Is it Worth Buying High-Quality Paint?
Whether you’re tackling a small room or the whole house, painting is a time-consuming project. So it’s natural that as you peruse paint cans at your local hardware store, you start to consider buying higher-quality materials than the bargain brands.
For many homeowners, however, there’s an ongoing debate about whether certain premium paints are really worth the money they cost over their less expensive counterparts. Is spending extra on higher-end products justified? Or will this upward spending trend ultimately reduce the value of your home?
In this article, we’ll take a look at both sides of this issue — from determining which types of paints can be considered “premium”, to figuring out how much bang for your buck some high quality materials might actually provide you with.
Is Price a Good Indicator of Quality?
When you’re shopping for something that’s new to you, like paint, it can be hard to separate the excellent products from those that are just mediocre. So many factors come into play — feel and consistency of the product when being applied to your walls, longevity or durability, ease of use — so how do you know which brands will meet all of your needs and which ones won’t?
The price tag at checkout seems like an obvious signifier of quality — after all, if a gallon costs twice as much as another gallon does that mean it’ll last twice as long or perform twice as well? Not necessarily.
Performance is generally determined by two main categories: formulation and application. How the paint is made will impact its longevity, how it will adhere to surfaces, how easy it will be to clean up if you mess up while applying — and so on. The other factor influencing a paint’s abilities is “application”. This is the actual process of putting down thin layers of primer and color, then sanding them down between coats.
Paint Formulation
All paints are formulated in different ways with differing amounts of pigments (which provide color), binders (which hold everything together), solvents (to help the product blend into deeper areas or act as a thinner for more coverage) and additives such as waxes that give some paints their sheen qualities. In order to make these products mixable and easy to apply, manufacturers will need to use smaller “grains” of pigment, which generally creates a smoother appearance.
When thinking about cost, it’s important to consider whether expensive paints offer value when compared with their cheaper counterparts — and this can be tricky. Some higher-end paint brands are priced higher for a good reason; they’re easier to apply or contain more protective qualities than some other paints. Other brands charge extra because they’re making up for the fact that people perceive them as having high quality — but in reality, these supplies might not be worth the money they command over a competitor’s product.
For example, latex paints (which are standard for most painting supplies) require thinning and adding various additives into them so they’ll dry properly on the surface and produce a consistent sheen. This mixture of chemicals helps with protection in the short term; however, these variations also mean that cheaper paints are more likely to have an odor when being applied — which can be problematic if you’re painting indoors.
Thickness and Consistency
The other factor that may affect price is the thickness/consistency of the paint itself. While some manufacturers will add extra substances like waxes into their products to improve consistency or durability over time, others will make it thinner so it’s easier to apply and remove from primed surfaces.
If the difference between paint brands comes down to formulation, then there are definitely ways for homeowners to save money on supplies without sacrificing much in terms of performance. For example, some paints come in multi-gallon sizes, which is already a better deal than buying smaller containers. Some paints will even come in large buckets for free after you buy a certain number of gallons — so if you know that the product will be used within a year, it just might be worth purchasing larger quantities.
When it comes to paint application, though, knowing more about the process and how it’s performed can help determine whether premium products are really worth their price tags or not. If painting contractors are paid by the hour (rather than per project), then there may be ways to save money while still getting high quality finishes on your home. For some projects, it just might be worth paying extra attention to details such as brush care (using only soft-bristled brushes, washing them regularly), applying a thin “mud coat” to primed surfaces and sanding it down before applying more coats — which can save time, money and frustration for homeowners.
Price vs Quality
Choosing whether or not to pay extra for high-end paint supplies overall comes down to how much effort you want to put into making sure the project is done right. If you’re planning on doing an application that’s fairly large (such as painting your home’s exterior) then it might be worth purchasing supplies that contain UV protectants (which will help color last longer). Other products designed for trimming or staining woodwork may offer better protection than standard latex paints. In some cases, though, spending extra cash could just mean using higher quality brushes and rollers when applying the paint.
For smaller projects, though (such as painting a room or your kitchen cabinets) it might not be necessary to spend more money on high-quality paints and supplies. In this case, you’ll be fine going with cheaper brands; just make sure you’re buying ones that are low in VOCs and have proven results for previous customers.
When trying to determine whether or not spending more money is worth it for your supplies, don’t forget to look at what the price of a project will be overall — including any extras that may come with it. For instance, if hiring painters could cost $80 per hour but purchasing higher quality products could save a few hours of work time, then the costs would balance out with quality paint.
If you’re planning on doing any painting projects soon, then take a look at the costs to buy high-quality supplies and compare them against how much time it would take to do the job yourself. Some products may be worth using regardless of their price; others might not offer any real benefits over “standard” brands.
Ultimately, though, if you want to produce the best results possible — whether that means on your home’s interior or exterior — then choosing the right paints will help ensure that this goal can be accomplished. For many homeowners (especially those who don’t consider themselves handy), painting may seem like an easy project; however, there are things that need to be considered before purchasing both supplies and services for the job.
Conclusion
As with any home improvement project, planning is essential in making sure that projects are completed correctly — and this includes figuring out how to get the best materials for the job at hand. If you’re looking to paint your home’s interior , then choosing high-quality paints may help ensure that the colors will last longer and stay true even after years of use. For exterior projects, opting for higher quality paint can help prevent weather damage from taking a toll on the finish (plus it can help prevent peeling and cracking over time). But before purchasing supplies or hiring painters, there are a few things homeowners should know about determining whether premium brands are worth their price tags or not .
If you’re trying to decide between spending more money on high-quality paints and supplies, then the first thing you should ask yourself is what kind of jobs you’ll be doing. For smaller projects such as painting a room or your kitchen cabinets , opting for expensive paint may not be worth it compared to lower quality brands (which may actually last longer than their higher priced counterparts). If you’re planning on doing an application that’s fairly large (such as painting your home’s exterior) then it might be worth purchasing supplies that contain UV protectants (which will help color last longer). Other products designed for trimming or staining woodwork may offer better protection than standard latex paints. In some cases, though, spending extra cash could just mean using higher quality brushes and rollers when applying the paint.
At Ethereal Painters, our team of Vancouver painters use high quality paint for an affordable price. Call us today at 604-505-2745 for your free quote.