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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Our Pick For the Best Interior Wall Paints
Regal Select - Interior
Benjamin Moore
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
1
5/5
4.5/5
4.5/5
5/5
Retail Price:
$102.66*
Contractor Price:
$78.74*
Regal Select is Benjamin Moore's second top of the line wall paint next to Aura. At the moment, Regal Select is our top pick for interior wall paints. The reason is that the coverage & adhesion properties are excellent and it is significantly cheaper than Aura. We are in love with the ulti-matte finish which is probably the smoothest and nicest drying matte paint we have used for walls. In general, the only time we would choose Aura over Regal is if the colour is very deep or if we had an unlimited budget. Overall, great bang for your buck and our top pick!
Aura - Interior
Benjamin Moore
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
2
4.5/5
5/5
5/5
4/5
Retail Price:
$106.66*
Contractor Price:
$87.99*
Aura is Benjamin Moore's top of the line product for walls. This paint is crazy thick, covers exceptionally well and is able to achieve deep beautiful colours. The workability and finish scores are a bit lower due to the paint being so thick and drying so fast. If you are a beginner or cannot paint fast, Aura may give you trouble due to the small working window which could cause you to leave brush marks. Other than that, Aura is a very expensive and excellent paint.
Emerald - Interior
Sherwin Williams
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
3
4.5/5
5/5
5/5
4/5
Retail Price:
$108.50
Contractor Price:
$77.28
Sherwin William's top of the line interior paint. The product covers well and can achieve deep colours.
Diamond - Interior
Dulux
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
4
4/5
3.5/5
4/5
5/5
Retail Price:
$90.99
Contractor Price:
One upon a time Diamond was our favourite interior paint. However in recent years, I have found that the finish and coverage has fallen off (or maybe I just started liking the other paints more). Diamond is Dulux's top of the line premium interior paint and is more cost effective when compared to it's Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore counterparts. Diamond is thinner and easier to work with than other premium paints. The catch however, is that the paint does not tend to cover as well (semi-gloss white covers terribly with Diamond). Adhesion and durability are good, but once again, I feel like it doesn't quite stick as hard as its competitors. Overall, not bad (definitely better than Home Depot counterparts).
Our Pick for The Best Trim Paints
X-pert Waterborne Alkyd
Dulux
Overall Rank:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
Finish:
Retail Price:
$83.99
Contractor Price:
Scuff-X
Benjamin Moore
Overall Rank:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
Finish:
1
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
Retail Price:
$84.32*
Contractor Price:
$67.37*
The first time we tried Scuff-X we fell in love with it. The coverage is amazing, it is easy to work with, the finish is nice and it is extremely hard and durable. Price point is not bad either compared to other trim paints. The only thing we can point out is that the finishes are bit shinier than most paints so we usually go one sheen down when using Scuff-X.
Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel
Sherwin Williams
Overall Rank:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
Finish:
2
5/5
4.5/5
5/5
4.5/5
Retail Price:
$118.49
Contractor Price:
$82.28
Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel is Sherwin William's top product for trim. This paint dries extremely hard and has great levelling abilities.
Advance
Benjamin Moore
Overall Rank:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
Finish:
3
5/5
3/5
4/5
3.5/5
Retail Price:
$97.66*
Contractor Price:
$78.99*
Advance is Benjamin Moore's top of the line trim paint. With that being said, I will almost always prefer to use Scuff-X. Advance is a waterbourne alkyd, this means that it takes a longer time to dry compared to pure latex paints. However, the longer drying time allows the paint to level out beautifully and results in a very nice finish. With that being said, the price point is quite high and the coverage tends to be spotty if it is being brush and rolled.
Our Pick For the Best Ceiling Paints
X-pert - Ceiling Flat
Dulux
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
1
5/5
5/5
N/A
Retail Price:
$66.99
Contractor Price:
5/5
X-pert ceiling flat was my go to ceiling paint when I started painting and 10 years later, it continues to be my number 1 choice. The finish is extremely flat which makes touchups easy. Application wise, the paint is easy to work with and doesn't splatter much when being rolled on. As for coverage, I have never needed more than 2 coats to cover a ceiling (assuming the ceiling was not coloured before). In terms of pricing, it is also very cost effective compared to its competitors.
Evolution - Ceiling Flat
Sico
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
2
5/5
5/5
N/A
Retail Price:
$45.99
Contractor Price:
$45.99
5/5
Sometimes I can be a bit of a paint snob when it comes to brands from big box stores such as Rona and Home Depot. That is why I was very hesitant when my colleague recommended this Sico ceiling paint. After using it for several projects, I must say that the finish and coverage is fantastic. It dries extremely flat which makes it easy to do touch ups without having to paint the entire ceiling. Great price too!
Waterborne Ceiling Paint (Formerly Yellow Label)
Benjamin Moore
Overall Rank:
Finish:
Coverage/Hide:
Adhesion/Durability:
Workability:
9
3/5
2/5
N/A
Retail Price:
$78.49*
Contractor Price:
$61.00*
3/5
I highly do NOT recommend this ceiling paint. Yes, this post is supposed to be about the best paints, but I am certain people are wondering how this product compares to everything else. To be short, it is overpriced garbage. It covers poorly, splatters everywhere if it is being rolled and leaves lots of lap marks. Just don't do it.