When people pay thousands of dollars to have the insides of their houses repainted, it would make sense that they want the best paint they can afford.
With so many commercial options available, it can be easy to get lost – especially if you’re new to the industry. In order to help settle the debate of the best interior house paint, we polled our entire network of contractors and business owners.
If you’ve read our recent article on the best exterior house paint, you’re aware that Sherwin Williams is widely praised for it’s quality products at competitive price points.
The results are no different when it comes to interior paint. Across our network of thousands of contractors, Sherwin Williams SuperPaint was voted in as number 1 with 18.3% of the votes. The closest competitor (Sherwin Williams Duration) came in with roughly 14.3% of the votes.
What separated SuperPaint from the competition was it’s reputation for superior coverage from a single coat, plus it’s high level of resilience to staining and wear. Users of the Sherwin Williams product noted it’s ability to cover both dark and light surfaces with a near-perfect finish. SuperPaint also boasts a low level of Volatile Organic Content (VOC), making it the ideal candidate for the interior paint of choice.
Product Specifications:
Average Price: $50.99/gal
Wet thickness: 4 mils
Coverage/gallon: 350-400 sq ft
Drying time @ 50% Relative Humidity (Touch): 2 Hours
Drying time @ 50% Relative Humidity (Recoat): 4 Hours (at or above 45 degrees Fahrenheit)
Specifications/Product Details Sheet
It comes with little surprise that Sherwin Williams swept the polls in our survey. It should be noted that this article is, in no way, sponsored by or associated with Sherwin Williams.
The facts remain simple, as one of North America’s top paint manufacturers, Sherwin Williams produces a strong line of products. With commonly available discounts keeping their “per gallon” prices at (or well below) the $50 range, they also remain one of the most price-competitive manufacturers to domestic consumers.
On the topic of price let’s move on the winner of Best Interior Paint for the Money
Our staff researchers were able to find SW Cashmere, commonly, available for approximately $40/gallon when using promo pricing. That’s a low price for a paint that was specifically engineered for a smooth application and a silky, high-end finish.
This price point is especially surprising when you take into consideration, the fact that many professional painters regard Cashmere as the HIGHEST quality interior paint on the market. Some painters have even stated that Cashmere is what SuperPaint should have been all along.
Bare in mind, however, that just because someone says it, doesn’t make it universally true. SW Cashmere, high quality as it may be, is known to exhibit “finish” variations on any surface that has been repaired (e.g. drywall). That being said, SW Cashmere, probably isn’t the paint of choice for older homes or fixer-uppers. You may want to leave those jobs to products such as SuperPaint.
Product Specifications:
Average Price: $40.00-$50.00/gal
Wet thickness: 4 mils
Coverage/gallon: 350-400 sq ft
Drying time @ 50% Relative Humidity (Touch): 1 Hour
Drying time @ 50% Relative Humidity (Recoat): 4 Hours (at or above 45 degrees Fahrenheit)
Specifications/Product Details Sheet
Q) Is Sherwin Williams Paint better than Behr?
Generally, professional painting businesses will recommend Sherwin Williams for residential repaints. Behr paint tends to be lower priced, and for the budget-minded DIY’er, it should suffice for most jobs. However, when comparing top of the line paints from each manufacturer, contractors agree that Sherwin Williams is the best all around.
Q) What paint (type) should I use on a house interior?
Majority of professional painting businesses will recommend acrylic (latex) paint rather than oil based. Modern acrylic paints provide a better finish & longer lasting paint job unless the surface (to be painted) mandates an oil-based paint (e.g. distressed or aged material). Latex paints tend to have better adhesion, increased ease of application, as well as a longer life expectancy when compared to oil based paints.
Q) What is paint made of? (We asked a chemist)
For this answer, we’re going to focus on acrylic paint – which is the most commonly used type of paint for home exteriors.
Acrylic paint can be categorized into several components:
Q) Does interior paint need primer?
Unfortunately, this question can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. Generally speaking, if you’re working with a high quality paint and maintaining the same sheen, you won’t need to prime your walls prior to paint. This can change, however, if you’re transitioning from dark to light or vice versa.
Additionally, localized failures where raw building materials are exposed, should be primed prior to applying new paint.
Q) Do paint jobs really come with lifetime warranties and guarantees?
Yes and no. The lifetime warranties and guarantees are manufacturer warranties that cover chemical failures.
If a chemical failure occurs, the manufacturer will pay for the cost of the materials (paint) used. However, labor is NOT covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
Q) What is “sheen” and what’s best for interior?
Sheen is the gloss or finish of the paint.
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