Exterior Paint Reviews

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Exterior Paint Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exterior Paint Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Exterior paints Editors of Consumer Reports June 2008		Consumer Reports conducts ongoing comprehensive testing of exterior paint. Testers simulate the aging process to learn about endurance. The intention is great, but the process is slow -- it takes one year to simulate three years of aging. Editors evaluate appearance after simulated three-, six- and nine-year periods. They also evaluate resistance to dirt, mildew and color changing. Both paints and stains are tested. Major national brands are evaluated, as are some regional brands, which fare near the top in ratings. Regional brands are important to include, because they're often formulated for local weather conditions. The editors advise consumers not to let several dollars more per gallon sway them toward lesser-grade paints and stains. Such thriftiness, they caution, could cost much more in the long run.
2. Contractor Talk -Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum	Painting & Finish Work Forum members As of May 2008.		The painting section of this forum is frequented by many professionals. Many of the hundreds of threads are relevant, such as "Favorite Paint Brand," "Behr Premium Plus," "Sherwin-Williams Duration Paint," "Best Exterior Paint," "Paint recommendations?" "Glidden Paint?" and “Permanizer vs Duration vs Iron Clad.” Contractors have some clear brand preferences, and many express having used a variety of brands in their work. The lamenting of rising fuel costs, associated with labor and product production and transport, are also a regular refrain.
3. DIY Chatroom	Exterior paint Forum members As of May 2008		Contractors and do-it-yourselfers seeking free professional advice frequent this forum. Several threads address which brands of exterior paint and primer to buy. In the process, the Consumer Reports coverage of paint is critiqued and criticized from a professional perspective. In the opinions by contractors, no brand emerges as a consensus favorite, but Behr paint is widely disparaged. Several contractors mention several brands that they use and point out that DIYers can choose a level of quality within a brand.
4. Paint Talk – Professional Painting Contractors Forum	General Painting Discussion Forum members As of May 2008		Similar to the previous two entries, this forum draws a collection of novices and professionals exchanging war stories, sharing tips on products and techniques, and generally talking shop. Many posters frequent all three sites, and the content is accordingly comparable, with some posts appearing in each site. Unique scenarios, discussions and problems do arise in each respective forum. Several self-identified professionals regard Consumer Reports' recent batch of testing with suspicion, because the magazine's recommendations have shifted from what they see as several lowly regarded Behr products to comparable, if perhaps slightly better, products from Wal-mart and Lowe's.

Exterior Paint Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exterior Paint Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. Professional Builder	What Builders Used for Building Their Own Nick Bajzek Oct. 1, 2006		This trade journal article is primarily a chart devoted to the premise that "what builders used for their own homes is ultimately a testament to the many products available on the market today." The chart lists the brand of building materials used by five builders in every category of construction. In many cases, the builder didn't report which brand he used. The premise has validity, but the information is skimpy. For example, Nick Bajzek doesn't let readers know when the houses were built. More important, the chart shows "Paints/Stains" as a category, but doesn't specify interior or exterior. Two of the four reporting builders used Sherwin-Williams.

Exterior Paint Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exterior Paint Ratings Comments on Reviews

6. OurFixerUpper.com	Self-Priming Exterior Paint? Contributors to OurFixerUpper.com As of May 2008		Our Fixer Upper is a website started by people who are remodeling their home. The proprietors query their readers about self-priming exterior paint, and the discussion evolves into identifying the best and worst exterior house paints. About 25 readers contribute their opinions based on what they've used. Some claim to have painted many houses. Valspar fares especially well in this forum, perhaps because the original question was about Valspar paint. Behr has some supporters and a couple of strong detractors.
7. GreenHomeGuide.com	Green Latex Recommendations and Reviews Miriam Landman Aug. 2004		GreenHomeGuide.com is a specialty website devoted to green building materials for homeowners. The site has an advisory board composed of scientists, and subject editors have expertise in specific categories. All reviewed products are recommended, and not in any way distinguished from each other. The very short reviews only address environmental considerations; paint quality is apparently not a consideration for recommendation. It is unclear, in most reviews and overviews, whether products are available for exterior use.
8. About.com	All About Paint Bob Formisano Not Dated		Bob Formisano, About.com's Guide to Home Repair, provides an informational article, rather than a review. Formisano recommends three brands -- Benjamin Moore, Behr and Sherwin-Williams -- and goes on to suggest that readers “look on the side of the can for about 45% pigment and resins per volume." Formisano's general expertise is impressive, but his recommendations would carry much more weight with some explanation or reference to testing and specific experience. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are owned by the same parent company, but they are not affiliated editorially.)
9. Professional Remodeler	How to Choose Exterior Paint Jenni Smith Mar. 4, 2000		This trade journal article offers some very helpful insider advice, as it is oriented to remodeling contractors. The bulk of the article is general advice. A paragraph is devoted to each of three paints that are specially designed for repainting, but the paints are not compared or evaluated.

Exterior Paint Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Exterior Paint Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. Family Handyman >> Details/Subscribe	Special Painting Section Duane Johnson June 2006		Family Handyman devotes 23 pages to all aspects of house painting in this issue. The feature article "Did you buy the right paint?" covers most of the buying considerations for exterior paint but fails to even mention a brand or acknowledge brand variations. The article is a decent buyer's guide, but it won't help you find the right brand or formulation.
11. iHomeline.com	What paint will last? Jim Neidner Not Dated		Remodeler/builder/radio host Jim Neidner answers a reader's question about the most enduring exterior paint in this column. He says to buy a top-of-the-line acrylic paint. Half the column is devoted to Sherwin-Williams Duration, but his information is entirely based on the manufacturer's marketing, and he did not try the paint himself.
12. Jim's Home Repair Stuff	Exterior Paints Jim Mar. 8, 2008		Jim's Home Repair Stuff is a sincere enthusiast website, but the proprietor does not reveal his identity. Some of the comments about the testing at a "nationally known consumer product rating magazine" echo some of the criticisms in the painters' forums.
13. Lowes.com	Exterior Paints Contributors to Lowes.com As of May 2008		Lowe's primarily sells the Valspar and Olympic brands. We checked a few dozen exterior paint SKUs and only found three with any user reviews. Until the Lowe's website accumulates some content, it will be not be a helpful source for finding and reading user reviews.
14. HomeDepot.com	Exterior Paints Contributors to HomeDepot.com As of May 2008		The Home Depot encourages user reviews, the bulk of which are positive. The major drawback with reviews on this site, and others like it, is their credibility. In this anonymous forum, most respondents appear to be do-it-yourselfers who lack the experience professionals have with numerous products. If you take what is being said at face value, though, the products appear to have worked out well in many home improvement projects.