When You Want Paint to Last, You Need to Know What to Look For
If you’re like most homeowners, the idea of repainting your home is not one you relish. It’s messy, can take a while, and can get expensive. The results are well worth the effort, but it’s not something that you want to have to redo often.
As a homeowner, you might ask, “What is the most durable paint?” to save yourself redoing the job again soon.
Business owners, too, often ask the question.Businesses are driven by budgetary concerns and possibly safety concerns, as well. Also, business areas might have a lot more traffic.
In this post, we’ll answer the question, focusing on a few different areas.
What is the most durable type of paint?
If you’re looking for sheer staying power, it’s hard to beat gloss paints. These paints will stand up to:
- Steam and condensation
- Your child’s artistic creations
- A great deal of scrubbing
The Benjamin Moore range consists of high-quality pigments and ingredients to ensure a durable finish. The company started in 1883 and has been honing its skills ever since. They’re Canada’s favourite brand of paint for a good reason.
What is the hardest paint finish?
If you’re able to apply an epoxy modified alkyd paint, you won’t find a harder finish. Thanks to the epoxy in the paint, it’s very like resin in durability.
The downside is that you must spray it on. Getting a smooth, even finish does take some skill with a spray gun.
If that doesn’t work for your project, choose an enamel or oil-based paint instead. They’re more hard-wearing than latex paints.
What is the most durable paint for metal?
Oil or enamel-based paints are your best option here. Latex paints tend to wear off a lot more quickly. Whatever type of paint you use on metal, though, priming it properly beforehand is essential.
What kind of paint do you use for high traffic areas?
Again, gloss or enamel paint are your best options. If you’ve ever had to try and strip one of these types off the wall, you can attest to how well they adhere. Their primary advantage for high traffic areas is that they’re so easy to clean, though.
We’d also advise priming the area before applying your paint. You can see how to do so in this video. It’s not always necessary to prime the area before painting it.
That said, if we’re talking about a high traffic area, the better prepared the surface, the better and more durable the finish.
Final Thoughts on Finding the Most Durable Paint
When it comes to durability, an enamel- or oil-based paint is usually the right choice. That said, if you don’t prepare the surface properly beforehand, these paints won’t last as well as they should.
It’s imperative to understand the qualities of any paint that you’re purchasing. Going over all the different types is beyond the scope of this article.
If you’re interested in learning what the difference between each type is, Elle has explained it quite nicely here.
If you’re still not sure, why not give us a call? We’re happy to provide you with the right advice.
FAQs
What is the most durable type of paint? If you're looking for sheer staying power, it's hard to beat gloss paints. These paints will stand up to: Steam and condensation.
Which paint is the most durable? ›
Latex-Acrylic Blends: These paints strike a balance between affordability and durability. They are more resilient than pure latex paints and are often used for both interior and exterior applications. Pure Acrylic Paints: Pure acrylic paints, in general, offer higher durability.
What brand of paint lasts the longest? ›
Sherwin-Williams Duration stands out as the longest-lasting exterior paint brand on the market, earning top spots in Consumer Reports for its durability.
What is the best paint to use over old paint? ›
Your best bet is to use a good layer of primer to ensure a smooth, consistent base layer for the colored paint. In this case, your primer will mask many of the imperfections you're trying to hide.
What is the most durable paint for exterior walls? ›
Acrylic paint is a popular choice for exterior walls as it is durable, flexible, and can withstand harsh weather conditions. It dries quickly, is easy to clean, and has low VOC (volatile organic compound) content, making it a user-friendly option.
What paint do most professionals use? ›
Achieving a higher-grade finish requires the correct paint. Many professional painters opt for top-of-the-line paints, like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams, known for their durability and excellent coverage.
What is the number one exterior paint? ›
To be honest, I list Sherwin Williams' Duration line first because it is, in my professional opinion, the best exterior house paint I've seen or used myself in 40 years of experience. And when applied by a professional and using two coats, Sherwin Williams' offers a lifetime guarantee against chipping or cracking.
Is Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams better? ›
The best paint between Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore is Benjamin Moore, by a slight margin. In terms of paint quality, durability, coverage, and ease of application, Benjamin Moore's paint takes the cake. Indeed, their indoor paint product, Regal Select, is hands down the best interior paint on the market.
What paint finish do professionals use? ›
Eggshell Paint
Eggshell finish, perennially popular with professional and DIY painters alike, has a low-sheen reminiscent of flat or matte, but it is infinitely more durable than its namesake.
Which paint gives the best finish? ›
Gloss paint has the highest level of sheen, creating a reflective and smooth finish. It has one of the highest levels of stain and moisture resistance, making it a popular choice for bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
Good adhesion, excellent durability and stain resistance make Sherwin-Williams oil/alkyd-based paints excellent choices for trim in high-traffic rooms, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Clean paint tools with mineral spirits. Browse our interior latex and alkyd paints.
What is the toughest paint on the market? ›
When it comes to durability, an enamel- or oil-based paint is usually the right choice.
What paint brand do most contractors use? ›
When painting contractors seek out quality paint for their jobs, they often choose Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams – two of the best selling brands on the market. Professional painters the world over have used these paints to great success for many years.
Is Sherwin-Williams paint better than Valspar? ›
When comparing Valspar paint vs. Sherwin-Williams, Sherwin-Williams is the better paint brand. Sherwin-Williams' products tend to be more expensive than Valspar paints but have a better formula that is often thicker, requires less coats, and is more durable in the long run.
What type of painting lasts the longest? ›
Acrylic Paint Lasts Longest
“Acrylic paint lasts the longest and is also known for resisting all sorts of damage caused by weather and other natural variables.
Which is more durable enamel or acrylic paint? ›
A: Enamel paints tend to last a lot longer than acrylic paints, and they become hardened when dried completely. This enables enamel paints to withstand much more damage than acrylic paints while also retaining their look and finish for a lot longer.
What is the hardest paint to keep clean? ›
Black and red are—by far—the hardest colors to care for. They need to be cleaned, waxed, and buffed often due to how easily they show everything.
