Any time you ask about a specific brand of paint, you are going to get those who say they love it, hate it or are somewhere in the middle. That's just how paint is. Most pros do not like Behr. I have had adhesion issues so I stay away from it. My biggest problem with Behr is that it is sold by Home Depot though. You will never get the kind of service from Home Depot that you would get in a real paint store. Ask a clerk in the paint aisle at Home Depot a painting question and you are very likely to be led astray. Your chances of mistints are greater there because they are just not trained. Does all this matter to a homeowner that just wants some paint? Maybe not, but to some it might. It really depends on what you want from your paint supplier.

paintguy is right about not necesarily getting the knowlegable service...it is HD afterall. I do not know how something could be mistinted though since it seems they just punch numbers in and the computer does the rest...maybe the folks in HD are less carefull than the guys at the paint shop. I admit that I see mistints in HD for $5 a gallon sometimes so it obviously happens. Then again, maybe HD is just better about accepting returns for folks who picked bad colors.

CR ranked Behr # 1 again. I know you'll hear all sorts of stuff about that; you either buy into there testing methods or you do not. Personally I take things with a grain of salt but I do fill out my questionaire every year so when I see charts based on consumer experience, I put more faith in that stuff. You can read and make your own decisions.

I used Behr to paint my entire 2000sq ft home when I moved in. My experience was that colors matched the sample I chose from (not to say sometimes we chose bad colors / ie made bad decisions). Sure I'd have like to return that particular color tha did not work for us and maybe some folks do but thats not the paint's fault. I did good prep work, used good quality brushes and rollers and I have had no adhesion issues, fading issues etc etc. I did 2 coats on everything, maybe SW/BM covers in one but the pros always say for best results use 2 anyway. My experience is with the Eggshell finish and I would use it again. I found the semi gloss I used for trim a little difficult but I have also read semi gloss is more difficult for a novice anyway.

If in doubt and doing only a small room spend the $50 on a gallon of SW or BM if you can afford it...hell you'll have braggin rights too...kind of like the folks who own a Lexus over a Toyota. Of course those $50 gallons add up if doing an entire home. In that case I'd try a gallon of Behr in one room and see what you think.

Some day I'd actually like to try a gallon of BM or SW. In fact we are doing out basement now so maybe I will give it a go and see if I have been missing anything.

I don't like Behr because it is thick and gooey, thus so difficult to work with; it feels like you are spreading glue on the wall. No one should have to expend that much energy rolling out paint. Plus, you end up using tons of paint (reads waste money) because the stuff won't spread. The color also dries dull and flat.

When you work with a smooth creamy paint like P&L Accolade or F&B painting seems effortless. And the color is unbelievable.

My neighbor knocked on my door some weeks after the painting was completed on my last house to say she could not help but notice when I turned the lights on in the evening how beautiful the colors were through the windows--would I mind sharing the name of colors I used?

Whether guests in my home or a delivery person at my front door, people could not stop commenting on the rich and beautiful P&L Accolade colors in my last home. When we sold the home 8 months ago, the new buyer kept walking from room to room remarking on the beautiful colors. That home sold in 3 days--despite in this horrible real estate market--I believe because of the colors.

Its not just paint, it color. And nothing in our environment evokes more powerful emotions than color.

Good quality paint is good quality color.

Oh on the exterior of that home was BM oil base. Could not beat it for standing up to humidity and heat in Houston.

BTW, I'm a subscriber to Consumer Reports but I don't listen to what they have to say on paint and washer and dryers.

The professional painters I know prefer (not necessarily in this order): P&L, BM, SW, Dulux, Pittsburg, and California.

None of the professionals like Behr or Glidden or any of the paints from the home improvement stores. For them it comes down to how well the paint spreads, covers, splatters, and looks when it dries. If it difficult to work with and slows them down, they lose money. It it doesn't cover well, it makes for additional work. It it splatters all over them, they are miserable on the job. If it dries looking crappy, the client is unhappy and they don't get referrals.

another opinion I see, I still reccomend trying Behr. Mine was not gooey - I had no problems. I said this before, knowing some prof / union painters who get a nice discount at BM / SW / MAB etc...they get no discount at HD. You are billed $40+ a gallon and they pay what you would at HD. I am alos told prep is the most important part of the job...with good prep even lower grade paint will look good. If you wish to judge wearability...look at the CR testing.

I am not saying BM /SW etc is bad, just that Behr is no where as bad as folks make it sound....try it for yourself.

As far as CR, hey they can be wrong sure....but if you give me a choice between a Toyota and a Chrysler I am taking the CR better rated Toyota everytime...and there is a better chance it was made here in the USA. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on the paint as well since it worked wonderfully for me in the past.

