Best Interior Paints From a Professional Painter's Perspective
Toronto & GTA (2022)
We will be reviewing & comparing the best interior house paints typically used in Toronto and the GTA. The products listed below are from a professional painter's perspective and based on both manufacturer specs as well as our own experience/preferences with the product.
There are many different paint manufacturers and each have different lines of products to suit different purposes. A typical interior painting project will require different paints for the walls, trim and ceiling. Homeowners tend to use brands such as Behr because it is available at box retailers such as Home Depot whereas professional painters prefer brands such as Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore and Dulux due to their quality, discount and support. Designers on the other hand often choose specialty paints such as Farrow & Ball for their colour and finishes. This article will be comparing the contractor brands.
Criteria
The following criteria will be evaluated:
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Price
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We will be looking at both the retail price and contractor price. Contractors typically receive good discounts at Sherwin Williams and Dulux. Benjamin Moore discounts are more spotty as each store is independently owned. The contractor prices are based on the discounts which we receive. Because Benjamin Moore stores are independently owned, the prices (denoted with a *) are based on an average of 3 different stores in the Toronto area.
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Finish
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The finish refers to how smooth the finished product is and how even the sheen tends to be. This is especially important for trim & ceiling paints.
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Coverage/Hide
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Coverage refers to how far a gallon of paint can get you whereas hide is how well the paint covers overtop of an existing colour. These two concepts are closely related but not exactly the same. However, for the purposes of our comparison we will treat them the same. Having a paint with good coverage and hide can save you money by reducing the number of coats required.
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Adhesion/Durability
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These two properties describe how well a paint adheres to a surface and how tough and long lasting they are.
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Workability
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Workability is how easy a paint is to apply. The thickness and drying time of the paint affects how easy it is to apply the paint . This is only a concern if you are a painter or if you are planning on painting yourself.
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