Walmart's paint came on number one several times in Consumer Reports!

I love the stuff.

The painter is saying Walmart paint is better than Farrow and Ball?

Lesser quality paint fades, no matter what room it's in. You can end up spending more time and money in the long run due to the need to repaint sooner and more often.

I have been using Wal-Mart paint inside and out for the last 7 years and I cannot complain about it. I have used other paints that I picked up from like the mis-tint rack and I didn't think they were any better than my old regular Color Place.

It fades? I never noticed! Wal-Mart guarentees their paint for 15 years. Most of us get tired of a paint color before that long!

Walmart paint is made by regular paint companies and sold under the Walmart name. In our area (Austin), it's made by Sherwin-Williams. I've used it a few times and liked it just as well as more expensive brands. In fact, you could say it IS a more expensive brand.

My friend who paints houses is the one who first told me about it. He swears by it.

I am afraid I would run. But then, I use Farrow & Ball... :-)

There was a thread a while back, before the "paint" forum was even created, in which folks were singing the praises of the Walmart paint...can't remember specifically why but it was getting very positive reviews, fwiw.

Right before Christmas, I needed to prime/paint a new drywall ceiling. We were 90% sure that we were going to panel over it, and so wanted to paint it a deep dark brown (the same shade as the paneling). Since the paint wasn't going to be exposed, we opted to get the cheapest paint we could - Walmart's Colorplace - something like $11/gallon.

Darned if it wasn't a really good paint! (and I'm picky about paint - I don't particularly care for Ben Moore or Sherwin Williams). It went on like a dream and covered in a single coat, even though we were doing a deep color over white. I don't know how it would hold up long term since we paneled over it, but I'd try it again in a heartbeat!

There just must be something seriously wrong with me because I bought Wal-Mart paint and loved it and it did not stink. In fact, it was rather odorless, and I have asthma and cannot tolerate most paints. Paint has held up well. Not sure it will be holding up as well in 50 years but I usually repaint every 2-3 years.

Consumer reports does what they call a "Quick Recommendation" on almost everything they rate. That recommendation does not mean that their top choice is the best ever. It means that for the price, and for the job at hand, this product will probably be a great deal. Sometimes more expensive items, such as a pricey food processor or an expensive car, might be the Best, but perhaps, not available to me. So, in that context, I can see her painter recommending Walmart. I like WM paint just fine. For the money, I absolutely prefer it to Ben Moore. I can paint two rooms with Walmart's Kilz paint and have them look great, for the price of one BM job. So, for the money involved, I would recommend the Kilz. However......***disclaimer ahead***...Since I find my local Wallyworld guys somewhat challenged on mixing paint colors to my specs, I might spend MORE money than Walmart, yet, LESS money than Ben Moore, and get Valspar American Traditions at Lowes. Lowes is also 1 mile from my house. BM is a 25 minute drive and they aren't open on Sunday or holidays like Lowes. Their shade choices are practically always what I want, however. So for Red's Quick Recommendations, I might do this:

Shade Choices and Help with Colors: Benjamin Moore
Price and Great Coverage: Kilz in their Kilz Colors only (Walmart)
Overall good value and Great Color Matching: Lowes AT
Test Quarts: Sherwin Williams

And the AT paint that I almost always use NEEDs the tablespoon of vanilla stirred in. It is stinky paint.

Red

**Note for the Paint Gurus: I have tried the sample jars of Ellen Kennon. They just weren't what I wanted and I must have my full quart to paint out on a wall before I make a final decision. She may be super helpful, but the two times I called (over a year ago) I got very little help. Farrow & Ball has some lovely looking colors in magazine pictures, but there is no dealer in my city. So, ditto what I said about EK. If someone SENT ME a quart of F&B in the perfect color for my room, then, yes, I might order it, pay whatever, and use that paint. I do believe in using the best quality possible and affordable for my house. But although I check my mail every day..........

No Paint.

