My Favourite Go-To Portray Merchandise For DIYers (Up to date 2023)

Favourite Normal Use Paint — Behr Premium Plus

That is my normal go-to paint for nearly all the pieces. I’ll use it for furnishings, partitions, trim, and cupboards. You’ll discover that it’s the mid-range paint from Behr, and never the highest vary, costliest paint that Behr makes.

I’ve tried these different paints which are supposedly greater high quality, and I’ve at all times come again to this one. I’ve personally by no means discovered an amazing distinction that justifies the elevated worth. I simply actually like and like this one.

For portray partitions, I virtually at all times use an eggshell end, and for portray trim (baseboards, crown molding), I take advantage of a satin end. That’s not commonplace, as most individuals use a semi-gloss for trim, however I’m not a fan of tremendous shiny paint finishes. I want a satin end for my trim. Don’t be afraid to step exterior of the “guidelines” in your own residence. In case you’re like me, and also you don’t like shiny trim (or shiny anything as a normal rule), don’t assume you need to comply with some rule about utilizing semi-gloss or shiny paint in your trim.

After I use this product to color cupboards or furnishings or bookcases/bookshelves, I at all times use my favourite topcoat no less than on the tops and cabinets of the furnishings items that may get used and the place I’d place gadgets on the with my favourite clear coat, which you’ll discover beneath. So, for instance, the entire surfaces in our music room are painted with Behr Premium Plus — the trim, wainscoting, higher partitions, ceiling, doorways, and bookcases. However on the precise bookshelves the place I wished to position ornamental gadgets, I used a transparent topcoat for added safety.

Favourite Ceiling Paint — Behr Inside Ceiling Flat

It’s uncommon for me to color a ceiling a coloration apart from white. I actually like how a white ceiling retains the room trying open and shiny, so I solely use coloration on a ceiling in very uncommon conditions.

I keep in mind the primary time I painted the ceiling in the lounge of our present home, and I believed it will be a fantastic concept to hold the trim coloration (Behr Polar Bear) proper from the crown molding onto the ceiling. It was terrible. For some motive, the Polar Bear on the ceiling had very noticeable purple undertones that had been by no means noticeable on the trim. So at a sure time each single day, it regarded like I had painted the ceiling pink. I really like pink, however not on my ceilings! Polar Bear has been my go-to trim coloration since our rental days (so over a decade), and I’ve by no means observed any purple undertones in it. But it surely positive turned pink on my lounge ceiling.

So ever since then, I simply use pure white tremendous flat Behr ceiling paint proper out of the can, and I really like that tremendous flat end on the ceiling that may cover imperfections in contrast to a better sheen paint.

Favourite Paint For Darkish Colour Flat Partitions — Benjamin Moore Aura Matte End

For many of my life, I averted matte end paints simply because they’re so finicky, particularly in darker colours. I imply, you simply brush your hand throughout them, and it’ll go away gentle streaks which are then just about unimaginable to take away.

However then I found Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint, and it’s wonderful. After I desire a matte end on a wall (typically to cover imperfections that may present with a better sheen paint), Aura is my go-to for an exquisite, washable matte end wall. It’s not low cost, however once I completely desire a matte end, it’s the one one I’ll use. That is the paint I used for the flat end darkish teal wall in our entryway.

Favourite Kitchen Cupboard Paint — Benjamin Moore Advance

Benjamin Moore Advance paint is an exceptional paint for kitchen cupboards. It goes on fantastically, dries to a sturdy end, and is simple to wash.

My one complain about this paint is that the bottom sheen obtainable is satin, and to my eye (no less than when utilized in darker colours) it seems extra like a semi-gloss. And with solely uncommon exceptions, I don’t like shiny paint finishes. So for me personally, Benjamin Moore Advance is a paint that I might select provided that I had been portray cupboards in a lightweight coloration. In case you’re portray your cupboards white, that is an incredible paint for that. In case you’re portray your cupboards in a darker, richer coloration, it’s nonetheless an incredible selection so long as you want a end that’s someplace between satin and semi-gloss.

