It was just after Christmas in 2013 when I got the itch to repaint my home. My children were going to be gone four days, which signaled the perfect time to paint inside. As I said though, it was the week after Christmas, so hubby made sure that if I was going to take it on, there had to be a budget.
First of all, I wasn’t aware there were so many differences in paint quality; I had always just gone with the more expensive paint, by default, never realizing how much time and money you end up wasting, by selecting the cheapest available.
The comment I heard on HGTV pretty well sums it all up: “Don’t paint a beautiful color with cheap paint.”
So now, less than a year and a half later, I hate everything about the walls inside our home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still head over heels for the color, but the cheap paint definitely proved it is not meant for a home with an active family of three children. Here I am, less then two years later, and everything needs to be repainted.
One thing I did learn about cheap paint is that everything stays with it; as in stains, fingerprints, spills, splatters, and even the marks from the rag I use when trying to clean those said spots off.
I now champion the saying, “cheaper is not better.” This could not be any truer than with paint. Thus, in my true fashion, I am on a mission to help everyone else keep from making the same costly mistake.
By searching the Internet and reading reviews and professional opinions on the many different brands of interior house paint, I submit to you a select few, any of which will give your walls the long life of luster you are looking for.
Behr Marquee Interior: $43 per gallon
This particular line is a top rated paint and can be purchased from Home Depot. It goes above and beyond at hiding old paint and is quite impressive at resisting stains; but it lacks smoothness. Behr Marquee cleans up great, but overly aggressive cleaning tends to change the sheen.
Valspar Reserve: $34 per gallon
Valspar makes a superb paint. It is great for hiding old paint and also quite impressive at resisting stains. It holds up very well against cleaning and the sheen does not change; however, it is not as smooth as some.
Behr Premium plus Ultra: $34 per gallon
Once again, Behr proves it is great for hiding old paint. This particular line is actually quite smooth, but not as great on hiding stains.
Benjamin Moore Aura: $54 per gallon
The Aura line is quite expensive. It is great at hiding old paint and left a smooth finish, but it lacked in being able to resist stains and some aggressive cleaning changed the sheen quite a bit.
Valspar Signature: $34 per gallon
The Valspar Signature line is my personal favorite. This paint is on my kid’s walls and I’ve also used it before in the kitchen. It is great at hiding the old paint and at resisting stains. However, my father did not have the same experience I did. This paint has proven to be great at cleaning and holding the sheen, but it does not give the smoothest finish. But I believe investing in better rollers can eliminate most of this problem.
The reality is to always do your homework before you buy paint and figure out what is most important for the area to be painted. All of the paints listed are self-priming and low is VOCs. Here’s to me never making this costly mistake again. Happy painting!
April Sherrill is a staff writer for the Hamilton County Herald. Contact her at april@dailydata.com.