# Consumer Reports on Paint



## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

May 2011 magazine edition. 

I know some who will be smiling at this report.

Interior paints. 

Low Luster

1. Behr - Premium Plus Ultra Satin Enamel
2. Kilz - Casual Colors Satin
3. Glidden - Premium Satin 
4. Behr - Premium Plus Satin Enamel

Flat and Matte

1. Behr - Premium Plus Ultra Flat Enamel
2. Behr - Premium Plus Flat Enamel
3. Valspar - Signature Colors Matte
4. Glidden - Premium Flat 

Semi-Gloss

1. Behr - Premium Plus Ultra Semi Enamel
2. Behr - Premium Plus Semi-gloss enamel
3. Valspar - Ultra Premium Semi-gloss
4. Martha Stewart Living Semi-gloss


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

Exterior Paints

1. California - Fresh Coat Velvet Flat
2. Behr - Premium Plus Flat
3. Valspar - DuraMax Satin
4. Behr - Premium Plus Semigloss
5. Valspar - DuraMax Flat

House & Deck Stain

1. Behr - Deck plus solid color deck, fence and siding
2. Sears Weatherbeater solid deck fence and siding stain


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## 6126 (May 9, 2010)

Well, at least California made the list. Not really sure how they came up with the rest, but I would have to disagree.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

consumer reports, as far as paint goes, uses specific criteria to reach their results.

I remember reading an article on it. One was how "customer friendly" it is, in this case, ease of application. They view aura and duration difficult for a HO to apply. So that's one reason they don't make the list. Another is "value" some formula that incorporates the diy cost etc. If you take Valspar premium at $36/gal, that might seem high priced to us for what it is, but remember the HO doesn't get the wonderful discounts many of us do at BM/SW/etc. 

Consumer reports actually considers lowes and HD to be great places for the DIY to get instruction for their projects as well so that gets considered in the ratings. I remember a couple years ago was in HD and overheard the dingbat in the paint dept telling a diy to use a solid latex stain on his exterior deck... Yeah, they do offer wonderful service and instruction...


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## WisePainter (Dec 27, 2008)

JP is apparently betting on the winner...genius!

if only the rest of us would just 'get it', switch to Behr, and watch our companies go National!!

like Certa Pro....

gufaw.


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## bigjeffie61520 (Oct 3, 2009)

ultra is decent paint-i tried it at jack's suggestion

not my favorite

i would go regal, as the cost is close

heavy colors, particularly red, aura


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## One Coat Coverage (Oct 4, 2009)

Most HO's buy there paint at HD and Lowes. 

That is the ONLY reason that Behr, Gliddon, Valspar, etc... is on the list.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

just makes you want to puke


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

Got a link?


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## jack pauhl (Nov 10, 2008)

interesting


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

My people on the inside at the Big 3 all reported that there were rather high profile behind close door executive sessions as a result of this report.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> My people on the inside at the Big 3 all reported that there were rather high profile behind close door executive sessions as a result of this report.



Like the ones that resulted in SW's propaganda leaflet about kilz-x? :jester:


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Gibberish45 said:


> Like the ones that resulted in SW's propaganda leaflet about kilz-x? :jester:


Gib

It is time to come clean. Even the mods are onto you. 

You work for Behr. Come clean. We will still engage you as part of the group, but we prefer honesty.


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## cappaint (May 24, 2011)

TJ Paint said:


> consumer reports, as far as paint goes, uses specific criteria to reach their results.
> 
> I remember reading an article on it. One was how "customer friendly" it is, in this case, ease of application. They view aura and duration difficult for a HO to apply. So that's one reason they don't make the list. Another is "value" some formula that incorporates the diy cost etc. If you take Valspar premium at $36/gal, that might seem high priced to us for what it is, but remember the HO doesn't get the wonderful discounts many of us do at BM/SW/etc.
> 
> Consumer reports actually considers lowes and HD to be great places for the DIY to get instruction for their projects as well so that gets considered in the ratings. I remember a couple years ago was in HD and overheard the dingbat in the paint dept telling a diy to use a solid latex stain on his exterior deck... Yeah, they do offer wonderful service and instruction...