Red

The PO of our previous house used Walmart paint throughout just before we bought it in 2004 and it held up very poorly. We found that the color had not stayed true when we touched it up about a year after moving in, the eggshell dulled strangely, and it did not clean well - dirt, fingerprints, and scuffs didn't come off with gentle washing, the paint rubbed off and burnished instead. Maybe if you're one of those fickle people who just has to change your wall color every couple of years it doesn't matter how well a paint holds up, but in our house it looked ratty after just a couple of years. I purchased a quart of the Kilz Casual Colors paint and it did not live up to the promise of one-coat coverage over any color, which was disappointing because we're admittedly lazy. :-) (I'm still a devotee of Kilz's primer-sealers, though.) We expect durability as well as good color and coverage, so we cough up the extra $30-50 per room to get better quality paint. Especially now that the zero-VOC paints are getting to be so much more widely available and have come down a lot in price.

FYI, just because Sherwin Williams makes Colorplace doesn't necessarily make it comparable to, say, SW Superpaint - SW makes a wide variety of paints at an equally wide variety of quality levels. (SW actually makes paint sold under many, many different brand names. Outside of the boutique brands, there are only about half a dozen major paint manufacturers in the US.) Even in their own brand they make good paint and they make crap; the painter we hired for the previous house swore by SW but would not touch some of their products with a ten-foot pole. If you read this article, The Anatomy of Paint, you'll understand how and why it is pretty much impossible that a $12/gal. paint is going to be exactly the same a $25/gal. paint. It's like expecting a loaf of 69 cent white bread that is completely devoid of any nutrition and substance (the kind you can squish up into little gray balls) to be exactly the same as a nutrient-dense multigrain bread because they're both made in the same bakery - the ingredients for the multigrain bread cost a lot more than those in the white fluff, so why would the bakery charge the same amount for both?

I no longer believe a darn thing Consumer Reports says, my experience has rarely been in line with their recommendations.

Definitely agree with Mari on paint quality levels varying from manufacturers (and just posted this experience in paint forum recently). I have Pittsburgh Manor Hall paint in a couple rooms of my own house. Great paint, it's their top of the line product, applies well, holds color well, washes well, no obvious fade. Just a good paint. So I wanted to try PB mid-level paint in a rental we were overhauling this summer. Didn't even come close to their Manor Hall line. Coverage was ho-hum, some walls required a 3rd coat in spots and I just don't trust that it's going to hold up well.

I also agree with Mari. I have actually like to paint and have tried many brands. MAB, SW, Pratt and Lambert, BM, Valspar, Behr, True Value.

My last house was painted with MAB and it still looked great after 7 years.

I would never buy paint from Walmart or anything else from them.

You pretty much get what you pay for, esp from companies like those. They have to cut costs somewhere and anywhere in order to deliver at their low prices. Maybe ask SW where Walmart's quality falls along their product lines -- and why. Although they probably have minimum quality specs for any paint they produce, surely Walmart's specs are not top of the line. But, if you like to repaint every couple years, maybe it's the right choice.

... is China involved?

Yikes, guys. My kitchen----MY KITCHEN, People !! Got painted Red--yes, Red, 4 years ago with Walmart Kilz paint. Two coats. Did it myself. Dogs lick the walls. Trash lids bang into the corner behind the door. (I have had to do a touch up there, I admit it...) Chair gets itself rammed into the wall under the window. Grease splatters onto the sink wall and someone uses a blue scrub sponge to get it off. Men walk through and lean on the wall wearing gruesome looking navy uniforms with machine oil splotches all over them. That gets wiped off too. There was some kind of incident about 3 years ago while I was in Georgia visiting my Mama, that evidently involved homemade enchilada sauce and a small explosion. I don't know the 'ins & outs' of that story, but I do know that a blue scrub sponge got pulled out yet again.

(I know what you're thinkin'.......And reading this, I'm thinkin' it too. I'm gonna work on it, I promise!)

Anyway.........the color is matte and pretty and deeply, deeply, Vesuvian Garnet red. In fact, a guy who goes into some of the nicest homes in town to do kitchen renovations told me once that my walls were so velvety looking that they almost reminded him of wallpaper.
I used the Eggshell sheen. I think I paid $18 a gallon. I bought one gallon. Then, two years later, I bought a second gallon to do my entry. I think I'm cool with this.

