Paint’s Brand is Overrated! Here is Why You Should Not Pay Too Much Attention on Them

You don’t have to use the most expensive paint to get the best result. That is our answer when a friend or customer asked us about interior paint brands. Based on our experience as professional residential painters in Melbourne, most of the time paint from hardware store brands could give us great finish which on par with more expensive brands. But of course terms and conditions applied. In this article we will explain what are those conditions and some tips that might help you choose the right paint!

In order to know one brand quality, we have to test it. But we don’t have to do all the hard work because companies like Consumer Reports and the Good Housekeeping Institute have already done that for us. They look for the most important traits in consumers’ opinion, then test paint quality based on those traits. Can your paint cover old colors easily? What about standing up under repeated scrubbing and years of summer sunlight? How well does it resist mold and mildew?

The test results are a little shocking. They regularly show that hardware store brands rank on par with premium brands. But, here is the interesting part, they also prove that the cheapest paints don’t perform as well as the pricier ones. So, while spending more money doesn’t always get you better quality paint, spending on the cheapest paint is also not ideal. If you for some reasons have to buy the cheapest of the bunch, check the ratings first.

And, in a home renovation project, painting is one of the cheapest expenses. You could cover up 400 square feet with one gallon of paint. So, the price probably shouldn’t weigh in at the top of your list of determinants. So, what is the most important factor? The answer is the paint type! For example, if you’re repainting a dark wall, it is better to go for a paint that covers well in one coat. If you’re redoing a basement bathroom, consider mildew resistance. If you’re sensitive to chemicals, use a paint with low or no volatile organic compounds.

As for color, it’s not that hard to match just about any color or hue today. Even you could match paints that cost $100 a gallon. All you have to do is take a paint swatch or color chip to a hardware store, and the store clerks will use their software to find an equivalent that’s a 90 percent or better match — close enough to fool anyone’s eye.

The only things you need to watch out is the sheen. Companies could make similar colors but their sheen might vary, as a result the final result might look different. This is why it’s important to paint a test patch on your wall before you buy.