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Paint Design Dilemma

Contractor Quoted Sherwin WIlliams Interior Paint BUT...

December 2, 2019

Kitchen and main floor Reno’s going on here and our contractor (in the contract) quotes Sherwin Williams paint, but the gang is ready to start tomorrow and there are gallons of Behr paint ready to go!?

Does anyone know if Sherwin WIlliams is better than Behr to vice versa?

Appreciate everyone’s expertise and help!

Sincerely,

John C

DUNDAS ON CANADA

Comments (11)

PRO
Beth H. :
I've used Behr for years and haven't had one issue w/their paint. If you already have the color you want sitting there, why wouldn't you use it?

your contractor gets a discount when he goes to SW. But if you don't need to buy paint (since you have the Behr) why not just use it?
December 2, 2019
latifolia
It seems the issue is the painter contracted to use SW paint and then went and bought Behr. Most brands have more than one level of paint, so which one did your contract specify and what did he buy?

I used Behr once twenty years ago. It was so awful I haven’t touched it since. We only use BM or SW, and go with their premium grades.

Labor is the majority of painting cost, so using lesser quality paint does not make sense to me.
December 2, 2019
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PRO
Beth H. :
ah, thank you latifolia. I misread that.

Maybe they got orders mixed up??

double check w/the contractor and see what happened. If you're paying for SW (which BTW, is having a 30%-off sale at the moment) then you need to be compensated for the diff. (if you go w/the Behr)

I've used it throughout my home (as well as BM) and have never had issues with it at all. I've painted w/pretty much every paint under the sun and like Behr. Unless you're getting a deep, saturated color, there really isn't much diff.

John, did you pick your color from the SW color deck? if so, and Behr did a color match, it may not be exactly the same. So before committing to having all the walls painted, have them try a sample of the Behr (if you plan on using it) and see how it looks once dry.
December 2, 2019last modified: December 2, 2019
Denita
^Agree with this. If SW is in your contract and IF you elect to allow the contractor to continue with the Behr, then you are due a refund/credit for the difference in the paint. Or have the builder replace with the SW paint specified. Contact the builder now, before the painter starts. Make sure you have pics of the paint that is actually on the property. Date stamped. Document everything. Hopefully it won't be an issue, but it's like insurance: better to have it and not need it then to not have it at all.
December 2, 2019last modified: December 2, 2019
PRO
myricarchitect
There are different grades of SW paint, you would have to know which type was in the quote and what is being substituted to compare. If the quote only said ”Sherwin Williams paint” it could mean the lowest cost contractor grade stuff like Promar 700.
December 2, 2019
jonio
Consumer Reports consistently ranks Behr paint the highest. It’s my number one choice, and while I also like SW, Behr is my favorite.
December 2, 2019
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
I happen to like Behr I have no idea what grade of paint was specified so you need to get on that right now. In my biz I specify the paint brand and color and too bad if the painter doesn’t get his kick back which usually is the case for using a different brand.
December 3, 2019
wannabath
This is a useless debate not knowing which SW paint was specified and which Behr paint is being used.

The majority of the issues is with applying the paint so that should be a non issue as you not the one rolling it on.
December 3, 2019
johnjmc
Appreciate everyone's valuable feedback; much obliged! Unfortunately the contract only mentions 'Sherwin-Williams' but the paint on site (Note: we are located in Canada so not sure if there are different names here or not) is 'Behr Premium Plus'...
December 3, 2019last modified: December 3, 2019
w0lley32
Behr Premium Plus is not a bad paint. I used it a few times and had no problems with it. It is probably superior to SW Promar line that your painter would have likely used.
December 3, 2019
mackdolan
The best paint is the one that your painter likes and has experience using. Forcing them to change to one they don’t like usually ends up with poorer results.
December 3, 2019

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