Paint Ain’t Cheap No More

[Nightclub Dwight]

Oh, and that $32 gallon of Valspar at Lowes is Sherwin-Williams paint.

Not really. There is a huge difference between what you get at a big box store and what you get at a paint store, even if the brand name is the same.

Sherwin Williams might have manufactured it, I don't know, but it is definitely inferior to the high end Sherwin Williams line of Emerald or Duration that you would get at the Sherwin Williams store.

I speak from experience, not from a paid position within the company.

All paint will paint. Some paint will paint better than the other paint. Go with the better choice. It will be easier to apply, it will last longer and it will look better. Plus, why save chump change when the major cost is labor?

 

[Red Ryder]

Not really. There is a huge difference between what you get at a big box store and what you get at a paint store, even if the brand name is the same.

Sherwin Williams might have manufactured it, I don't know, but it is definitely inferior to the high end Sherwin Williams line of Emerald or Duration that you would get at the Sherwin Williams store.

I speak from experience, not from a paid position within the company.

All paint will paint. Some paint will paint better than the other paint. Go with the better choice. It will be easier to apply, it will last longer and it will look better. Plus, why save chump change when the major cost is labor?

I see it all the time, people spending a dollar after trying to save a dime.

 

[scrapyardblue]

I see it all the time, people spending a dollar after trying to save a dime.

Wait, what? So the person paying $200 for a concert ticket is a fool (I don't), but the one spending $16,850 in labor to paint a 3,200 sq ft house should just pay because the painter has to make a buck?

 

[scrapyardblue]

Not really. There is a huge difference between what you get at a big box store and what you get at a paint store, even if the brand name is the same.

Sherwin Williams might have manufactured it, I don't know, but it is definitely inferior to the high end Sherwin Williams line of Emerald or Duration that you would get at the Sherwin Williams store.

I speak from experience, not from a paid position within the company.

All paint will paint. Some paint will paint better than the other paint. Go with the better choice. It will be easier to apply, it will last longer and it will look better. Plus, why save chump change when the major cost is labor?

I agree with this up to a point. For sure, the highest end paint at Sherwin-Williams is better paint than the paint Sherwin-Williams makes for Lowes. They are both good paints, however.

I painted my new house with S-W paint 24 years ago. If it wasn't the best they had, it was right up there. Good stuff. Since then, I've painted everything once over and several rooms several times. Why? Ideas evolve, colors change, not to mention walls get scuffed up.

Has to be some balance between paying crazy money for a gallon of paint that will outlive its usefullness and a good paint that matches a practical need.

 

[Red Ryder]

Wait, what? So the person paying $200 for a concert ticket is a fool (I don't), but the one spending $16,850 in labor to paint a 3,200 sq ft house should just pay because the painter has to make a buck?

You can get multiple bids from multiple contractors whether it's paint, plumbing, carpenter work whatever. Or I guess you could hire someone to sing you a song about that busted plumbing and the water running out your front door.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Not really. There is a huge difference between what you get at a big box store and what you get at a paint store, even if the brand name is the same.

Sherwin Williams might have manufactured it, I don't know, but it is definitely inferior to the high end Sherwin Williams line of Emerald or Duration that you would get at the Sherwin Williams store.

I speak from experience, not from a paid position within the company.

All paint will paint. Some paint will paint better than the other paint. Go with the better choice. It will be easier to apply, it will last longer and it will look better. Plus, why save chump change when the major cost is labor?

I remember Pratt & Lambert from 30+ years ago. You could practically stick a paint stirrer in an open gallon , go to lunch and it would still be sticking upright !

At any rate it was pudding-like. Then they sold to someone (Glidden ?) and it was never the same.

 

[scrapyardblue]

You can get multiple bids from multiple contractors whether it's paint, plumbing, carpenter work whatever. Or I guess you could hire someone to sing you a song about that busted plumbing and the water running out your front door.

Red, I just don't see anybody on here making an argument for the things you insist on countering. Nobody is advocating busting a contractor down to bare bones, nor accepting shoddy work just because it's cheap.

I personally appreciate the payroll, the equipment, the overhead and decent profit aspects. However, I also certainly ain't paying somebody to take his lady to the Caribbean on the gouge he made painting my house. That's what the OP is concerned about.

 

[Red Ryder]

Red, I just don't see anybody on here making an argument for the things you insist on countering. Nobody is advocating busting a contractor down to bare bones, nor accepting shoddy work just because it's cheap.

I personally appreciate the payroll, the equipment, the overhead and decent profit aspects. However, I also certainly ain't paying somebody to take his lady to the Caribbean on the gouge he made painting my house. That's what the OP is concerned about.

I understand where you're coming from. Good people who do good work deserve to make a good living. I have been hard at it all my life. I am fortunate that everything is paid for, but wages never keep up with inflation. I'm 68 and probably only have another 50-60 years left. I know it is going to be a struggle for the younger generation, especially with the work attitude they have developed. We can't all be Hollywood stunt men or rock stars. But those with good work ethics and moral character should be able to pay their bills and take care of their families without being penalized because they picked up an honest trade.

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

I agree with this up to a point. For sure, the highest end paint at Sherwin-Williams is better paint than the paint Sherwin-Williams makes for Lowes. They are both good paints, however.

I painted my new house with S-W paint 24 years ago. If it wasn't the best they had, it was right up there. Good stuff. Since then, I've painted everything once over and several rooms several times. Why? Ideas evolve, colors change, not to mention walls get scuffed up.

Has to be some balance between paying crazy money for a gallon of paint that will outlive its usefullness and a good paint that matches a practical need.

I completely agree with you that paint, or any other material, must strike a balance between reasonable pricing and quality. And the numbers presented to the OP for his painting quote are outrageous. My price for top of the line paint is between $50 and $60 per gallon, depending on a few factors.

As a professional painter, I will rarely agree to use paint supplied by the customer. Cheaper paints are often more difficult to apply--they may run more or not cover well. So, if someone wants me to use paint that they bought for $25 or $30 per gallon, it may end up costing more in the long run because I can't work as efficiently. And the coverage issue is important. Certain interior paints can satisfactorily cover in one coat, though I usually do two coats anyway. If that $30/gallon paint requires additional coats you may have to buy double the material, thus negating the bargain. Plus, the real cost is my time and I charge by the hour.

Plus, when I say that top of the line paints last longer, I'm not necessarily thinking about the years till failure. Most interior paint will last a long time if it is not abused. But the top of the line paints can be cleaned and scrubbed without changing color or sheen, unlike the bargain paints.

In the end, there are a ton of choices. A freshly painted room looks great no matter what the paint. In the end, that is all that matters to most people.