Are all paint brands equal??

[AB..]

Hello all, Iam about to start painting the interior and exterior of our house and I am wondering wheather one brand is better then another?? Does a dearer name brand paint offer more protection then a much cheaper "house brand"??

Thanks any advise would be much appreciated..

AB..

[silentC]

Well, it's like anything. There's a certain amount of 'brand' in the price but you also get what you pay for. Sometimes brands have a good reputation (and attract a higher price) for a good reason that is not just marketing.

My mate at Thrifty Link often tries to sell me 'renovator brand' paint, saying it comes from the same factory as Wattyl or whatever, yet if you buy the stuff, it is like water.

Ultimately, it comes down to the amount of pigment in the paint. You buy cheap, you often need three coats to get a good cover. The thicker it is, the better the cover but the higher the price.

I bought Solver for my place. It probably cost me $200 or $300 more for the whole job (2 houses) than to buy a cheaper brand but it is great stuff - high opacity, lays up well and is durable.

So what do you want for your place?

[mic-d]

I heard of a story that Choice magazine did on this, and apparently the upshot was that amongst the well known brands of paint there was very little difference in physical properties, but that British paints being cheaper was best value for money. I've used them, Dulux, Taubmans and Solver and found all good. I was not happy with the BP all in one PSU though, it did not lock tanin stain. I'm going to sound like a broken record but for that reasom I only use Zinsser primers now...
Cheers
Michael

[OBBob]

Hi there, I went down the cheap path first time around and it all seemed good, however when I went for the more expensive second time there was no going back! I think it was Dulux ... it went on and covered so much better than the cheaper version. Depending on the job you may find that you pay more or some brands but you actually use less, so the price difference may not be quite as much as you expect.

[Gumby]

Don't use cheap paint. I've tried and it doesn't pay.

Exterior, Dulux or Solar guard are best. My paint guy says Solar Guard is the best.

Internal, i always use dulux wash 'n wear satin. Good paint. I don't like British paints though. Their ceiling white I tried was crap.

[chrisb691]

If you pick up a 4lt can of cheap paint in one hand, and a 4lt of premium paint in the other, one can will be a lot heavier than the other. Guess which one has the most solids (pigment) in it.

[woodsprite]

Local painter told me he never uses anything other than Solver - goes on well, stays on. I certainly only use their paints for metal things like trailers, camping gear, etc. Really tough, srpays easily.
Cheers

[Zed]

I reckon they're all the same (or therabouts) so long as its not too runny and you dont try to stretch the paint too far by covering too much surface area you should be ok... Having said that the render on my house is painted with dulux sloarguard. seems really good so far after 4 yrs...

[Pulse]

hey Zed don't mean to be annoying but wattyl make solargard, dulux make weathershield.

Cheers
Pulse

[silentC]

I reckon they're all the same (or therabouts)
This from the guy who hates cheap power tools! :rolleyes:

Come around to my place sometime and I'll show you the difference between a good paint and a cheap one ;)

[durwood]

If you are not sure if a brand of paint is good value or not, look at the coverage table on the label. I think its compulsory for it to be placed on the tin.

When paint is manufacturered the makers test the product for opacity with a opacity metre (Called a cryptometer) this gives them a reading which converts to square mitres per litre. The more square metres a litre will cover the the further it will go.

It the price is the same pick the one with the highest number you will get paint which goes further.

As to is there a difference, yes, there can be a lot, some big companies have large overheads and charge extra to cover them. Often smaller companies can give you a superior product at a cheaper price. This is probably why some of your answers are sugesting lesser known brands because they offer better value for the dollar.

[Zed]

sorry... weather shield. its grouse!

[bresmith]

Found this very good unbranded explanation why more expensive paints would be better than cheap paints. BTW i've used Dulux and Taubmans and found both excellent:

The key is to use quality paint from the manufacturers premium range, regardless of the manufacturer. In the realm of paint, there are various grades of quality and in order to be classified as premium paint then these paints require a GPC or Government Paint Committee Number to correctly identify them as being approved. Quality paint costs more, with the justification that it also lasts longer. But what proof is there that quality paint really is the better buy. This question is answered all the time by looking at such things as binders, pigments and additives. Quality paints have better binders. Quality binders cost more then binders of less quality. The type of binder and amount used affect everything from stain and crack resistance to adhesion. Several polymer types are used as binders for acrylic paints. Enamel paints usually have a drying enamel or modified enamel, called enamels, as their binders. Of the two, quality acrylic paints with 100 percent acrylic binders are especially long lasting. They are also more expensive. Typically speaking, quality paints have more prime than extender pigments. Prime pigments are good hiding pigments, while extender pigments provide bulk at low cost. The most common prime pigment is titanium dioxide, a white pigment found in both enamel and acrylic paints. It's is expensive and is imperative for good opacity or film hiding ability. Quality paints also have more additives. Additives are included in paint to provide desirable properties. They might make the paint easier to apply, for example, or give it protective properties. Fungicides are an example. Lower cost paints take out some of these additives to save money. All of these benefits save time and money in the initial painting and in recoats . Since most of the cost of repainting a home is in labour, it makes sense to invest in a top quality acrylic paint. It applies easier, lasts longer and, when spread out over the life of the paint job, costs less.

