# Consumer Reports on Exterior Paint



## jennifertemple (Oct 30, 2011)




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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

jennifertemple said:


> Consumer Reports Searches For Top House Paints - YouTube



This is why I don't trust Consumer Reports paint testing and recommendations. Behr always tops the list..........lol.


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## ElegantPainting (Aug 25, 2014)

People hate consumer reports: 
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/consumer_reports.htm


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Lol a couple roof panels. Th BM test farm in Flanders NJ is 175000sqft and 20000 panels including competitors paints. Pretty amazing how Behr is always #1 year after year!


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## jennifertemple (Oct 30, 2011)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> Lol a couple roof panels. Th BM test farm in Flanders NJ is 175000sqft and 20000 panels including competitors paints. Pretty amazing how Behr is always #1 year after year!


Yup, I never read their reports. It's all just about getting us to hand over some money while they claim to "Test" a load of stuff. Funny, I never seem to have any trouble buying quality with no help fro CR. You think Behr pays them, NO, that wouldn't be right!:vs_smirk:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Fake news!


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Consumer reports is like the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

There are people who read it and believe it though. Then preach about what they've gleaned like they're seasoned pros in whatever realm they're talking about. In the past month I've done quotes for a few people who should have put 'has paint Phd' as their title. Neither of which appeared to be in any physical condition to paint anything.


They were pushing me towards behr which I refused, but they persisted explaining to me their wealth of knowledge of the subject and showed me their piles of CR magazines that they read religiously. I didn't get either job which was fine. I got the impression they were going to hover over me the whole time telling me how to do my job.


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## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

I think it was CR that said Walmart paint was the best, 25, 30 years ago. Stuff like that makes me question their knowledge of dishwashers and lawnmowers.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

To be honest, I have no idea how Behr exterior performs....

Am i the one who noticed how no other paints were mentioned? I might think twice if they did a side by side with manor hall, or mooreglo. I wonder why that is....


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Woodco said:


> To be honest, I have no idea how Behr exterior performs....
> 
> Am i the one who noticed how no other paints were mentioned? I might think twice if they did a side by side with manor hall, or mooreglo. I wonder why that is....


So they can keep Behr on top of course! Like i tell people, that paint test is like having a Super Bowl and not letting the two teams with the best regular season records play in it. That's why the only PPG product they ever test is Olympic. They know that behr will be a better product. And they can hide behind the idea that they only test brands that are available nationwide. YET, PPG is nationwide. Ben Moore is available pretty much nationwide. They have steadfastly refused to test ANY California paints products because of this "requirement" that they have. But what about Pratt & Lambert? Again, a product that is available nationwide for the most part. Never gets tested.

And in that video, do you ever see ANY other paint in a color to check that one brands fade against? No? Wonder why?

And how do all of these paints work on other substrates like, idk, WOOD! Or STUCCO! Masonry? So lets do our test on the most stable substrate we can so the behr doesn't peel off! DUH!

Seriously, it's like Ben Moore, PPG, and SW never ever test their products against competitors or something! Like CR's testing is the best and ONLY testing being done or something. Absolute Bull5hit to say the least. I'd LOVE to get these clowns into court sometime! I bet i could make them cry.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Woodco said:


> To be honest, I have no idea how Behr exterior performs....
> 
> Am i the one who noticed how no other paints were mentioned? I might think twice if they did a side by side with manor hall, or mooreglo. I wonder why that is....



I went to a job site to match some siding. Last paint was Behr premium plus ultra. I took several samples and took me a while to figure out why I couldn't get a good match. That damn green paint had faded to blue. It was a gradient of green ->blue all across the house. Only 3 years old!


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

I used to rely on CR when I was looking to buy an appliance or electronics back in the day. This was before Google.

When I first started painting I remember reading that a paint called "Dutch boy" was always #1 year after year along with Behr in subsequent years. Those two paints were not available in Canada at the time. Has anyone used Dutch Boy? Does it still exist?

There were rumours that Dutch boy and Behr were major advertisers for consumers Reports. I'm not sure if that is true or not.


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## Peanut (Nov 19, 2015)

If I remember correctly Consumer Reports has a collection of other magazines as well, and guess who one of their biggest advertisers is in those. Behr. It's basically scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. If CR were totally unbiased they would lose massive ad campaigns from them on their other magazines.


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## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

I rely on Google and the comments/ratings from customers on Amazon. Doesn't really help with paint but it's a pretty fair gauge of the public on every other product. You may get some paid corporate trolls in the comments but it's not too hard to spot them because they absolutely LOVE the product and it CHANGED THEIR LIFE! I don't bother with YELP reviews except for entertainment as they are too often someone with an ax to grind. Not sure I've even seen a copy of Consumer Reports since the '80's or 90's and they might have been more independent and objective then.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I use Paint Talk.


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## Gymschu (Mar 11, 2011)

Mr Smith said:


> I used to rely on CR when I was looking to buy an appliance or electronics back in the day. This was before Google.
> 
> When I first started painting I remember reading that a paint called "Dutch boy" was always #1 year after year along with Behr in subsequent years. Those two paints were not available in Canada at the time. Has anyone used Dutch Boy? Does it still exist?
> 
> There were rumours that Dutch boy and Behr were major advertisers for consumers Reports. I'm not sure if that is true or not.


Dutch Boy does still exist, but, I believe SW is the manufacturer behind it. You see it in Menard's big box stores. It may have been good paint in 1972, but, it is pure garbage nowadays.


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## WestKyPainter (Nov 7, 2018)

I can absolutely verify that Clark and Kinsington is very good paint. We have used it numerous times and it's a good product.


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## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

Gymschu said:


> Dutch Boy does still exist, but, I believe SW is the manufacturer behind it. You see it in Menard's big box stores. It may have been good paint in 1972, but, it is pure garbage nowadays.


