How to Choose Paint at Home Depot

If you're standing in Home Depot's interior paint section now, you may be wondering which of the store's two main brands to choose from, Behr or Glidden, or if one of the other attractive contenders is the right pick.

Paint contractors may tell you to skip Home Depot altogether and instead purchase from a standalone store like Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore. But if you're on a budget, or working on a smaller project like a kid's room or a guest bathroom, Home Depot paints are perfectly acceptable.

Plus, any tools you may need to get the job done, such as ladders or sprayers, are right there at your fingertips. So the question remains: Which paint brand should you choose?

Buying Considerations for Paint Brands 

Reputation

Paint brands that have been around for a while, such as Behr and Glidden, and others, have earned a good reputation for the quality of paint they manufacture. This reputation brings these brands of paint to the forefront as they're recognized as offering quality and well-known paint. People also tend to gravitate toward a brand that they're familiar with and have had the best of luck using in previous projects, even if it costs more.

When buying paint, you want to be assured that it is going to hold up well on your walls. Painting is not something you want to have to do frequently so the quality of the paint along with the brand's reputation and customer reviews come into play.

Durability and Ease of Cleaning

Quality paint is durable and easy to clean. You don't want paint that rubs off the wall when you're trying to clean up unexpected food splatters in the kitchen or marks on the wall in your kids' playroom. A good brand of paint will adhere to the wall and provide better protection. The durability of the paint will also give you peace of mind of the knowledge that you won't have to paint any time soon (unless you want to change the color).

The paint finish that you use will also help with the ease of scrubbing that wall, but a better grade of paint is both durable and scrubbable no matter the finish.

Coverage

Two important features to consider when buying any brand of paint are: how well the paint covers the walls, plus the ease of applying it. A paint that goes on smoothly and effortlessly—whether brushing or rolling, is spatter-free and provides coverage in fewer coats—will mean less time spent painting a room thus, the paint's coverage, with how busy all of our lives are, is an attractive one. 

Available Paint Colors

Let's face it; if the color you've set your heart on is not available in a paint brand, you will most likely opt to go to another brand to get that specific shade if they have it in their lineup of colors. The good news is that brands that have been around for several years, like Behr and Glidden, offer a wide assortment of colors in all areas of the color spectrum. 

Types of Paint Brands Sold at Home Depot

Home Depot carries a number of paint brands, including Behr, PPG, Glidden, Rust-Oleum, Kilz, and a few other specialty brands. Home Depot tends to focus on two main brands, Behr and Glidden.

Behr

Behr has been Home Depot's house brand since 1978, and it's often compared to the quality of Benjamin Moore's paint. As a house brand, it's often clearly displayed on the best shelves.

Behr Marquee is Behr's highest-end paint and is marketed as such. From the favored display locations to the swanky labeling, Marquee is positioned as the paint that Home Depot hopes you will choose. While Marquee is a quality paint, those on a tight budget can find other paints of reasonable quality for a lower price.

Glidden

Glidden, which is owned by PPG Industries, is a less expensive brand of paint sold at Home Depot. It's also carried at Walmart stores across the country.

Glidden paint is often compared to Behr, and many contractors prefer using it for outdoor surfaces.

PPG

PPG Industries, which bought Glidden in 2012, has a premium line called PPG Diamond (which was once Glidden Diamond). PPG also has a line of additives to pour into its scented paint to appeal to homeowners who prefer odor-controlled paint.

Rust-Oleum

Rust-Oleum is mainly a spray paint that's good for protecting metal surfaces and stopping or hindering rust. However, several brush-on varieties are available, as well. Rust-Oleum also has a line of countertop paints, Countertop Transformations, that covers laminate or tile countertops.

Kilz

Kilz is a water- and oil-based white paint and primer that is used for covering up problem areas like water stains, mold residue, or old paint. Kilz is available in gallons for brushing or rolling or in spray can form. Kilz is rarely used on its own but more as a primer for subsequent coats of paint.

Diamond Brite Paint

This brand offers quality interior latex paint and oil-based enamel paint. It has a smaller offering than the major Home Depot brands, but it is fairly well-known for its commercial uses and industrial applications, though these U.S.-made paints can be used in the home, as well.

Harris Titanium

A limited selection of thicker-than-usual interior/exterior paints, but at a lower price than other top brands. Some users liken it to Behr but often comment that multiple coats are necessary.

Tips for Saving Money on Paint

Consider Behr Pro

One thing that most homeowners don't know is that Home Depot has a line of paint designed for contractors called Behr PRO. Introduced in April 2015, Behr PRO offers paint at steeply lower prices than its consumer line. Consumers can find it on the shelves, and you don't need to be a contractor to buy the brand.

Price Bulk vs. Smaller Quantities

Buying in bulk—meaning a five-gallon bucket—doesn't always pay off. Before you grab that bucket, price it out on a per-gallon basis and see if single gallons might be cheaper or more practical for your needs.

For example, you may only need three to four gallons of paint for your job, which means a five-gallon bucket could be overkill and overpriced for your project. Sometimes, the price per gallon and the price for a five-gallon bucket are extremely close, and, other times, the bucket is a better deal. Prices may vary near you, so always do the math to find your best buy.

Time Your Paint Job

Home Depot knows its customers like to tackle home projects on long holiday weekends. That's why it's a good idea to keep an eye out for great sales on paint brands during major holidays, such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, or President's Day. You could save several dollars on a gallon of interior and exterior paint if you time it just right.

Find the Oops Section

Many Home Depot stores keep a small, discreet section of what's termed "oops" paints. It's the perfect section to look for colors for small paint jobs. These incorrectly mixed paints, damaged containers, or returned paints are sold at a substantial discount. Look for the tiny oops section usually located close to the paint mixing area.

Use a Paint Calculator

Don't guess how much paint you'll need, or you may overspend. Using an easy paint calculator will save you money and also the anxiety of not having enough paint to complete the job.

Cost

This info is a snapshot of one set of prices in time; naturally, prices will change. The price differences between the paints, however, likely will not change. To summarize:

• Behr PRO i100 Series is one of the cheapest Behr interior paints available at Home Depot. The Behr PRO i300 Series, for high-traffic areas, is slightly more expensive.
• Any kind of paint plus primer will drive up the price per gallon. These differences vary between brands and qualities within the brands.
• Going up or down in paint sheens (semi-gloss to satin, for example) changes the price by a few dollars per sheen level. Prices vary between brands and qualities within brands.

Pricing White Paints

White Paint vs. Base vs. Primer

Many times white paint, base paint, and primer are confused with one another, especially now that many white paints are formulated with primers. Here are the differences:

• White paint: A white paint is a neutral topcoat of paint.
• Base: A base is a clear or white medium used to mix the pigments to create a paint color. Some professional painters use a non-tinted base on top of a primer and before a topcoat to add durability to the paint job. However, other painters may refer to base paint as the first layer of a paint job that comes after the primer.
• Primer: A primer differs from paint in that it's specially formulated with a mix of resins, solvents, and other ingredients to seal porous surfaces (such as drywall), hide surface discoloration, and help topcoats of paint to better adhere to the wall.

Base Paints