[China]

AB some food for thought, there are only two paint manufactuers in this country Dulux and Wattyl so there is very little difference between paint that is actualy made in oz it all comes from one of the above Wattyl is the largest manufacturer of paint in the Southern Hemisfere so it is most likely that which ever brand you buy is made by them and branded and is of a very similar quality

[coastie]

Heard on radio some time back that Wattyl were dumping thousands of litres of paint,wouldn't donate it to Salvos or any body,went straight to the tip!
Sacrilege!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad:

[silentC]

which ever brand you buy is made by them and branded and is of a very similar quality
Yeah that's what my mate at Thrifty Link reckons. So how come the one in the Wattyl tin covers so much better than "Decorator" brand? I know, maybe they take the good stuff and add some water so they can sell it cheap. Do ya think?

[durwood]

There is definately different qualities even in the one brand.

The guy in charge of where I worked brought tradesmans line house paint direct from the manufacturer (biggest Australian paint company) through their rep who got it for him for a good price as employees got a discount. He was tickled pink he saved so much money.

He brought enough to paint to do his son's new house and a weekender he was building.

Spent his holidays painting starting with the son's place.

Put on first coat, then second then had to do a third and still you could see patches.

He used all the paint just on the son's house.

Then went to the hardware store bought the normal good quality and was able to do his weekender with one coat on same areas and only two everywhere else. Used less than a third of the paint he originally bought and it cost him less than the good deal he got from his rep mate.

He was not a happy camper when he returned from his holidays.

Having tested lots of paint over the years, believe me there can be lots of differences in quality.

[davidp]

AB some food for thought, there are only two paint manufactuers in this country Dulux and Wattyl so there is very little difference between paint that is actualy made in oz it all comes from one of the above

Sorry me old China, but you have somehow overlooked Solver. Who are W P Crowhurst in SA.

Given that, just how much research did you put into your post?

[Jacksin]

Sorry me old China, but you have somehow overlooked Solver. Who are W P Crowhurst in SA.

I was under the impression Crowhurst (Solver) owned Wattyl in SA?

[Landseka]

For my money, (which will be going on much paint very soon) I reckon Dulux is best at the moment cos you get a 4L can of jelly beans with every 2 x 4L cans of paint you buy.

How can you get better than that? :D

Regards

Neil.

[davidp]

I was under the impression Crowhurst (Solver) owned Wattyl in SA?

I don't think so - Wattyl are listed on the stock market. I believe they are independent.

Here are some more Australian paint manufacturers:
Duralex
Laker
Croda Herberts/Standox (might be foreign owned?)
Mirotone
Imtec
Resene (are they NZ?)

[John99]

Ive been doing quite a bit of painting lately have found british paints to be quiet poor compare to wattyl and dulux their worth the extra cost :)

cheers

[Big Shed]

Sorry me old China, but you have somehow overlooked Solver. Who are W P Crowhurst in SA.

Given that, just how much research did you put into your post?

Well, hate to rain on your parade, but Solver (WP Crowhurst) have been owned by Wattyl for more than 10 years. There are however more than 2 paint companies in Australia, Haymes, Protec and a long line of others spring to mind.:)

[mjbillo]

To all,
I don't want to sound like a big head here but I would like to provide some answers to some questions that you guys have asked. As I have had over 15 years within the coatings industry and have dealt with the brands mentioned in this forum, I believe I am qualified to provide some answers
1. Q. Are all brands equal? The simple answer to this is that all paints will perform a task one of the same with minor features and benefits like better opacity (coverage), washability/cleanability, and durability. However every brand has Good paint and Bad paint within their catalogue available to the consumer. Dulux (Orica) have the best marketing activity in the Australian market. Orica spends more money on Research and Development (employing over 50 industrial chemists) each year than what the combination of all other brands would spend on marketing. They therefore use this to their advantage by manufacturing very good product. This is also why they tend to be the most expensive.

2. There are more than 2 major paint manufactures that operate in the Australian market. These are catergorises from major to minor market share.
i. Orica - who market the following paint brands. Dulux, Berger, British, Walpamur, Hadrian, Cabots, Feast Watson, and Intergrain.
ii. Wattyl - who market the following paint brands. Wattyl, Solver, and Pascal. Wattyl also owns the Taubmans brand in NZ.
iii. Barloworld Coatings - who market the following brands. Taubmans, Bristol, and White Knight Paints.

The balance then follow and in my opionion offer some very good product at an affordable price.