Red

Several years ago (maybe 4 or so) my friend wanted to paint her bedroom, and since she and paint don't get along too well, asked if I would help. I had heard lots of good things about Wal-mart paint, so that's where we headed. She was happy, because she is the ultimate bargain hunter.

The paint was thin, had a horrible odor, and was awful to paint with. Now, maybe she got a bad couple of gallons. I don't know. But based on that experience, I would never buy or recommend their paint.

After consumer report gave it a best buy rating, we decided to try it in our entry. We found it hard to use. It was runny and very streaky and even after two coats we could see a little streaking. It was a copper brown color(like a penny). It has held up fine and I don't think it has faded any more than any other paint. We don't have children at home any more and no animals so I haven't really had to do any spot washing.
I remember at the time thinking I would not use their flat paint again.
We had 5 rent houses for 20 years(boy an I glad to be rid of those LOL) and we did use their semigloss on those because it was cheap and we were painting very frequently. Those house had orange peel walls and we were always going back with the same off white color and it did fine for that kind of application.It didn't patch in without showing though .
I find it strange that a professional painter would be using their paint. Have you gotten references and looked at any of their work?

Squirellhaven,

I just saw a very informative show about Walmart's success on MSNBC. Most of the manufacturers Walmart allows into their stores must meet their price requirements which has forced many to seek China out for lower costs in manufacturing. They showed the Bratz Dolls as an example. No one cares as long as they are making money. Apparently, once Walmart excepts your product, you make millions as long as you meet their price constraints.

They continue to offer minimum wage. Their employees have high costs for medical insurance. I did not get a warm and fuzzy out of the way they treat their employees.
The company has such a cheap philosophy. It's actually silly. They still follow the Sam Walton philosophy.

That's why I will not go into a Walmart. Costco and Target offer low cost alternatives.

Okay, I'm done my Walmart rant.

"No one cares as long as they are making money."

You are so right.

After we built our new house and I painted the entire house with SW paint, we got ready to sell our old house. I painted one of the bedroom with walmart paint and it was so gross. It had the consistency of pudding. And it smelled so awful.
"Should I RUN?"

yes! back away. from. the. walmart. paint.

This is going to sound kooky, but is there any chance the manufacturers of WalMart paint might vary by region? I ask because there's such a diverse response to it. Another reason I ask is because of color samples I was looking for last summer. (I have never used WalMart paint, but wanted to try it in a rental.) They had neither the neutral I was looking for (can't recall the name, but I saw it here), nor did they have Red's Vesuvian Garnet red. (After doing virtuals on her wall and seeing the final product, that was one red swatch I wanted to add to my collection ;) But not only did my local WM not have the VS red, there was not even a slot labeled for it (indicating it was just empty and needed to be refilled). And of course clerk was clueless when I asked for that color.

Just musing... ;)

I'd think the formula would be the same though. As far as colors, that would probably vary by region. (And the prices by town!)

WalMart paint is all I use. Seriously. I've bought from Ben Moore and SW, but I prefer the WalMart paint. For us, it provides perfect coverage, it doesn't smell at all, and it's only $11/gallon.

I hate the Kilz paint, however. It's too thick, and does *not* coat in one coat in my experience. Colorplace is the only paint I can use.

One disclaimer is that heavily textured walls are the norm in our area. The consistency of Colorplace is just thin enough to get into the crevices but not so thin as to run. I could see where it may be too thin for perfectly flat walls.

I painted my dining room red (Vesuvian Garnet strikes again!!) in my last house with one coat of the Colorplace. We had to touch it up to sell a year later, and it was still a perfect match.

I forgot to add that to my post yesterday! Moonshadow is right! The one lady at our paint counter at Wal-Mart told me that there are three manufacturers that make their paint and where your store gets it from varies. The three companies are Sherwin-Williams, Valspar (American Traditions) and Master Chem (Kilz).

Our store happens to get their paint from Valspar. I LOVE the paint. It goes on well (it may take several coats because of the color! Darker colors do require more coats to get good coverage!). It doesn't stink a LOT (I wanted to paint badly the other day and didn't feel like making the 15 mile trip to Wal-Mart so bought paint at Ace and man, the whole family has been complaining and that was runny paint!) I think it's a matter of personal opinion though. Nothing wrong with liking different paints!