Ive been CR subscriber for years. CR gives top ratings on a lot of products that are really poor quality. I purchased the Behr because CR gave it a good ratingÂafter I used it I never took CRÂs recommendation on paint again.

When I personally painted the interior of my home with Behr paint, I found gallon after gallon of Behr to be thick and gooey and very difficult to spread. And the colors all dried very dull and flat. I wasted money for extra paint because the stuff does not spread well; plus wasted extra energy and time painting.

WeÂve purchased four homes in the past 10 years; IÂve tried just about every major brand of paint; without a doubt there are far more superior paints available on the market to Behr.

Most folks here know that I am a color consultant of the architectural kind. I negotiate contracts for my clients. I am their advocate. Sometimes they choose the painter, sometimes they use mine. Whichever doesn't matter to me, I work for them. I specify all the wants and desires for sheens and colors, color placement, etc.

I can tell you under no uncertain terms that painters do not make a living by marking up cans of paint. It kind of makes me giggle that people really think that! lol! The cost of a paint job is in the labor, not the paint. Even when the designer brands of paint are involved, you are looking at maybe an extra nickle or two per square -- yep, I said a nickle or two. It's the 25 ft. foyers or the five color changes that's going to significnatly affect the bottom line on the quote, not whether you choose to use three gallons of Behr or three gallons of Sherwin Williams.

Pricing and comparing paint cost of gallon to cost of gallon is not the most accurate way to do it any way. Pricing it out per square *paints* a more realistic view. (pun intended :D)

This is easy to prove out on one's own. Simply ask for two quotes from the painter you are considering. One that itemizes quantity and specific product(s) needed for your project and the other without. Then go price the ALL product(s) needed yourself. Even ask for a discount like the painters get. It's not unheard of for, SW as an example, to give homeowners 20% especially if buying some volume.

Do the math.

Buying a quart of Behr to try out first is a really good idea. Even better is to let it cure and try to paint over it and see what you think.

Doesn't take much to figure any of this out on your own. Most important is to compare apples to apples and make sure you are dealing with solid facts and real numbers.

None of the professionals like Behr or Glidden or any of the paints from the home improvement stores. For them it comes down to how well the paint spreads, covers, splatters, and looks when it dries. If it difficult to work with and slows them down, they lose money. It it doesn't cover well, it makes for additional work. It it splatters all over them, they are miserable on the job. If it dries looking crappy, the client is unhappy and they don't get referrals.

There you go,well said.

Behr paint is just OK. Given the choice, I'd buy Valspar @ Lowes instead.
My arguments FOR using "better" paint (not arguments AGAINST Behr, necessarily) are as follows-
First, most DIY paint projects are one to three gallon jobs. Most people I know don't have the time to paint large open areas like foyers or two story great rooms, let alone the confidence to take on a job like that. So, if you are painting your kitchen, bedroom, or the like, the difference in price between Behr and say, SW or BM's mid-level products (BM Regal being my choice in that category) is no more than $15 per gallon. If you are committing the time to a DIY job, why not get a product that will make the job go easier?
That leads me to the fact that better paint will most likely make the end result look more professional. In bigger color changes you will probably get away with one less coat of "Better" paint than of Behr-I'm not saying that you can do any job right with one coat, but Behr might very well take three to cover properly as compared to BM Regal's two. Better paint is easier to work with, which helps compensate for inexperienced painters' techniques (or lack of knowledge).
My first home was a 1936 colonial that needed paint on every inch of walls/ceiling/trim in the entire house. I was flat broke after closing on the house, so I started with Behr paint on my home depot card. All of the trim in the house was PLUM, which I wanted to paint white. The Behr primer and white semi-gloss was simply not capable of covering the plum even after multiple coats. Frustrated, I stumbled into the local BM store where I got good advice and the products I needed to get the job done right and in a lot less time. My experience with SW stores has been good as well, although I prefer BM's products.

Years ago as a DIY painter - whole house and trim. I got a few gallons of Behr and it was frustrating to paint with and lifted in places - however, that definitely could have been a poor prep job on my part. I have also heard the BEhr I used is not the Behr of today. I moved on to OSH - not sure what their premium brand is? I had no problem with it and found some great colors - The staff consistently remixed a favorite color for me many, many times. Had my master bedroom professionally painted in SW premium finish - the velvet finish or something like that. It was gorgeous, at first - within a year it was lifting off in places. Painter used a good quality primer so something was wrong.

Just did a whole house rebuild and have a chronic illness that kept me from painting this time - though I have plans to do some additional American Clay walls on my own once my illness in more managed. I love to paint - I find it very meditative. My painter is kind of an old school guy - he has no use for Aura paint and the "outrageous price, nothing wrong with the standard BM paint - I've been using it for years!" LOL I however, love some Aura - Affinity colors - so he has grumpily bought it for me - obviously he is not trying to make money off my paint choice - the cost in painting is the labor pure and simple. I also won't tell him but I do see a difference in the "depth" of color with the Aura - in some ways it makes it more difficult to choose colors because the color changes more in different light than an other paint I have seen - but I love that.