It's like when the corporations buy a beer brand- anything really. They're just buying the name and have no desire to stay true to the recipe.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Gymschu said:


> Dutch Boy does still exist, but, I believe SW is the manufacturer behind it. You see it in Menard's big box stores. It may have been good paint in 1972, but, it is pure garbage nowadays.


Not for long! Heeheeheeeee!


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Fman said:


> It's like when the corporations buy a beer brand- anything really. They're just buying the name and have no desire to stay true to the recipe.



And then still slap the "Same Original Formula!" On the new formula cans. Re PPG/Proluxe/Cetol/Sikkens.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> And then still slap the "Same Original Formula!" On the new formula cans. Re PPG/Proluxe/Cetol/Sikkens.


Going to be a lot more of that going on towards the end of the year. At SW/Valspar as well.


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## PaPainter724 (Apr 22, 2016)

To be fair, Behrs exterior isn't too bad. It might not even be out of the realm of the possibility to call it a best "Value" when you consider the off the shelf pricing on SuperPaint, Manor Hall, etc. If you're planning on small jobs or repainting every five years. 

But in a realistic world where a house is painted once every fifty years, then brands like Behr shouldnt even be in the discussion.


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## loaded brush (Dec 27, 2007)

Wildbill7145 said:


> I use Paint Talk.



There's one born every minute.


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## loaded brush (Dec 27, 2007)

Sorry couldn't resist.


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## Lightningboy65 (Mar 12, 2018)

When I was a kid in the early 70's my grandfather would always go to K-mart and stock up on the red Dutch Boy oil and have me spend a good part of the summer painting his barn. He swore it was the best. I really don't know, because he had me do it every 3 years, whether it needed it or not! I have a feeling the free labor had a lot to do with it.


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## Eagle Cap Painter (Nov 14, 2016)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> And then still slap the "Same Original Formula!" On the new formula cans. Re PPG/Proluxe/Cetol/Sikkens.


I've done a cursory Google search and can't find any indication that the formulae for these have changed. I've put about 30 gallons of the new label stuff down this week and everything seems the same. Am I missing something?


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Eagle Cap Painter said:


> I've done a cursory Google search and can't find any indication that the formulae for these have changed. I've put about 30 gallons of the new label stuff down this week and everything seems the same. Am I missing something?


Most of their stuff is now low voc, waterborne and/or has discontinued colors.

AzkoNobel cetol 123 was 550g/l new PPG cetol 123 RE is <275g. Rubbol dek and rubbol siding merged into one waterborne stain. Semi-transparent oil is now waterborne only... Only srd and log& siding are the same but with reduced colors available and probably will be replaced totally with low voc versions soon. Low voc SRD is already on the market so it's just a matter of time before the original is discontinued... Etc etc... 

For example semi transparent they don't even mention it's waterborne on the front of the can but claim "same old formula!" It's BS that product usee to be a nice oil based stain.


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## Eagle Cap Painter (Nov 14, 2016)

It's odd they don't clearly mark the waterborne finishes, but my SIK240 is still <550g/l and alkyd. That can of SIK500-190 used to be an alkyd as well?


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## PPD (Mar 19, 2018)

Was reading a research article someone posted on reddit a few months ago about the CR issue....

Basically made the point that the biggest issue w/ their results is they refuse to test test anything that can’t be bought at a big box store (which they pointed out is an unnecessary exclusion bias since almost everything can be bought by average consumer somewhere now). 

In any other form of testing it wouldn’t be acceptable w/out a disclaimer that more reputable (but harder to acquire) products were excluded.

Picking the best of the crappy options is a lot easier but less reliable than actually testing a full scope for the best product. Sucks cuz they could have some real pull with consumers in highly competitive markets like luxury appliance‘s where ppl could really use some testing results before purchase.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

PPD said:


> Was reading a research article someone posted on reddit a few months ago about the CR issue....
> 
> Basically made the point that the biggest issue w/ their results is they refuse to test test anything that can’t be bought at a big box store (which they pointed out is an unnecessary exclusion bias since almost everything can be bought by average consumer somewhere now).
> 
> ...


Basically they test products that they know ahead of time that Behr will out perform. That's what makes their testing a lie. But marketing to stupid people is a lot easier than marketing to smart people. Ask Walmart.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Eagle Cap Painter said:


> It's odd they don't clearly mark the waterborne finishes, but my SIK240 is still <550g/l and alkyd. That can of SIK500-190 used to be an alkyd as well?



Enjoy the original SRD while it still lasts, there is both original and low VOC versions on the market. How long do you think PPG will manufacture both? With VOC laws in several states I am sure they will just discontinue the SIK240 in the near future.



also azkonobel never made a waterborne semitransparent afaik. That product was always an oil based semitransparent.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> Enjoy the original SRD while it still lasts, there is both original and low VOC versions on the market. How long do you think PPG will manufacture both? With VOC laws in several states I am sure they will just discontinue the SIK240 in the near future.
> 
> 
> 
> also azkonobel never made a waterborne semitransparent afaik. That product was always an oil based semitransparent.


Just like Thompson's, Cabots, Cuprinol, and many others they are not very open about changing their products to water based. As more and more areas have to be in compliance they have quietly changed over to waterbased formulas. When i worked at Menard's we actually put water based and oil based Thompson's stain on the shelf and never knew one was water and one was oil. Made quite a mess when the first customer bought several of each and stained their deck! What a nightmare! The only way you could tell which was which was as i said, looking at what the clean up solvent was. Same with Cabot's especially. Although again, Cabot's puts a blue lid on any product of their that is waterbased. That is the only way to tell without reading the clean-up or the safety section on the can.


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