Moon, the Vesuvian Garnet is one of only about 4 reds in the Kilz line at Walmart. And as I understand it, not all WM across the country carry the Kilz. Thanks very much for the implied compliment too!

Jersey, I do Get your rant. Sigh. I lived in New Mexico for many years, and anyone who has lived outside of the Albuquerque area knows, there are a lot of small cities set in the middle of vast desert, many, many, miles removed from anything else. The city I lived in was 90 miles from the next big city. When the Walmart went in, close enough to my house so I could see the trucks in the loading docks from my front yard, I was beyond excited. Our mall had a JCPenney, a Kmart, a Payless shoe store, and about 2 dozen other small shops. That was it. Walmart was a real find. Inexpensive clothing and diapers for my children, cosmetics and cleaning supplies, as well as reasonably priced electronics kept us happy for several years.

Now, things are a bit different. I know way more about the breed. The links that many manufacturers and retailers have to terrible working conditions in third world countries have become known, as well as commonplace. Some stores and well-known people say they are working to keep this from happening, and yet, we know it still does.
Except for the occasional tire purchase, gallon of paint, or garden center trip, I rarely do WM anymore. Target seems cleaner and more cared for. The Target employees are definitely much friendlier, as if they are being compensated for taking more pride in their store.
But without making paint choices political or a study in ethics, I just have this to say. If I am at a garage sale and find something great, an antique or a vintage lamp, go up to the lady to pay, and hear her tell another customer that the proceeds from the sale are going to support ________, I WILL walk back to the table, put back the lamp or the chair or the painting, and walk away. It matters not how wonderful the item, how badly I need it, or how amazing the deal. I can say this with total sincerity, because it has happened to me at least 3 times in the last couple of decades. I will not support someone or something that I know to be vile or against my beliefs. But in today's world, that is becoming harder to do, just because so many companys are dabbling in unethical practices, employing people they virtually enslave, and operating dishonestly. Banks steal millions from poor people to increase revenue. And how do you know........for sure.........for a certainty, that what you bought at the Furniture Store, the Appliance Store, the Grocery Store, was not made or conveyed or set in position, at great cost to someone else? I hope not. But in most cases, I do not know. At the yard sale, the person says so. That, I know. And in that small, more personal scenario, I will walk away.

Red

A side note on Vesuvian Garnet, it's not a swatch that they carry in our stores anymore, but if you ask for it specifically, they have the color in the computer.

It's my all-time favorite red.

I'm going to paint my hallway this weekend with some WM paint...I'll let you all know what my experience is.

I read the Consumer Reorts Report too and I have been using Color Place paint since and I swear by it. No problems. Then when I brought this house I decided to buy some oops paint which was from the Valspar line. Dang what a difference! Now admittendly I was happy with Walmart paint but when I tried Valspar I noticed the difference immediately.

Now am I stuck on a brand? No. If I have the money I will buy Valspar but otherwise Walmart paint works for me. Well let me back track that statement. The only time I DID NOT like Walmart paint was when I used dark colors until I discovered grey primer. I find the tints in dark Color Place paints thins the paint out too much. Otherwise I am fine with it.I do know I did not like Behr paint the 2 times I have used it in the past. But that is just my 2 cents!

I've used Walmart paint in the past and it was excellent. I only lived in the home for 6 months after I painted so I can't say how it held up in the long run.

THANKS EVERYONE! I so appreciate all your replies. I've only had one experience with WM paint and it wasn't a positive one.
Painted the inside of the pantry with a semi-gloss and it bubbled and the paint has pulled away where some small appliances and cans were/are sitting. We've been happy with SW, BM and Kelly Moore. We haven't ever used any "boutique" (g) paints.
Monica

Then I wouldn't use it ... must your painter decide what brand paint you use? At $11/can, maybe the bid comes in well for them.

