A-100 is one of their mid-grade products, but there's nothing mid-grade about it. It performs excellently. Each product has a unique characteristic to it. Duration is awesome if people don't mind shelling out the $ for it. It's like pudding in the can, but SO durable. Plus you can get 1 coat coverage out of it easily and it's self-priming, which is not the same as paint and primer in one. Deckscapes/Woodscapes exterior stains are awesome and versatile and very easy to maintain. They also can be uses as good primers under Latex topcoats. I use leftovers to spot prime all the time.

For interior, I use Contractor's satin or low sheen, PM200 for flat, s/g or eg-shel. I use Solo satin or s/g for trim and millwork. I used to use ProClassic, but the Solo is less expensive and doesn't run as easily. Always had to babysit ProClassic to catch drips. I still use it if people want it as it does have the best finish IMHO. I've been using some BM here and there for interior walls. They have some good colors that are popular and there's a supplier down the street. I've used almost every single product SWP has to offer, even Industrial and Marine stuff. I've also used traditional laquer, Kem Aqua, and others. Too many to list. Also, I really like their Wood Classics oil based stains for interior woodwork. I've had the best luck using those with Waterbased Satin Polyurethane Varnish. Varathane would not accept the waterbased topcoat when I tried it. Going to start using some waterbased stains too and see how it goes.

The one thing I'm starting to buy elsewhere is primers. I really like Kilz Premium latex and Kilz 2 from Home Depot. They also have a couple of great oil based and a shellac primer that are good. Much less expensive than primer at SWP.

SWP is always willing to deliver anywhere I need it, and they give contractors special pricing which you can negotiate further. They also have financing on sprayer, washers, etc. They are FAR more knowledgable about paint than Home Depot or any hardware store. Most places that sell Behr, Valspar, or even BM are hardware stores that know jacksh*t about paint. My golden rule is "Don't buy paint at the same place where you buy your lumber and nails." SWP has literally 100's of products. They have a product for EVERY job guaranteed. Their Industrial and Marine line cannot be matched.

Ok I'm done.......


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## Pete'sfeets

I haven't been in to a sherwin store lately.. To be honest I think they are a bit over rated and the time I spend in line can't be easily recovered. Sort of like getting stuck in a hour long highway traffic jam, is it worth driving this way ? I noticed today that PPG bought out glidden stores.. Is that in the states too ? They own a variety of industries. As I recal they owned Rustoleum which bought Zinnnser... A whale of a company , big fish eats smalll fish,, eventually it's a whale,, but they keep the old name because of it's brand name value .


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## Derek1157

I think some of their (SWP) individual products are over-rated, but as a whole, I think they beat the other companies. I live 18 miles away, and they will bring me a paint brush if I ask them to. They spend a lot of $ on employee training. It's nice when they've actually used products they try to sell. Not all employees run with it, but most do. As far as technical product knowledge, Home Depot, BM, Pittsburgh, and my local Miller, sound like idiots compared to SWP. I have a friend that works at Home Depot. I asked him what training the paint associates receive. He told me that they are taught to use the tinter and shakers. About 20 minutes worth of training. As a test, I asked a young lady to fetch me some latex reducer.......after 5 minutes of searching the shelves, she came to me and said that she didn't think they had any left. I felt kind of bad. These people just don't receive the level of training that SWP offers. They ONLY deal in paint. If you need questions answered about paint, go to SWP. They also offer contractors special pricing. Home Depot doesn't do that. It's one price for everyone. I pay about $20/gal for interior Contractor's Satin at SWP. I don't know why ANY contractor would use anything else. It out-performs %99 of other interior products at a lower price. Once, I went to Miller to buy a tip because it was closer to me. I watched as a very pregnant woman carried 3 gallons of paint out to her car. 2 guys were behind the counter BS'ing as she struggled to open her car door without having to set down the paint cans. SWP....They carry out my purchase, even if it's a quart, chatting me up all the way out to my van. If I have a problem with a product, or want advice on a project, they drive out to consult. At SWP, you're not just buying a can of paint, you're buying service. Painting is about %50 of my total annual income, so it pays to have someone like them in my corner. I've used many other products out here on the west coast, and SWP have proven to be the best. One area they are struggling is primers. Their primers are good, but you can get just as good with Kilz at half the cost. SWP recently combined their Adhesion primer with Multi-purp primer, and the result was a disaster. Does not adhere the way it should to certain substrates. Doesn't even adhere well to bare wood. They're not perfect, but they're leagues ahead of the competitors in my area.


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## Pete'sfeets

Well 95 % of my biz is painting and for the most part ,,few if any stores have complete knowledge. Often I get weird,,,, intterupt the sales clerk,, and add my own two cents. As a rule I never get in an argument since invariably the clerk is right, silently thinking stupid duffus as I exit I mean no need to cause a keffufle just trying to help.. Some stores have better personnel than others, but if their strenghts help yours be it color or even inspiration,, that then is a positive.. I was mistaken when I said PPG had rustoleum , they have Olympic paints, a cheapie line in my mind and Porter paints which I also never see much. I have never asked a paint store to bring me anything, but I have asked them to stock certain products I prefer and generally they all react with little if any attempt to help. It could be a scraper or a brush or a washer for the sprayer, they just can't help, supplier rules who knows who cares , that's why I always keep the door adjar.


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## Derek1157

Yeah, it's hard to make a blanket statement that all SWP's are equal. I think the one I have out here is one of the better ones for sure. The manager used to own her own paint store, so she knows how to connect with the common man while also satisfying her "corporate obligations". They have BBQs sometimes and invite all the regular customers. One thing, SWP makes 99% of their own products, even sundries, so when I ask them to order something for me, they kind of have an advantage over HD or Miller, because those companies have to "buy" their products at wholesale + shipping, then re-sell. SWP has shipments each week to their stores, so I've gotten into the habit of forecasting what I will need and having them order it. They are really good about delivering. I live in an area that's kind of spread out, so my stomping ground is about 40-50 miles. They will deliver anywhere I need it. They keep certain employees staffed just for that purpose. Over the years, the only company that has sought to establish a "relationship" with me is SWP. They want my business and value it. Call me an old softy, but I guess I'm kind of loyal to those who are loyal to me. I always receive a Xmas present from them too! 

I think it depends a lot on Regional requirements too. I knew a guy from Arizona who told me that some people use drywall primer to paint the exterior of their houses!? Wouldn't last a day where I'm at. Only the best (i.e. most expensive) will stand up to sideways rain that feels like bullets, ocean storms, freezing temps during winter, and mold. Everything out here either molds, rusts, or rots. The gimmicky prods that some places offer target homeowners or DIY people who don't know any better. Paint and primer in one? That's primer.......plain and simple. These are only my opinions. Some people may prefer otherwise, but this is based off of my experiences. I wouldn't touch some of these competitor prods with a 10' paint pole.


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