I know, these “what brand is best” discussions can turn into a real battle. But curious what many of the guys feel is the best exterior Paint. I’ll be painting a mixture of old/some new replaced wood clapboards. I’ve been meticulouse about prep, taking it down to barewood wherever any peeling/chipping was evident. I was planning on going over any bare wood with an oil base primer and finishing with a latex topcoat.
I don’t care about spending a bit extra…I just like there to be a reason. I was leaning towards the newer Valspar Duramax from Lowes…also considering the Sherwin Williams premium Paint(forget the name).
thoughts?
Replies
Benjamin Moore is another one to consider. I've been using their paints for 30 years on this house, and never been disappointed. For exterior we use their alkyd primer and satin latex paint.
The 'best" exterior paint is the second coat applied over the best prep job you can do with a really good coat of primer.
I realize prep is important. Read what i wrote....my question was a request for the best brand of paint.
Well used the high line Benjamin Moore exterior latex (Satin) of Ben Moore alkyd penetrating primer after scraping all old paint down to wood clapboards and trim. 5 years and still going strong.I wouldn't think twice about Ben Moore products. But with exterior, it's all about prepping and two-coats.Painted my rental house (asbestos cement siding) two years ago. Painter used Tnemic brand primer (epoxy primer) and Sherwin Williams Duration and it still looks as good as the day it was finished. I have no doubt it'll be a 12-15 year paint job.
Read what I wrote too. There is no such thing as a single "best" brand of paint. There are lots of good quality paints out there but what's best in one application won't be best in another. Even among paint brands there are many types of paints and sheens. What's best for stucco could be the worst for clapboards, what's great in Maine could be horrible in Arizona. You'll get better information for your application at a local paint store.
How about just go down to your local Sherwin Williams store, ask to speak with the manager (most knowledgeable) and use what they recommend.
Isn't that what I said? Sherwin Williams would be fine as would Benjamin Moore, Duron or any of the other national brands. Even a local paint store could give him specific advice that would help.
Which is a good point: The best brand of paint is very likely what's carried by a local store that caters to professional painters.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Florida,
I read what you wrote. Consumer Reports would disagree, as would I and most professional painters...I have discovered after some lengthy review. There ARE better brands. I'm not sure if there is unequivocally a BEST brand. But there certainly are better brands. I was just curious what the guys/pros were using out there.
Prep is vital. Arguably the most important aspect of a paint job. And its a helluva lot of work to do to not use one of the Better brand paints.
I didn't say there weren't better brands, I said there was no "best" brand which was what you asked. And once again, having painted many hundreds of thousands of square feet of exterior walls, prep and primer matter more than any particular brand.
Florida, what would you consider the better brands?
I'm trying to squuuueeeeze this outta ya. I'm with ya, I agree wholeheartedly that the prep work is vital to an exterior paint job. I learned this the hard way, trust me. My first paint job on my house 12 years ago took me 3 times to get right. And now, I work my butt off in prep. It takes me weeks just to get one side of my house ready for paint...sanding, scraping, priming, caulking, (NEVER any power washing)etc....the LAST thing I wanted to do was to spend all this time prepping my clapboards and hit is w/ a paint that isn't the best available.
You sound like you have a helluva lot of experience...I'm interested in hearing your opinion on brands.
I'm hearing Sherwin Williams over and over so that is where I'm leaning. But I'd be interested in hearing an opinion from someone w/ your level of experience.
In general you won't go wrong using the top of the line of either SW or BM. Many of the others come and go.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
I started out years ago using Dupont and Pittsburg because that's what was sold. When I moved to Florida I used a local brand for 30 years until about 3 years ago when they were bought up by Sherwin Williams. Now I use SW because they are are in the same storefronts as the old stores were. But I used pretty much all of them over the years including Walmart paint when Consumer's Report rated them best. Walmart paint was okay but too much of a PITA to buy so only used it once or twice. If I'm not going by SW I'll buy Glidden or Behr from one of the big boxes. your prepping story is right up my ally. I had a 1930's clapboard house that had been paint so much I had to use a chisel to get to the wood. it was cracked and flaking so I went all out on prep. After several months of torching, scrapping and sanding I decided there had to be a better way. I mixed Red Devil lye with wall paper paste to make it thick, slopped it on the claps with a big brush and let it set for 10 minutes or so. While I was waiting I mixed a gallon of muriatic acid in a 5 gallon bucket of hot water, dropped in the chemical injector and went at the claps with 3000 psi. The paint came off like icing off a cake and the acid neutralized the lye. It left the claps pretty hairy so after it dried a few days I put on a good coat of oil based primer. The primer stiffened the hairs and I could take a sanding block and smooth the claps in about 2 passes. I followed that with 2 latex top coats. We lived in the house another 16 or 17 years and I never had to repaint.