The paint may have bubbled because it wasn't fully cured and you spilt something or maybe wasn't dry enough when you sat the stuff inside of it. Another thing is if you are painting over something else that wasn't painted before or has a questionable type of paint, you need to prime first.

Using Walmart paint wasn't the actual issue. It was using a painter that thinks WM paint RULES (lol) We're still waiting on another bid. I'll use BM paint.
sweets, the shelving that has bubbled and pulled away was (new)plywood. DH is pretty sure he primed it. I waited a week before filling it with small appliances, pans and cans of food. *I* painted it and have never painted before (or since). And I lean towards the theory "if a little is a little good, then a lot is better" so it could be a case of too much paint. I don't know.
Monica

I have only used Dutch Boy paint purchased at Wal-Mart, and really love it...now, I must agree w/the poster who said that they are not exactly accurate with mixing though. Luckily, when I purchased it, I wasn't so gung-ho on the the exact match of the swatch- just a basic taupe color, and it turned out a bit lighter than I expected. Depends on the associate, I guess. But as far as the paint quality itself, I am very happy w/it. Did my dining room about 4 yrs ago, and it's held up very well. I have noticed that the DB satin is more matte than the Behr satin, so when I use Behr, I like the eggshell.

The worst paint I ever bought was glidden. I noticed Wlamrt doesn't carry that anymore. It was $9 a can a million years ago. I like BM very much (why is it I cnnot NOT think bowel movement every time I see that abbreviation!!)

Anyhoo, went to walmart yesterday and needed black paint. Yes, black. No midnight black or blue black or panther black. Just black. I got Dutch Boy, which they carry. It ws $8 a quart and I got black satin. Not Walmart brand but a walmart price so am happy!

Honestly, yes, I'd have a red flag go off. Personal quality standards, or integrity with regards to bidding purposes (can't think of the right word).size>

Just finished the 2nd coat of the WM paint. I won't buy it again.

It didn't smell at all, but it's so thin and the color isn't as true on the walls as the chip color. I haven't had that trouble before with other paint.

I painted our long, dark hallway, so any imperfections won't matter too much. I definitely wouldn't use this paint in a light filled area.

I got jinxed!!!
I painted my kitchen a bright blue satin finish and all was well. i have only had the paint up for about 2 weeks. WELL I went to get some construction dust off the walls and used a slightly damp rag. The rag was washing off the paint!!! The wallsa re still blue but I am worried about the color on the rag! This has never happened before so alls I can say is I got jinxed by supporting Walmart Color Place paint. LOL

I don't recall the timeline, but I do think 2 weeks is not long enough. Around here, it's been rainy all the time, too! Snow would have been so pretty :)

Here's some info, MsJay. From a different problem though (leaching in a shower bathroom). Info should be on the paint can, too, if you still have it. (or maybe their website?)

As far as 28 day CURE time, your paint store people were correct. Dry time, and CURE time are totally different. color>

And another good-to-know fact, for those of us who didn't know:

Ext. Paint is for OUTSIDE. All sorts of nasties in exterior paint that should not outgass indoors. As a bonus, exterior paint is LESS durable than interior paint for scrubs, and cleanablilty.color>

msjay, you might not have been jinxed ;)
SQH is right, the paint does need some time to cure. (I was told years ago when applying wallpaper border to allow 30 days "cure" time before putting border up.)
I put Ben Moore in my kitchen and a couple weeks after that had to wipe a spot and a little paint did come off on the rag. But that doesn't happen now. After awhile that should go away.

I helped my daughter paint last summer and we started out buying Walmart paint but we switched to Behr. The Walmart paint was runny, thin, and I think for one wall we had to use 3 coats so that it wouldn't look streaky!! But I have had the same problem with "cheap" paint in other stores; my motto is "go with the middle of the line"!!
Good luck!

I used WM paint on the BR walls immediately after moving in because they were pretty grim and I couldn't stand them as they were. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on paint in that room because we're going to take off the wallpaper eventually anyway. I have to say the WM paint covered in 2 coats, didn't smell any worse than any other paint I've ever used, and the color hasn't morphed into anything unexpected. It still looks just like I painted it yesterday and it's been about 4 years. I've also used thick, expensive paint in other places around this house that still didn't cover well even though the paint brush nearly stood upright by itself in it, so it has been my experience that a more expensive brand name is no absolute guarantee that the paint will be superior in practice.
The best paint I've found is the house brand from the regional chain of hardware stores out here in the SW. It's not budget paint, but is still definitely affordable.

