Sometimes an item is expensive simply because it is overpriced. Maybe it’s a famous brand, or maybe it’s the marketing. In any case, if the product is the same, why pay the higher price? On the other hand, some products that cost more money are actually superior, and they are worth every penny! Which is the case with house paint? Do you get what you pay for when you use premium residential paints?
That answer is easy: Absolutely! Quality house paints cost more, not because of an artificially inflated price, but because they contain superior ingredients. Let’s look at the ingredients in a typical can of house paint, and examine the difference.
What’s in the Can? House Paint Ingredients
One of the most prevalent ingredients in paint is the solvent. This is what keeps the paint in a liquid form and allows it to flow and brush on smoothly. Once the paint is on the wall, the solvent evaporates, leaving the film of cured paint. In a typical latex-acrylic house paint, water is the solvent. Obviously, water is not a complicated or expensive ingredient, and quality paints use it just like budget paints. The difference, though, is in how much water is included. Many budget paints have a higher proportion of water. That way, they can include fewer expensive ingredients, and charge less money for the paint.
The problem with a higher proportion of water is that the paint goes on thin. Once it dries, the film of paint does not have the power it needs to hide the previous wall color and create a vibrant new one. Often, you need more coats of paint to get the color you want, which means buying more paint and negating the cost savings of the cheaper paint.
Another important ingredient in house paint is the pigment. This substance hides the prior wall color and helps create the new hue. Quality house paints use a good amount of titanium dioxide or iron oxides to get rich colors and powerful hide. Budget paints either substitute these with inferior pigment ingredients, or they use less of them, and add a filler such as clay. When this happens, the paint is not as smooth, and the performance is not as good.
Finally, all paints have a binder. This is the substance that causes the paint to adhere to the wall and to hold together in a film. Premium paints have longer-lasting performance, because the binders protect the paint from wear and damage. Cheap paints do not have this advantage.
Are Premium Paints Worth the Cost?
In the total analysis, budget house paints are not worth their high cost! If you have to buy more cans to get the coverage you need, plus the life of the paint is shorter, are you really saving money? Additionally, if the result of the painting project doesn’t look as good, was the whole thing even worth it?
Whether you do the painting yourself or you hire a Portland house painting company, the actual paint is only a small part of your investment. Paying more for your materials only increases the price by a small margin, but it makes an outsized difference in the results!
Sundeleaf Painting
At Sundeleaf Painting, we believe in quality craftsmanship. Discerning homeowners all over the Portland area trust us with their high-end houses, because they know we never compromize on quality. Our painters are highly-trained and experienced, and they take great pride in their work. As a residential painting company, we know the value of quality ingredients and skilled expertise. Since 1930, Sundeleaf has been Portland’s trusted house painting company.
Sundeleaf Painting offers interior painting, cabinet refinishing, exterior painting, concrete cleaning, and much more. Contact our office to request your free house painting estimate today!