Consumer Reports' top 5 paints, plus how to choose the best paint for your home.
Choosing paint colors is hard enough, but these days consumers have to choose between dozens of paint brands, with different quality levels within those brands.There is price.Will you get better paint if you pay $100 a gallon instead of $30?It is as confusing as choosing between Paper White and Whisper White.
Hardware store brands made up four of the top five interior and exterior paints tested by Consumer Reports.We know you don't have to buy a premium brand to get great paint.The cheapest paints did not make it into the top five.
Rico De Paz is the paint-testing program leader at Consumer Reports.Staying away from the most inexpensive brands at most retailers is probably a good idea.
Consumer Reports tested 21 paints and came up with the top five.The prices were obtained online.Valspar was bought by Sherwin-Williams in June.
If you want to choose among the top-rated paints, you could go for the lowest price.The Premium Plus Enamel costs $12 less per gallon than the Marquee interior paint.Painting is one of the cheapest home improvement projects.A gallon of paint can cover 400 square feet.It is possible to take price into account, but maybe not at the top of your decision tree.
What is the most important factor?De Paz said that consumers should start with the best-performing paints, but then look among those to select the paint that has the most performance for their particular project.
If you are painting over a dark wall, you will want a paint that covers well.If you are painting a basement bathroom, make sure it is resistant to mold.If you worry about chemicals, you should look for a paint with low or no volatile organic compounds.Consumer Reports says many low-VOC paints perform well.
You should not choose a paint brand based on color.De Paz said that it is possible to match almost any color to the point where the human eye can't tell the difference.The upscale British company Farrow & Ball is famous for its colors.Consumer Reports rated that paint very good, but not as good as the top five.Hardware store clerks were asked to match Farrow & Ball colors with their own paints.It was within 1 percent.
An online color matching tool can be used to find an equivalent color by a different company.The tool was at color-swatches.com.I used the search feature under "Our Services" to type in Norway Spruce by Benjamin Moore.There was an option to convert to another brand once that color came up.The two swatch looked remarkably similar after I asked for a match.The sheen of the paint can vary, which can make the color look different.A test patch on your own wall is important.
You need a plan after choosing a great paint.Consumer Reports has suggestions for making your painting project more efficient.
If you are painting over a dark color, choose a paint that is good for hiding and should cover it in one coat.The top five interior paints are rated excellent for covering.