 
How is aura and duration difficult to apply?


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## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> Gib
> 
> It is time to come clean. Even the mods are onto you.
> 
> You work for Behr. Come clean. We will still engage you as part of the group, but we prefer honesty.



Damn - 10 more posts and your at 10,000. :thumbup:

Pat


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

PatsPainting said:


> Damn - 10 more posts and your at 10,000. :thumbup:
> 
> Pat


When I signed on in '07, Nathan agreed to a sweet cash incentive if I became the first 10k poster. Can't wait.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> Gib
> 
> It is time to come clean. Even the mods are onto you.
> 
> You work for Behr. Come clean. We will still engage you as part of the group, but we prefer honesty.



:thumbup: Ouch u caughtt me Im actuallly a reincarnated sev werking @ bear


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## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

Gibberish45 said:


> :thumbup: Ouch u caughtt me Im actuallly a reincarnated sev werking @ bear


Spelling bear to throw us off is not going to work :whistling2:

Pat


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Gibberish45 said:


> :thumbup: Ouch u caughtt me Im actuallly a reincarnated sev werking @ bear


You went for the B topic too early in your introductory period. The young upstart you were posing as would not have been looking for customer relations info for behr, and certainly wouldn't have known to take a shot at sw with kilz x leaflet propaganda. You have just done behr a great disservice. The other manufacturer reps, both known and not, who linger about the halls of pt have the professional courtesy to not throw jabs. It's a long road back to credibility. I suggest you fess up.


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## Precision-TBay (Jun 1, 2011)

cappaint said:


> How is aura and duration difficult to apply?


add me to the few who think aura is mediocre paint at best. Way overpriced and not even in my top 10 of preferred paints.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> You went for the B topic too early in your introductory period. The young upstart you were posing as would not have been looking for customer relations info for behr, and certainly wouldn't have known to take a shot at sw with kilz x leaflet propaganda. You have just done behr a great disservice. The other manufacturer reps, both known and not, who linger about the halls of pt have the professional courtesy to not throw jabs. It's a long road back to credibility. I suggest you fess up.



Not quite the detective Tsunami is..... If you still doubt I'll make my wife take another with a timestamp and "friendly message"


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Clearly, you found a paint van in the mall parking lot. Lol
:jester:


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Oohh, he is cute, can we keep him, please?


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

RCP said:


> Oohh, he is cute, can we keep him, please?


You already have enough pets ....and you still don't pick up the poo from the last one like you promised.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

RCP said:


> Oohh, he is cute, can we keep him, please?


Something about the words and music just don't match here. But, we have lost some of our best characters. Let's sleep on it. Ipaint has been around since '07, so he must run a decent business. Wait a minute...what did that intro thread say?


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

vermontpainter said:


> Something about the words and music just don't match here. But, we have lost some of our best characters. Let's sleep on it. Ipaint has been around since '07, so he must run a decent business. Wait a minute...what did that intro thread say?



Said 5 years experience (May '06) and 3 1/2 on my own (September '07) So I rounded sue me :jester: 

That's ok, my hazing has been mild at worst. :thumbup:

What else would you like to know?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

RCP said:


> Oohh, he is cute, can we keep him, please?


Only if he follows you home


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

cappaint said:


> How is aura and duration difficult to apply?



Ok first off, that over-sized picture messed this whole thread up.

2nd, I didn't write the article. The difficulty, as deemed by
the forces and powers that be within the editorial structure at CR
uses the logic that thicker paint, like duration, is harder for
a diy to apply. 

Aura, being a fast dry requiring as minimal rolling
and brushing in order to achieve the best appearance, is considered
more difficult for diy. 

That is as good as I can do. Again, I apologize for vexing and 
causing the pt waters to rise up in this tempestuous manner.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Precision-TBay said:


> add me to the few who think aura is mediocre paint at best. Way overpriced and not even in my top 10 of preferred paints.


 
did anybody ask??:whistling2:


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## Wood511 (Dec 13, 2010)

The CR sheet in HD lists similar results. Under all of the BM and SW products it just reads "testing incomplete at the time of publication" or something like that.