Could some of the issues be that it's not the paint brand at all but the products people are using to apply the paint and their technique? My friend was just asking me like last week what sheen of paint I use for my cabinets because she used semi and it doesn't look at all like mine and I used semi, too. I think some people use WAY too much paint, others not enough and others just have it down to a science. Depending on how much paint you are slopping on there and what you are using to do it, the paint job can turn out quite differently!

Rollers make a difference, brush quality, and for sure surface underneath and whether or not it has been properly prepped (scrubbed, scuff sanded, residue wiped and then primed).

Yes, I'd definitely agree that there are a number of factors in addition to paint that contribute to the success or not of a paint job. Proper prepping is certainly a big one, in my experience, and that takes time and practice to learn. I look at a couple of the painting projects I did in this house early on when we moved in and I want to redo or fix them because I wasn't diligent enough then with the prepping. I learned with time and practice, however, and my later painting work is much better. The walls have all been easy to do; it was the trim prepping and painting that took time for me to master.

The person who mixes the paint can make a difference as well. Many years ago, we bought some Kmart paint. It was like water when we put it on the walls. We took it back to the store, and the guy who looked at it said something (and I don't remember what now) was not added to it as it should have been when the color was mixed. He fixed it. Maybe the big-box mixing technique is more idiot-proof these days, but the person who mixes the paint could play a role too. Quality and ethical-consumer issues aside, it's another reason to go to a paint store for paint.

I would run FAST from any painter that touts Wal-Mart paint as the best stuff out there. That's just odd!

I'm getting ready to paint my daughter's room and the playroom and bought ColorPlace paint just this morning! I've used it before with no problems. I imagine I'll be repainting these 2 rooms sooner than I'd like anyway so I don't want to drop a lot of $$ into the paint.

The other public areas of my house - living, dining, kitchen - are all painted with SW Duration. I LOVE that stuff!!!

We decided against that painter. She waltzed into hour home talking to us about her (in the pen) abusive husband, drug use and her dirty mouth pretty much clenched it for us. Going with the original painter and BM paint on the bedroom walls. I was very pleased with his job but this girl was working for a friend so we thought we'd let her give us a bid.
Thanks again for your replies,
Monica

I read this forum last night and saw good and bad things about Colorplace paint from Walmart. I have used lots of the higher end paints and painted all kids of things including exteriors. My favorite paint as far as price and quality has been the Kilz paints at Walmart. Unfortunately the Walmart stores here no longer carry it. I went to Walmart to pick out a color and the only color I could find for what I needed was in the Colorplace colors. I asked the nice man mixing paint if he could mix it into the Better Homes and Gardens paint thinking that it would be better. He assured me that he used Colorplace in his own home and had gotten good feedback from returning customers. I had also had a previous co-worker that recommended it but at that time I was a little snotty about paint and refused to try it. Nowadays, I am into saving as much cash as possible and the Colorplace paint was only $10.97 so I figured, what the heck, and I bought it.

Let me just say that I am super picky about how my house looks. I am a huge perfectionist and can't stand a sloppy paint job! I just painted the living room with the Colorplace and I am EXTREMELY PLEASED with the results!!! It went on easy with the brush as well as with the roller. It was a little bit thinner than other paints that I have used but I was very careful not to get too much on the brush/roller and not to let it drip.

I have found that with painting you need to take your time and be very careful. Don't paint if you are in a big hurry because you are likely to try to go fast and slop it everywhere. The only issue I had with this experience is that even though I was very meticulous with my trim taping, some paint still bled through but I suspect that it was due to the texture of the trim and not the paint or my application. I did not have this problem on the baseboards or ceiling so I think it was the ridges of the wood around the doors and windows that allowed the paint to bleed under the tape. Besides that little setback, I could not be happier and I will definitely use this paint again.