Favourite Entrance Door Paint — Benjamin Moore Aura Grand Entrance

That is my go-to paint for exterior doorways. All of my exterior doorways are steel, and I’ve at all times had a tough time getting a extremely fairly streak-free paint end on steel doorways till I discovered Grand Entrance.

This paint is really easy to brush on, and it leaves a stunning end. I’ve discovered that it’s additionally very simple to wash, which is necessary for exterior doorways. It’s not low cost, however I discover that the fee is well worth the ease-of-use, the sturdiness, and the cleanability.

Favourite Home Exterior Paint — Sherwin Williams Length

In relation to portray issues, I’ve the least quantity of expertise with portray home exteriors. However after performing some analysis on the outside paints which are obtainable, I went with Length from Sherwin Williams for our home, and I’ve been very happy with it. I might select it once more with none hesitation. I used it on the pre-primed Hardiplank siding, the railings, trim, and columns on the entrance porch, and the shutters. Our home was painted in January 2018, and it has held up fantastically by the recent Texas summers, and nonetheless seems nice virtually 5.5 years later.

What has impressed me probably the most is how properly it’s held up on my PVC shutters. I used to be warned by many individuals that I can’t paint PVC boards in a darkish coloration, particularly not with our scorching summers, and with a few of the shutters being in direct daylight throughout a lot of the day. However they’ve held up completely. I used to be noticing simply the opposite day how the colour hasn’t pale, chipped, or peeled one single bit on these PVC shutters. It nonetheless seems nice!

Favourite Water-Primarily based Clear Topcoat — Normal Finishes Excessive Efficiency Topcoat

That is the magic proper right here, y’all. That is it. That is my absolute favourite, always-have-on-hand, water-based topcoat. I’ve used this on furnishings, cupboards, doorways, frames and different small DIY tasks. I might coat all the pieces in my life on this if I may. I buy it right here on Amazon.

I merely can not overstate how a lot I really like this product. I attempted different water-based polyurethanes for years, and eventually gave up on them. Regardless of how I attempted making use of the end — spray, brush, curler — I used to be by no means happy. I wound up with streaks or bubbles or cloudy areas.

Then somebody (and sadly, I can’t keep in mind who) advised me about Normal Finishes Excessive Efficiency Topcoat, and I’ve by no means regarded again. I might merely by no means think about using one other clear topcoat. If I’m out of this product, and my decisions are to attend just a few days for an Amazon order of Normal Finishes, or go to House Depot and decide up no matter they’ve available, I’ll wait the few days. And that’s saying quite a bit for somebody like me who virtually at all times chooses rapid gratification.

After I painted the lavatory door within the studio rest room black, each time I touched it, it will go away marks behind simply from my fingers. So I topcoated it with the GF topcoat, and that stopped occurring. It utterly modifications the texture of the paint, and makes it really easy to wash.

I painted my kitchen cupboards teal (they had been beforehand inexperienced) in 2017, and nonetheless, the end is almost excellent on them. I’m very tough on surfaces, however after six years, these cupboards solely have two tiny chips within the paint, and one in every of them is on the cupboard door that’s opened and closed a number of instances a day (the one beneath the sink). I’ve by no means touched up the paint on these cupboards, and apart from these two tiny chips (concerning the measurement of a grain of rice), the end remains to be stunning.

This topcoat is so amazingly sturdy that I really feel utterly snug portray kitchen cupboards with Behr Premium Plus, after which topcoating them with Normal Finishes, and realizing that the end goes to final. If I had been to decide on one paint/end product that I couldn’t dwell with out, this might be it.

Favourite Primer For Furnishings And Naked Wooden — Zinsser Oil-Primarily based Cowl Stain Primer

That is my go-to primer for all the pieces besides unprimed drywall. Because the title suggests, it covers stains amazingly properly, and it’s a should for me when portray uncooked wooden. I virtually at all times brush it on, let it dry for just a few hours (or in a single day, relying on the climate and how briskly it dries), after which it sands fantastically with 220-grit sandpaper. It’s simply so excellent for getting a fantastic floor for an exquisite painted end.