I think it often comes down to using the paint on your own and seeing how it goes. Also the skill of the painter - I think a lot of poor prep jobs are blamed on bad paint.

It surprises me someone would prefer Valspar to Behr. I have to paint many layers with Valspar and it is so thin it drips easily. Behr has never been gooey, goes on nicely. Pratt and Lambert is the easiest to use, it goes on thick and clean. I was able to apply white over dark orange in one coat (although I added a second for good measure). Worst paint I've ever used is Sears followed by Valspar.

None of the professionals like Behr or Glidden or any of the paints from the home improvement stores.

None of the professionals in Calgal59's town maybe (or maybe not), but I can tell you that my contactor asked me to choose Glidden paints (P&L was his second choice), and my daughter's contractor told her he preferred Behr.

It's like anything else......ask your neighbors to recommend a good veterinarian, and you'll probably get the same disparity in responses.

First of all, Consumer Reports rates Behr highly because they factor value (price) into their testing. They always rank Sears appliances over the likes of Bosch and from what I've seen (my parents have a subscription), they don't even bother rating Miele or other high end products. Not saying Kenmore is junky, as they are just other brands sold under that label, but saying a $400 Kenmore washer with limited options is superior a Bosch with many options is kind of silly.

I don't care about price, I care about quality and consistency (both the physical feel of the paint and the likelihood of repeat purchases being of equal quality). I happily pay $60 for Benjamin Moore Aura because the quality of the color is superior and it is a joy for a DIYer to work with.

look, if you can afford $60 a gallon, go for it. If you can not I doubt you will be dis-satified with Behr. If you are thrify or on the cusp of affording $60 but hate to pay extra (ie the guy/gal who can afford a Lexus but would be happy with a Toyota and banking the bucks saved) then o buy a gallon of each and see if you feel the BM/SW etc is worth an extra $30 a gallon multiplied by how many gallon you need...it that simple.

DH and I are happy with the Behr paint we used in the rec room, the Valspar we used in the kitchen, and the SW we used in the dining room and bathrooms.

I go along with the "try a sample" group. But not the "sample" you get to try a color--those don't have bonding agents and are not regular paint.

I've wandered over here from the decorating forum because I'm trying to decide what color to paint two walls in my living room and happened to read this thread. I'm very puzzled that some people have had such bad results with the Behr Premium Interior Paint which has been used all throughout our home. The previous owners had painted the house throughout with Cozy Cottage (which I selected) and the walls looked great. A few months later we decided to paint over two of the rooms, one in a soft green color and another in terra cotta red, again using Behr Premium. My husband is a novice painter and had no problem at all, the paint went on smoothly and easily, and the coverage was so good that he used only one coat. I wonder if the paint behaves differently in a high-humidity area. Our climate is very dry. At any rate, the paint job was completely problem-free. I can't make a comparison in terms of the quality of the color except to say we're very happy with both, and I'm a very color-conscious person and my husband is an artist who paints in oils. The whole question of the disagreement on the quality is very puzzling, but fortunately we all have the option of choosing among a varied selection of paint companies.

...and then there are those who have never driven a Lexus to know why it is different from a Toyota. If you don't know any better when it comes to paint, then you really aren't missing anything.

...and then there are the people who just don't see it, or get if, if given the opportunity to choose Lexus over Toyota.

Really, no one cares. It's paint. The best thing to do is stick with what you know and want and that makes you happy. Or, go experiment and decide for your own self so you can *know* for yourself and ignore all the chatter back-n-forth.

I chimed in because I think it's really unfair to painters to lob out there that they are intentionally marking up cans of paint to the point that's been implied. I said painters aren't making a living by being paint resellers. If selling paint was where they could make a living do you think any of them would actually paint?

They make a living based on their skills and knowledge. Some are better at their craft than others and it is true that some are better businesspeople. The better craftsmen will quote your job based on how much labor will be involved and how much of their time your job is going to take. Time and work. Not paint. Paint doesn't matter in the grand scheme.

I've found the less confident painters, the painters who do lesser amounts of high-end residential, commercial, and industrial work use the margin they get on a gallon to help them win jobs. They make it look like their cost for time and work is less than the next guy by using the delta on whatever margin they may get from the paint stores to help cover their landed costs.

The bottom line is no different, folks. You will pay a painter what he's worth plain and simple. It all comes out in the wash -- smaller crews to bigger crews -- small volume guys to the poster child for a brand boys. At the end of the day, you are going to pay what it costs for their particular skillset, their time, their effort. Now, the core of this is client agreeing with the painter about how much the painter's skill, time, and effort are worth -- that's another discussion.

