Interior Paint Recommendations

[Fitzy]

Wife and I bought our first home in April and have been getting stuff cleaned up for the past couple weeks. Soon, we'll be at the point where we can begin painting. We're looking at repainting almost the entire upstairs floor of our home ourselves and are going to be dedicating quite a few evenings/weekends to it during May.

I'm fully prepared to pay for quality paint as I know it's better in the long run to do fewer coats initially and have more durability so fewer touch-ups are required. Question is, which paint brands/styles offer great quality without immediately jumping into the grossly expensive stuff? We'll be needing quite a bit, so hoping to save at least a few bucks per gallon without sacrificing quality if possible.

Thanks!

 

[JM4CY]

 

[BCClone]

Stay away from lead paints.

Go to a reputable store and finely out what you want. Probably a semi gloss. Go with a brand like valspar or another well known brand. Darker the color the more coats.

 

[mdk2isu]

We recently bought a house as well, and went with Behr Ultra paints from Home Depot.

 

[JP4CY]

I've had great luck lately with Benjamin Moore paints from Ace.
Eggshell seems to be pretty common finish now.

 

[Gunnerclone]

We’ve always used Baer from Home Depot. Like not the top of the line but one under that.

 

[BCClone]

I've had great luck lately with Benjamin Moore paints from Ace.
Eggshell seems to be pretty common finish now.

Which is easier to clean? Thought semigloss but not positive. If you have kids, that is big.

 

[mdk2isu]

Which is easier to clean? Thought semigloss but not positive. If you have kids, that is big.

For Behr, it is their Satin paints.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

No preference on brands, but at your stage of life, definitely go for washable. Pets and small children will do a number on the lower 1/3 of any wall, and you'll appreciate being able to clean crayon, marker, etc, off the walls easily.

 

[Jacktronic]

Add another vote for Behr paints. Good quality but not exorbitant.

 

[oldman]

Which is easier to clean? Thought semigloss but not positive. If you have kids, that is big.

One of the problems with semi-gloss is that the drywall finish is not always the greatest, especially in residential. Semi-gloss can make imperfections in the finish really stand out -- particularly where light washes along a wall. Just something to consider.

 

[SCNCY]

Last last summer, I renovated my house prior to renting it out. I used Valspar ultra 2000 paint from Lowes and I really liked it. It went on really well.

Prior to moving into my house, I used the Behr Ultra paint from Home Depot. This one was a little more difficult to put on compared to the Valspar.

 

[jcyclonee]

Which is easier to clean? Thought semigloss but not positive. If you have kids, that is big.

Semigloss is too shiny. It shows all the flaws in the wall.
Use satin or eggshell. Flat paint doesn't clean well.

 

[DSMCy]

I honestly don't think you'd notice a difference between Valspar, Behr, Benjamin Moore, etc.Get their mid-tier lines ($30-40/gallon) and you'll be happy.

I'd recommend buying a couple Wooster Shortcut paint brushes. They are amazing when painting the edges/trim.


Edit - not sure why the Amazon link didn't show up. I'll try home depot
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wooster-2-in-Shortcut-Polyester-Angle-Sash-Brush-0Q32110020/100357411

 

[jcyclonee]

We always go with the 2nd best product of a brand that we've heard of.

Here's more advice.

-There's no such thing as a one coat paint.
-That being said, unless you're painting a light color over a dark color, you shouldn't have to do more than two coats.
-You will use less paint with the second coat than the first coat.
-Don't use the cheapest rollers but you shouldn't need the most expensive ones either.

 

[Sparkplug]

Sherwin Williams. Great color selection and great discounts will buying lots of paint

 

[Gonzo]

Painted a lot of rooms and Behr Premium Plus Ultra is all I use. Eggshell finish. As others have said, matte shows too many fingerprints, any more gloss than eggshell highlights imperfections of the drywall. I've used different brands and Behr gives the best coverage. Even though they tout the paint and primer in one I'd still prime the walls with at least one coat, I usually go with Kilz.

 

[ScottyP]

I recommend Behr Ultra from Home Depot with the satin or eggshell finish. Like Gonzo said, prime the walls with one coat even if it is paint/primer in one.

 

[jcyclonee]

Painted a lot of rooms and Behr Premium Plus Ultra is all I use. Eggshell finish. As others have said, matte shows too many fingerprints, any more gloss than eggshell highlights imperfections of the drywall. I've used different brands and Behr gives the best coverage. Even though they tout the paint and primer in one I'd still prime the walls with at least one coat, I usually go with Kilz.

I mostly agree with this but disagree on using primer. We only use it if the wall is in pretty bad shape. When we use it, Kilz does seem pretty good. It also works for ceiling paint touch-ups for that inevitable moment when something overflows upstairs.

 

[austinkay2k7]

Behr will always have a large sale around Memorial Day. Typically $10 off per gallon or $40 off per 5 gallon. I'd recommend satin for a sheen in higher traffic areas where durability and wash-ability are more of a concern, and an eggshell for areas with lower traffic. The higher the sheen, such as semi gloss, the more it shows imperfection in the walls and the more distracting the shine will be. But also the higher the sheen the more durable the paint will be. I'd save the semi gloss for the doors and trim and use satin or lower sheen for walls.