[davo_scuba]

hi all i've used a few brands, for diffrent jobs and the only one i would not use again would be british paints, it was a terible mistake and one never to be repeated.
davo

[munruben]

It comes down to how much you want to spend. All paint manufacturers try to produce a product to suit everyone and the quality of the product is determined by the price the customer is prepared to pay. Of course the paint you buy for $5 a litre is not going to be as good as the $10 litre paint but the cheaper line has to be produced for the people who wont buy or cant afford the better quality product. Some people will simply just not buy the dearer product (false economy) thats just the way they are. These customers need to be catered to, they represent huge income to the manufacturers, millions of dollars a year, so they can't be neglected as customers, thats what business is all about, making money and if company A wont make the cheaper paints then company B will so its not good business sense.
I have been a spray and brush painter for over 40 years and in that time have used most brands of paints in Australia. If you pay $20 a litre for your paint, regardless of manufacturer, you will get $20 litre paint, they will be all pretty much on par with each other.Every painter has his own preference to which they like best and personally I prefer Dulux but thats just me.
It was possible i n years past to buy a top grade paint for about half the price of the mainstream manufacturers but one had to be prepared to use relatively unknown brands of paint. This came about by the fact that the major paint manufacturers would not sell their products direct to the tradesmen, it had to be supplied through their agents which of course increased the price of the product. I used to use Davisons paints, a Sydney manufacturer back in the 1960's and that paint was excellent and half the price of the big guys.Problem was of course everyone prefers to have their house painted with a well known brand and outside the industry, not many people knew the smaller brand named paints and this, sadly led to the demise of many small manufacturers. Davisons Paints went out of business along with many other small manufacturers due to this fact and the massive advertising campaigns of the bigger guys.
So guess the bottom line comes down to, yes, usually the more you pay for your paint, the better it is and the longer it will last. The dearer paints have better opacity qualities.
I learned very early in my career as a painter to use top quality products. It made my job so much easier and the customer so much happier. You can use cheap paint but it will take you twice as long to apply to achieve a reasonable finish and will need repainting in a few years, like I said, its false economy.

[q9]

So who makes the paint available at BigW?

I'm not expecting it to be great, but at $45 for 6L...it'll do what I need.

[munruben]

I'm not expecting it to be great, but at $45 for 6L...it'll do what I need.
Exactly, horses for courses. :)

[q9]

Well to answer my own question - Wattyl makes the BigW paint.

Amazing what you find out if you read the tin :doh:

...and there is even a big Wattyl logo down the bottom - double :doh: :doh:

[mirz]

i am painting my house atm. bought Dulux 101 Advanced for walls, and Ceiling White for Ceilings.

very glad with my decision. result is just great.

i bought my paint from a shop Valvet in Oakeligh, paid far less as compare to Bunnings. next time when i went to Bunnings to buy paint, and showed them receipt to match price, their eyes were all wide open :)

Dulux Ceiling Paint 10L:
Bunnings = $99
Valvet (Oakleigh) = $57

you can see the difference, Bunnings had to match price with 110%, so i paid only $52 for my next 10L Dulux ceiling paint at Bunnings.

[nesbit]

i bought my paint from a shop Valvet in Oakeligh....

Was that Velvet Paints on Atherton Road?

[manoftalent]

did the same just resently, they had a heartattack when they saw how cheap I got dulux semi gloss acrylic for at Velvet paints ....so I ordered up big time .....ha ha ...that'll learn them .....not!!

[mirz]

Was that Velvet Paints on Atherton Road?


yes, it is on corner of Atherton and Atkinson, in Oakleigh. :2tsup:

[GR Sporto]

I just rang Velvet Paints in Oakleigh and they wouldn't give me a price over the phone :(. I just want to find out whether they are cheaper on their Dulux Texture coat. I guess they must loose a lot of business to Bunnings with their price guarantee.

[cflake]

did the same just resently, they had a heartattack when they saw how cheap I got dulux semi gloss acrylic for at Velvet paints ....so I ordered up big time .....ha ha ...that'll learn them .....not!!

I've done that in the past and they have simply said "nah mate, that's a trade price and we don't match trade prices".

I also use Viponds paint in Coburg who are another Australian paint manufacturer.

[rsser]

Just bear in mind, as noted earlier, that the price you pay at the hardware is very different from manufacturer's wholesale and this difference will vary by brand. Retailers' markups on paints and painting gear are huge - a major source of profit for smaller hardwares. Retailers like the strongly marketed big brands because they have bigger margins.

So the price you pay doesn't necessarily correlate with quality.

Just to muddy the waters ;-}

[bob w]

Hi all
I have been using Duralex for a little time now and is is really easy to use and covers well. It is not an "el cheapo" brand but is more affordable than the big boys and is owned & operated by an aussie family. So it will do me. Check here:-
www.duralexpaints.com.au