If a little monkeying around with the numbers, shifting a few hundred bucks from the time and effort bottom line to somewhere else that isn't itemized out to the last cent makes you feel better and helps them get your job, do ya think it matters to them? Nope. They're going to make sure they are getting paid what they need to cover their overhead. As they should. No one is going to paint for someone and lose money doing it.

The painters who are honest, savvy businessmen concerned about their reputation and neighborhood spin often don't monkey with itemized paint quotes. You're going to get a price and as long as you don't step too far outside the box to stuff like Fine Paint of Europe, or Farrow & Ball, or some specialized treatment, or prep, etc., their price for their work is what it's going to cost you to hire a professional painter, not a professional schlepper of paint.

Fairness matters. Compare apples to apples and work with real numbers, not arbitrary pulled-out-of-someone's hat numbers.

well I have driven a lexus and a toyota and my opinion there is NOT a difference in the two. The only difference in the two is the overly priced Lexus- Talk S-class Mercedes , now there is a difference.

Once again, IMO as far as Behr premium interior paint, it is fine to work with and looks good on walls. Most of the time ALL YOU HERE is the lack of educated staff working behind the paint counters; well folks that happens at your individual paint stores also. Granted not as much.

Some very good savy contractors do monkey around with the numbers- that's why some of them are where they are and yes some do MARK UP. A reply from JUST ONE IS "I buy what I need, mark it up, and pass it on to the customer". So believe it or not , there are some good savy contractors out there to make a honest living and also to skin people. I am in the painting world and I hear it all the time. The thing one needs to rely on is checking references and seeing their work .

Another example of INDIVIDUAL paint staff competence- a problem written down so that each word could be relayed the same and got a different answer from 3 people at 4 different ICI stores only two gave the same reply for addressing the issue; the same was addressed to 3 SW stores and again 3 different answers.

There are cheap, good, better, best in paints - just like there are in paint stores and contractor reputations. I'm not trying to down good reputal painters because hey I fit in this category, but truth is truth and some people "just can't handle the truth".

So comparing apples to apples Behr interior is just as good or egual to some of the other paints; granted there are some that fit in the best category, but then you are looking at a Mercedes - not a Lexus and not a Toyota

Wow, I'm amazed at the response that this question has been getting. I get the point now, and my first room will be Behr, 2nd will be SW and the 3rd will BM. I'll see how it goes. Thank you all.

Wow, I'm amazed at the response that this question has been getting. I get the point now, and my first room will be Behr, 2nd will be SW and the 3rd will BM. I'll see how it goes. Thank you all.

Please, please, start a new thread when you have finished and let us know.

commuted with a Lexus 3 times week...a little nicer ride and readio...body style / plastics etc not that much different....but if you pay more you may think its better....point is Toyota is very fine quality car that will do no one wrong. Want a few more niceties get the Lexus...but do not kid yourself that you are getting a safer or mechanically superior vehicle...perhaps the same is true with Behr paint vs SW / BM....

Years ago, I used a Behr semi transparent stain on my redwood deck. It was a disaster and I swore I would never use a Behr product again. I became a fan of Benjamin Moore. About a year or so ago, I went to BM for some exterior latex semi gloss paint that I had previously used and had held up great. I was shocked at the price. On a friends suggestion I went to HD and they matched the BM color perfectly and I applied the Behr exterior gloss latex. It went on great, and has held up very well. I also tried a Behr solid stain for some benches I made and now a year later, they look great as well. I am quite pleased with the Behr, especially the low price during discount periods.

I have used Valspar, Behr, and even Sears Easy Living and have been satisfied. Over Christmas break we painted the kitchen with BM Regal in Pearl finish. I can say that I am a BM convert. The paint just spread so easily, it had little odor, and it dried extremely quickly, which is really helpful in December.

I live in Canada and am generally not terribly interested in anything Masco pushes through HD Canada but I thought some of the misconceptions about Consumer Reports deserved some clarification. Value is not a criteria in Consumers' product ratings but it is factored in when they make their "Best Buy" recommendations. Consumers' does not evaluate matte or flat finishes they only look at "low-lustre" and "semi-gloss" (companies are ranked differently in the categories depending on how their product performed). I'm not saying their rankings are correct but they deserve to be considered in relation to what they actually evaluate not what people think they evaluate.

Never ventured over here before (mostly a Kitchens person) and I have to say it has been very informative. We used BM Aura in my Mom's kitchen because she wanted a flat finish (it has been great) but at $70 Canadian I'm on the hunt for something cheaper and manufactured in Canada. I also have never had anything less than great service at a BM store.