It’s oil-based, so it does stink. I attempt to use it exterior, or if that’s not attainable, I’ll use it inside with a fan on and the window open. But it surely’s the primary go-to primer that I take advantage of, until I’m needing to prime new drywall or I would like a specialty primer for a particular use.

Favourite Primer For New Drywall — Zinsser Bullseye 123

And talking of latest, unpainted drywall, that is what I take advantage of to get it prepared for its first coat of paint. New, unpainted drywall is actually the one factor I ever use water-based primer on. For all the pieces else (besides flooring and different very particular makes use of), I take advantage of oil-based Zinsser Cowl Stain.

However let me stress that I solely use this on new, unpainted drywall. If I had a state of affairs the place I had a beforehand painted wall that had one thing on it that is likely to be tough to cowl (like my music room partitions which have a design drawn with black Sharpie markers), I might use the oil-based Zinsser Cowl Stain to cowl it. This water-based product wouldn’t stand as much as Sharpie marker. So once more, this water-based primer is one which I’ll solely use with model new, unpainted drywall.

Favourite Primer For Flooring — Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-Primarily based Primer

It is a new addition to my listing for 2023. I first used this primer to seal the knots within the entrance porch ceiling earlier than repainting it earlier this 12 months. It took a bit for me to get used to the product. It’s a lot thinner in consistency than the oil-based primer I used to be used to utilizing. However after getting used to it, I actually appreciated it, and it lined these knots (that had beforehand bled by the painted ceiling) very properly. I haven’t seen any of these knots reappear by the brand new paint.

So whereas I used to be happy with the way it labored on these knots on the porch ceiling, what actually bought me on this primer was how properly it labored on my studio flooring. After sanding the unique end to offer it some “tooth”, I primed the ground with this primer earlier than portray it. These items is so extremely sturdy that it even stood as much as my very hyper 100-pound canine who at all times has lengthy claws as a result of he received’t let me (or anybody else) contact his toes. After I noticed that, I used to be bought! I don’t paint wooden flooring usually, however any time I do any further, I received’t use any primer however this one.

Favourite Ground Paint — Behr Low-Lustre Porch & Patio Ground Paint

That is one other addition to my listing for 2023. I did a lot analysis on numerous paints and merchandise for portray flooring earlier than I began on my studio flooring, and let me let you know, the extra analysis I did, the extra confused and annoyed I turned. So lastly, based mostly on buyer opinions, I made a decision to offer this Behr Porch & Patio Ground Paint a go. I used to be actually involved as a result of I had determined to not use a topcoat on the ground since I wished touchups to be quite simple. So I might simply have the painted end with no clear protecting coating.

I do know it’s solely been a short time since I painted the primary half of the room, however I’ve been so unbelievably impressed with this paint. It’s not costly, so to be sincere, I wasn’t anticipating a lot. Nicely, it’s wonderful paint! At the very least, that’s been my expertise.

Two days after I completed portray the primary half of the room, my canine was within the studio, and he was in his regular hyper kind. He was working and twirling and leaping on that flooring, and I used to be very nervous that he was going to scratch or chip or peel the paint along with his claws. He didn’t! After I lastly wrangled him out of the room, the paint was nonetheless excellent! I couldn’t consider it. Most paint takes 30 days to totally treatment, and this was simply two days after I completed portray. That impressed the heck out of me.

I really like how briskly this paint dries, too. I had to make use of painters tape to tape off the design, and I may solely do half of the design at a time, paint it, let it dry, after which paint off the opposite half of the design. I didn’t even wait 24 hours between these. After I was portray the again entry, I taped the second half of the design the identical day, and the painters tape didn’t peel up any of the paint in any respect. It’s wonderful stuff!!

So these are my primary go-to merchandise, however I’m positive I’m leaving one thing out. You probably have any explicit questions on portray (partitions, furnishings, cupboards…something), I’d love that will help you out! Over my 30+ years of DIYing, I’ve tried portray absolutely anything that may stand nonetheless, so I’ve discovered fairly a bit about what works and what doesn’t work.

And if I’ve left something off of this “go-to merchandise” listing, I’ll add them as they arrive to thoughts, or as your questions carry issues to thoughts.