Something fishy about the whole mess.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

vermontpainter said:


> When I signed on in '07, Nathan agreed to a sweet cash incentive if I became the first 10k poster. Can't wait.


 That is until the mods are bribed into mass deleting posts of yours.




vermontpainter said:


> Clearly, you found a paint van in the mall parking lot. Lol
> :jester:


I agree not a trace of paint anywhere on him.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

straight_lines said:


> That is until the mods are bribed into mass deleting posts of yours.


We already tried that, he has tenure!


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

Consumer Reports does not include any paints that have been reformulated in the print edition. So say Aura was reformulated since the testting began, it would be eliminated.

Also read the articles closely, the best paint attributes are not always found in the "best buy" recommendation.


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

Let me post this yet again:
*Consumers Tests *
*How do "Consumer" paints measure up against "Commercial Quality" paints?*








In response to many requests from architects and specifiers throughout the United States, MPI acquired the 2007 report from "Consumer Reports" on paint. 

MPI then sent out "mystery shoppers" in Washington State to purchase the top five products listed as by Consumer Reports as "CR Quick Recommendations" and "Best for high-traffic areas". The products obtained, and tested, were those identified by Consumer Reports. 

"High scores for staining and scrubbing, and resisted gloss changes." 

"Behr $24 CR Best Buy"
"Kilz $19 CR Best Buy"
"Valspar $27"
"True Value $23 CR Best Buy"
"Dutch Boy $15 CR Best Buy"
It has been the position of MPI, as well as major specifiers and users, that paint products formulated for the consumer or DIY markets have different pros and cons from those products specified for commercial and institutional market segments where performance and durability are of much more concern than aspects such as application properties and spatter resistance. 
MPI has requested information on test methods and the 'weighting' of characteristics from Consumer Reports - all without success. On the other hand, the test methods used by MPI are published and are either ASTM, or those approved by major users such as the paint experts at Navy Facilities, Army Corps of Engineers, GSA, etc.. MPI paint standards replaced GSA-maintained U.S. Paint Specifications in 2000. The MPI paint standards are used by both the U.S. and Canadian Governments. 
The "high-traffic" areas in both the master guide specification (UFGS) for all Department of Defense facilities (e.g. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine military facilities, NASA, etc.) and the master guide specification used by the American Institute of Architects MasterSpec® call for paints in an MPI category entitled "High-performance Architectural Latex". The UFGS says for "High Traffic Areas". The AIA MasterSpec® says "High Performance architectural latex systems are used in interior locations subject to high traffic ..".
Although some specifiers would prefer a higher gloss and sheen than the "low-luster" used by Consumer Reports for "high-traffic" areas, MPI used the category for MPI Gloss Level 2 in order to provide an apples-to-apples comparison with that listed by Consumer Reports (even though the 5 listed were all not the same gloss and sheen). That category is MPI #138 (High Performance Architectural Latex - Gloss Level 2).

*Summary*

*Only 1 of the 5 passed* qualification tests for performance contained in the test standards and protocol for MPI #138. Some failed cleansability or burnish resistance, or scrubbability, etc. 
For reference, MPI's minimum number of scrub cycles for this standard is *3000*, but 1 of the 5 Consumer Reports "Best for high-traffic areas" products actually failed by film breakthrough observed as early as *319* cycles. 
That only 1 of the top 5 of Consumers Reports "Best for high-traffic areas" paints passed the MPI performance standards does not indicate that the products tested are not good paint products, but it does indicate that the performance and durability standards needed for commercial projects are somewhat more stringent. Until accepted performance test methods are adopted by any consumer product testing, perhaps professional specifiers of commercial products should avoid DIY paint recommendations for commercial and institutional projects.


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## cappaint (May 24, 2011)

TJ Paint said:


> Ok first off, that over-sized picture messed this whole thread up.
> 
> 2nd, I didn't write the article. The difficulty, as deemed by
> the forces and powers that be within the editorial structure at CR
> ...


 

Duration is actually thin...much thinner than behr.


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