Interior Paint Ratings -- JD Power
Interior paint ratings -- Evernote
Interior Paint Reviews & Ratings -- Consumer Unlimited
Interior Paint Reviews and Buying Guide: -- GALT
First two links contradict each other, and the last two just quote the second link. Dang, makes things so hard to figure out.
What you may be seeing is the differance between the prem line and basic one. Lowes Valspar has their contractor grade and their Prem line. Just as ben Moore has their cheaper line and high end one.
When I said Valspar was good, as I have used over probable over 20 gallons+, I was speaking about the prem one, not their lowwer end one.
So when shopping make sure you see what grades each brand has not just the name.
Tip: When you're using a roller, always finish rolling in the same direction. Some people go up and down as they move across the wall. If you stand close to the wall and look down the wall after the paint has dried, you can see the stripes.
Also, I agree with Vi Edit about those little red things. I usually use a good brush to cut in with, but sometimes, those little red things just make the job so much easier. Oh, and speaking of good brush. Don't buy expensive paint, then pick up a cheap $5 brush and $2 rollers. You get what you pay for there too. Or, you can learn the hard way about all the fuzz that comes out of those cheap rollers after you've done about 3/4 of a wall.
A roller is fine for doing one room, but when it gets to 2300 Sq. ft you should seriously consider using a compressor and spray gun. It isn't hard to learn and you can rent all the equipment. The coverage will be much more uniform, you don't have to keep going between the roller and pan, up and down ladders, etc. The time it saves is also a huge bonus. Probably could do the house in a day or two . Tape off the areas you don't want painted and lay down a drop cloth, spray, move to the next room.
Don't use things like wagner spray guns for a whole house. They jam, are annoying to the ears and really don't work well for this.
I forgot one of the other benefits of spraying, you can buy the paint in 5 gallon buckets to save money and is a lot more convenient. You can rent the airless sprayers then just inset the intake in the 5 gallon bucket and only have the spray gun in your hand and the attached house and nonstop spray.
For homes you dont need a sprayer. First time users will overspray and have runs. It's far easier for homeowners to roll. Plus I think rolled walls look better than sprayed. It's easy to get spray lines and flashing on walls from a poor spray job. If you're painting new construction, yes spray. But for residential repaint, sprayer is not worth the hassle for the average homeowner who wants different color in every room. Plus if the sq ft is really big you can always use large roller in open areas. 2400 sq ft is not big at all and perfect for a roll job.
Yea if you cover EVERYTHING it may work ok. But rolling is not that hard and most Pros do not spray in a finished house, I am betting for the same reason.
For homes you dont need a sprayer. First time users will overspray and have runs. It's far easier for homeowners to roll. Plus I think rolled walls look better than sprayed. It's easy to get spray lines and flashing on walls from a poor spray job. If you're painting new construction, yes spray. But for residential repaint, sprayer is not worth the hassle for the average homeowner who wants different color in every room. Plus if the sq ft is really big you can always use large roller in open areas. 2400 sq ft is not big at all and perfect for a roll job.
I take it you used a compressor system ?
The newer airless systems don't over spray hardly any. I watched a guy using one to spray around window frames . the only thing he had protecting the windows was a 1" piece of tape around the perimeter trim.
Pros spray if it is a lot to do, it doesn't make sense not to.
Sorry to hijack this thread but question for all you experienced painters. House is two stories and in my living room I have cathedral ceilings. The walls are painted a dark yellow by previous owners. When I painted the rest of the rooms I left this alone because of the difficulty. But now the yellow is starting to bother me and would like to paint it in a more neutral color.
Can this be painted without masking the ceilings? I don't have a ladder to reach that high nor do I feel comfortable on a ladder at that height.
Sorry to hijack this thread but question for all you experienced painters. House is two stories and in my living room I have cathedral ceilings. The walls are painted a dark yellow by previous owners. When I painted the rest of the rooms I left this alone because of the difficulty. But now the yellow is starting to bother me and would like to paint it in a more neutral color.
Can this be painted without masking the ceilings? I don't have a ladder to reach that high nor do I feel comfortable on a ladder at that height.
Its called hiring a pro. I don't see how you expect to do it without getting up there unless you want a 20 foot pole and then a brush duct taped to the pool.
Unless you're just uncomfortable with a ladder and don't mind the height, rent a scissor lift for a day.