"Lead" icing unfortunately.
Jeff
Of course you're right but ignorance was bliss back then. I might do the same thing today but I'd put plenty of tarps down.
wow good story Florida.
My house was built around 1900. Old Michigan/cobblestone foundation(word of advice...don't buy an old home unless you really like rotted wood and finding creative ways to fix and get to framing that needs help ;)
Well, about 12 years ago, when I first painted my house...first shot, I followed what I read in the books-get the "loose" stuff off, followup with a latex primer because of course, Latex paints have come a long way in improvement and are now "just as good" as the oil primers.
Months later, I see some paint chipping off. I figured I didn't get enough of the paint off...so I scrap more, sand and feather...more diligently this time. Follow with Latex primer.
Still no good. Paint still chipping.
3rd try...ALL the paint comes off. Heat guns, Porter Cable power stripper(looks like a router with a sanding disc on the end of it)...and THIS TIME I use an OIL PRIMER because thats what my gut told me along with any of the old painters I've ever talked to.
12 years and honestly, my house could go another 5 without many passer by's ever noticing. But some spots were starting to look bad and I thought it would be a good opportunity to replace the old clapboards that were cracked or too weathered to really accept much more paint...plus, I am down to ONE place in my area that can even get me the old 1/2" x 6" cedar clapboards. Figure I better replace them before I am in my workshop trying to devise a jig for my planer to make clapboards.
The other day, friend stops by...sees all the work and recalls what I did 12 years ago and says, "Why not just put vinyl up and save yourself all the trouble?" I wanted to strangle him ;)
Thanks for listening, guys. Hopefully someone found my story amusing ;)
Edited 6/10/2009 9:21 am ET by Woodk
Well firstly I must agree with DanH and the others. Sherwin W Just fantastic, either Duration or Super. And you will do well with Old Ben M as well. Fine paints of europe makes a fantastic Pigment, and lots of Solids in thier product, but not always so very common and a bit difficult to sell to some customers. And so very true PREP,PREP,PREP and PRIME. The Porter Cable tool is good but the PAINT SHAVERis great.... And to all please remember the new regulations regarding LEAD certification coming to a town near you all to soon.....
I bet you would get a lot of opinions on your Q with these forums .http://www.painterforum.com/yabbse/index.phphttp://www.painttalk.com/?gclid=CIHV3dfjgJsCFQdN5QodlGRMdA
I've been a BM man for a long time and back 15-20 years ago when oil was king, they were definitely best.but since the latex revolution, I have been more impressed with SW. My BIL is a top notch painter and he has gone from BM to SW for the exterior also.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Sherwin Williams Duration or Superpaint are my first choice for exterior paint.Karl
This stuff is the best but Uber expensive.
http://www.finepaintsofeurope.com/
I've had good luck with Sherwin Williams Duration as well as the Ben Moore line. I should say that's in the northeast.
I'm pretty impressed with sherwin williams duration paint. Rrepainted the house 7 years ago and now have some trim areas that have rot issues due to some gutter problems. The paint has held up extremely well, so well in fact that after a good washing there are many areas that it would be silly to paint over. The body color on the house if fine, hardiplank siding, and no sign of chaulking like the previous paint had after only 5 years. I will be replacing the damaged trim, and spot painting the areas that are failing due to what appears to be poor prep prior to repainting last time.
The duration paint that applied to properly prepped surfaces appears to be holding up extremely well.
My father painted for 25 years.
When I got a couple exterior painting jobs myself, (out here West Coast--he in Midwest) he told me to go to Sherwin Williams, open an account and ask them anything.
He was right.
The products keep changing but I've used mostly SuperPaint and Duration.
Both are great paints.
The others, as you know, are correct about prepwork. It wouldn't matter what you put over bad prep. Can't go wrong with oil primer too.
Pat
I used Ben Moore 10yrs ago on my clapboard...the finishwas faded but lasted 8yrs before I decided to paint the house again. With that said I agree w/other posters that doing the proper prep work is critical to any paint you may use.