Interior house paint - recommended brands/quality differences?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Interior house paint - recommended brands/quality differences?

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#277128 28-Sep-2020 09:22

We're needing to paint our lounge, and before purchasing the paint I thought it was worth checking in for views on whether it's worth paying a premium for the more expensive brands.

We'll need at least pigmented sealer and wall paint; depending on what we have in the garage, we may also need ceiling paint and an undercoat.

A pigmented sealer can range from $77 for Accent from Mitre 10, $84 for PPG from Bunnings, to $138 for Resene. There's a similar range of prices for other paints, eg wall paint: $59 for Accent; $142 for Resene).

So does anyone have recommendations as to where that sweet spot is for decent-quality paint that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Or is it worth waiting for a sale on Resene or similar higher-priced paints?

Any advice and recommendations welcomed!

1 | 2

1713 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 865

#2575063 28-Sep-2020 09:28

When we painted our house we got paint from Protective paints in east Auckland (family had a trade account)

The pigmented sealer (oil based) gave a much better coating than the name brand stuff that I have used from Bunnings. Likewise the actual paint went on thicker and after two coats could not see any of the stopping underneath.

The Bunnings paint guy at my local recommends PPG over Resenes.

If you are going to use an oil based pigmented sealer find somewhere else to sleep for the night as that stuff is fumey!

Electric kiwi signup credit Sharesies credit

nickb800

2735 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 829

Trusted

#2575066 28-Sep-2020 09:34

You can get a DIY card from the Resene website which will give you sale-like prices year round.

I renovated our house a couple of years ago using water-based Accent exclusively - walls/ceiling have been fine but doors/trim have been wearing off in a short space of time despite all procedures followed. I'd suggest solventborne Resene for sealing surfaces, and for doors/trim. For topcoats on walls/ceilings, waterbased Accent is fine.

Lias

5655 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3978

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2575075 28-Sep-2020 10:04

I know diddly about paint, but a friend of mine works in the industry (including previously for Resene) and says Resenes paint is overpriced crap. YMMV.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad, a Quic user, and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. If you use my Quic signup you can also use the code R570394EKGIZ8 for free setup. Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

timmmay

20858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5350

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2575081 28-Sep-2020 10:16

My opinion is it's worth paying for quality. The paint is the smallest cost in any renovation, compared with labour (yours or paid) which is by far the most, other materials, then paint a distant about tenth. Don't go cheap and risk problems in a few years.

I use Dulux paints and find them good quality. Seems a bit better than Resene. It's made in Petone / Seaview, NZ.

blackjack17

1713 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 865

#2575092 28-Sep-2020 10:25

timmmay:

My opinion is it's worth paying for quality. The paint is the smallest cost in any renovation, compared with labour (yours or paid) which is by far the most, other materials, then paint a distant about tenth. Don't go cheap and risk problems in a few years.

I use Dulux paints and find them good quality. Seems a bit better than Resene. It's made in Petone / Seaview, NZ.

Also with the cheaper paints you often need a third coat so you end up using more paint.

Electric kiwi signup credit Sharesies credit

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2174

Subscriber

#2575095 28-Sep-2020 10:27

Out of interest, what are you covering up with pigmented sealer? Go Low sheen, rather than matte, it's easier to wipe down if you need to.

Geekzone support

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#2575223 28-Sep-2020 12:26

Thanks for the replies... It's interesting to read those opinions of Resene; I've found it fine to use in the past, but most recently have bought Dulux (which is also what the painters who did the exterior of our house used). PPG seems to be a reasonably-priced paint, but I'll certainly look to see if Dulux is that much different.

Someone at Mitre 10 said she'd heard negative feedback on the Accent pigmented sealer, which aligns with your nickb800's comments. We're needing to use this as we're painting directly over wallpaper as we hate the colour - it's in good condition so certainly not worth the hassle of stripping.

Yep, had planned to go low sheen; I have two boys so the ability to be able to wipe down walls appears to be a necessity!

