# Sherwin Williams vs Benjamin Moore Comparison??



## KD PAINTING (Nov 8, 2012)

Which one of these two major brands you think is better and for what use ( interior or exterior) Thanks!


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

You are a painting contractor and you are asking this on a DIY forum?

@ 1:30 in the PM


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Coke or Pepsi?

Bud or a real beer ( ok, that one isn't fair...)


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## 747 (Feb 11, 2005)

There pretty much equal. Some painters prefer BM others prefer SW. Neither really bad mouths the other one.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Tough question to ask. Most of us are loyal to a brand & we don't jump back and forth between using opposing brands. I mostly use SW but I certainly have no qualms in using BM. It also depends on what you want your paint to do for you. If you're like me, you want consistent quality results. I want my paint to cover in two coats and provide a long lasting, good-looking finish. I get that with SW's SuperPaint. Maybe not the very best, but, it's a good, middle-of-the-road workhorse paint. I get a good price on it and I feel it's a good deal for customers. Like BJ said, Coke or Pepsi? Both are good, it's just a personal preference as to which one you really like.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

Brushjockey said:


> Coke or Pepsi?
> 
> Bud or a real beer ( ok, that one isn't fair...)[/QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

KD PAINTING said:


> Which one of these two major brands you think is better and for what use ( interior or exterior) Thanks!


What the heck? you say your a paint contractor? Not in my book. if your asking that question, More like a troll. sorry all out of troll food.


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

Just wait til Steve gets here...he will tell you all whats what..Behr paint and primer all in one is the only way to apply Allure


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

The best paint is the one that works for you. A lot of paint loyalty comes from using and becoming familiar with the product. You know what it will do and what you can expect from it. Also the service and the people at the paint store make a difference. If you know when you have a problem you can go to them for help and get it that also makes a difference. Maybe I'm not as loyal as some I usually go with SW because of convenience but I just did a house with BEN and that is a very good paint. But keep an open mind I try different paint all the time because I won't comment on something I haven't tried. And what may be my go to brand in one situation may not be my go in another situation.
Ramble over.


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## creeper (Mar 11, 2011)

Welcome back Steve...some things never change...


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## Brushjockey (Mar 8, 2011)

Every mfg had some that are great, and some not so much. The brand does not tell you everything.
Tool had it right with familiarity, but it also has to do with what qualities are you looking for.
In general around here, high production painters prefer SW, Redo guys like me and almost all dec's go for BM.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

Nailbags said:


> What the heck? you say your a paint contractor? Not in my book. if your asking that question, More like a troll.


Maybe he's taking a poll, for his own education about the preferences of others. We could all educate ourselves.

Speaking of which, if you're going to try to communicate in English, you might want to start with that.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

They have pretty much equivalent lines. Maybe one company comes up with a new paint, the other copies soon after, and next time vice versa.

SW had Duration, then BM had Aura, now SW has Emerald. And so it goes. Each will tell you their paint at a price beats the competitor's. e.g. BM told me that Ben was equivalent to Super Paint and Regal was a step up from that even. SW told me Super Paint was actually better than Regal because blah blah blah. And so it goes.

You're not going to get a meaningful answer to your question, because things change every 6 months. It depends on what your criteria are. Perhaps one of them has a vendor program that appeals to you more than the other.


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## MrChompenstein (Apr 8, 2013)

ToolSeeker said:


> A lot of paint loyalty comes from using and becoming familiar with the product.


100% Agree. 

*Disclaimer* Most of my painting experience was collected while working behind the paint desk at Lowes and I can still be found there part-time. 

I think most any STRONG opinions between top level paint manufacturers are a result of bad experiences caused by unfamiliarity with a new/different products.

I have witnessed the pains experienced by Valspar's transition to their new "Paint+Primer" formulation. In doing so they also consolidated their base system from 4 cans to 3, which is a different headache altogether. Valspar continues to offer the product lines "Signature" and "Ultra/Ultra Premium" however the contents in these cans has changed noticeably. The new "Paint+Primer" sales gimic is accompanied by a much lower viscosity paint, which is really throwing painters a curve ball when they do very little to advertise this difference. For the average homeowner/consumer, paint is paint. For professionals, who may have 100 houses under their belts with the older product, this new formulation is, "aweful," "terrible," "like water." I cant tell you how many times now I have been asked for, "Paint without primer in it . . ."

Conversely, Valspar has spent a great deal of effort to produce their new 2000 series, to compete directly with SW Promar 200. This product line has actually been met with a great deal of positive feedback from the contractors I have dealt with. This is most likely a result of producing a paint that behaves very much like Promar 200, with a smaller price tag. I cannot speak from experience as to this products durability, however I was very surprised at its application/coverage. (It is thicker like the traditional paints I have experience with . . . see a pattern yet?) *Additional note: when drying 2000 with a hairdryer, like we are required to do in store, I did not notice the bunching/cracking exhibited by the more expensive "Signature," and "Ultra" when exposed abnormal drying conditions . . . perhaps a result of the give and take engineers face when making this stuff.

My limited experience with BM and SW has been very good. Significantly better than Lowes or Home Depot? No. 

Do I think this is a result of companies having the ability to reverse engineer their competitors products? Probably, but I think they all try to find their place in the market . . . just look at PPG. 

Do I think there is a difference between Big Box stores and SW/BM? Qualified yes. I think this comes from the TYPE of products sold, and the ENVIRONMENT in which they are sold.

Ultimately, do I think any paint is made of unicorn tears and pixie dust? Nope. But I did hear that Zinsser uses rhinoceros horn in their B-I-N primer . . .

My .03 cents.


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## jeffnc (Apr 1, 2011)

MrChompenstein said:


> I think most any STRONG opinions between top level paint manufacturers are a result of bad experiences caused by unfamiliarity with a new/different products.


Basically, anytime you hear something vague like "SW paint sucks", "BM paint sucks", "Behr paint sucks", etc., you can just throw that opinion out.

First, anyone who doesn't know enough to specify which paint line they're talking about doesn't know enough to voice their opinion.

Second, an amateur with an opinion on paint is usually speaking from very limited experience, and that experience comes from a specific set of circumstances, little of which the person understands.

Third, the strongest opinions are usually voiced from the negative point of view, because someone got frustrated or pissed off. The satisfied person is much less likely to speak.

Most negative experiences stem from using a cheap paint (from any of the manufacturers), using the wrong paint for the job, not preparing the surface correctly, or improper conditions for painting. Of course all of this will be blamed on an entire paint company and nothing else.


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