What's interesting is I couldn't find any test on house paint on Consumer - I'd have thought this would be a classic example of something they should cover.

timmmay

20858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5350

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2575226 28-Sep-2020 12:39

Wallpaper can bubble over time, so stripping can be worthwhile. I hear M10 went to Accent paints as they're cheaper than Dulux that they used to sell, but quality drops quite a bit.

mdf

3566 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1519

Trusted

#2575233 28-Sep-2020 12:48

jonathan18:

<snip>

Someone at Mitre 10 said she'd heard negative feedback on the Accent pigmented sealer, which aligns with your nickb800's comments. We're needing to use this as we're painting directly over wallpaper as we hate the colour - it's in good condition so certainly not worth the hassle of stripping.

<snip>

You would normally only use pigmented sealer on something porous like plaster, concrete or gib board. Almost all modern wallpapers are vinyl and a pigmented sealer probably won't do much*. An acrylic primer undercoat like Resene Quickdry or Dulux 1-Step Prep is usually* all you need. For dark and heavily patterned wallpapers, you may need two coats to fully obscure what is underneath. I haven't used it personally, but Resene has a special purpose vinyl wallpaper sealer.

* Whatever you do, always paint a test patch first somewhere hidden. Vinyl wallpapers sometimes have really odd reactions with some/all types of paint system. You don't want your paint to melt your wallpaper or vice versa.

Personally, I only ever use Resene or Dulux paints. Both are (mostly) made in New Zealand and for New Zealand conditions and building materials with quality in mind. Generally speaking they have similar ranges of products though IMHO there is the odd product where one is substantially better than the other.

lxsw20

3689 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2174

Subscriber

#2575285 28-Sep-2020 12:57

Yeah if you can find a way to avoid pigmented sealer, do so. It stinks and doesn't go on very nice.

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#2575286 28-Sep-2020 13:00

timmmay:
Wallpaper can bubble over time, so stripping can be worthwhile. I hear M10 went to Accent paints as they're cheaper than Dulux that they used to sell, but quality drops quite a bit.

The operative word there is 'can'... We've over-painted two rooms with wallpaper in our current house and have had no problems, and the room we're about to do has the same wallpaper as one of those. On this basis I have no issue taking this riskl!

M10 have three main brands of paint by the look of it, each at a different price point, and I'd imagine they'd have either Dulux or Resene not both, given they'd be direct competitors.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#2575288 28-Sep-2020 13:03

Good to hear I may be able to avoid using pigmented sealer; I'll pop into the local Guthrie Bowron, which is where I've typically bought paint from as the workers there are knowledgeable and helpful.

timmmay

20858 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5350

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2575291 28-Sep-2020 13:16

jonathan18:
timmmay:

Wallpaper can bubble over time, so stripping can be worthwhile. I hear M10 went to Accent paints as they're cheaper than Dulux that they used to sell, but quality drops quite a bit.

The operative word there is 'can'... We've over-painted two rooms with wallpaper in our current house and have had no problems, and the room we're about to do has the same wallpaper as one of those. On this basis I have no issue taking this riskl!

M10 have three main brands of paint by the look of it, each at a different price point, and I'd imagine they'd have either Dulux or Resene not both, given they'd be direct competitors.

True. We really need to strip our entire house and repaint, might be easier / cleaner to replace the gib.

mdf

3566 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1519

Trusted

#2575293 28-Sep-2020 13:20

I've never been able to discern a rhyme or reason to what paint is available where. I think franchise ownership may have something to do with it, and other things change over time. But at my local stores (currently), M10 has Resene and Bunnings has Dulux. Resene's own stores will sell retail but Dulux only has "trade centers" that you need an account to shop at.

If you're after advice (especially for anything outside total mainstream), I think it is worth calling/emailing Resene or Dulux's technical helpline and speaking to the specialists. Even the specialist paint stores don't match the technical guys at headoffices who - literally - seem to have chemistry PhDs and *years* of experience.

duckDecoy

946 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 432

Subscriber

#2575319 28-Sep-2020 14:11

Lias:

I know diddly about paint, but a friend of mine works in the industry (including previously for Resene) and says Resenes paint is overpriced crap. YMMV.

On the occasions we have hired painters none would use Resene. One painter said he would use it, we had bought some already, but he wouldn't offer his usual warranty on it.

Dulux was the paint they suggested.

1 | 2