Has Anyone Tried Using Cheap Interior House Paints?

zagi on 20/10/2017 - 10:16
Last edited 20/10/2017 - 10:25 by 1 other user

Hi,

Has anyone tried using cheep interior house paints like these;

  • Taubmans Trade Pro 4L White Flat Interior Ceiling Paint
  • Taubmans Trade Pro 4L White Prep Undercoat Paint
  • Spring 4L Flat White Interior Paint (Spring is, as far as I can tell, made by Dulux, sold at bunnings)
  • Spring 4L White Undercoat Paint

My main concern is longevity, I have searched but can't find anyone saying how well they stand up to the test of time.

I would love to hear from someone who has first hand experience with these paints and can say X paint has been on the wall / ceiling for Y years and it now looks good / bad / peeling off etc.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • dcep on 20/10/2017 - 10:24

    i think longevity for interior paint is more to surface prep & application

    i'd look at VOC levels for cheap paints if you're doing it for your bedrooms.

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 10:28
      +3

      Thanks, can you please explain what VOC levels means?

      • dcep on 20/10/2017 - 10:38
        +1

        i didn't neg you btw. not me

        paint release toxins into air even after years being applied. (either you can smell or even odourless)

        low VOC = low toxins emission

        • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 10:44
          +1

          Thanks, I wonder how I can find out what the VOC levels of these paints are? Is it on the tin?

        • dcep on 20/10/2017 - 10:44

          @zagi:

          yes.

      • X3 on 21/10/2017 - 09:01

        un-negged for yah.

        I had no idea what VOC is either

        • zagi on 21/10/2017 - 11:41

          Thanks, I appreciate it.

        • KLoNe on 21/10/2017 - 13:17
          -1

          Why did you neg in the first place?

        • X3 on 21/10/2017 - 15:38
          +2

          @KLoNe:

          I didnt neg anyone. Someone else did the negging.

          I just + his post, thereby de-negging it. ;)

        • KLoNe on 21/10/2017 - 16:29

          @X3: Your good deed for the day :)

        • megadeth on 21/10/2017 - 17:29

          Volatile Organic compounds

        • X3 on 21/10/2017 - 18:48

          @KLoNe:

          And rewarded with half dozen krispy kremes :)

        • X3 on 21/10/2017 - 18:49
          +1

          @quasims:

          Thanks quasims

  • Slippery Fish on 20/10/2017 - 10:27

    Tradepro is decent enough.

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 10:35

      Thanks, have you seen how it looks after a couple of years on the wall?

      • Slippery Fish on 20/10/2017 - 10:56

        Only been on the walls a year but seems fine, as mentioned below the "trade" paint is a fair bit thinner.

        • mun4 on 28/08/2020 - 18:18

          Hi mate. Sorry for digging up your old comment. I'm interested in the Trade Pro undercoat + ceiling white as well. Can I ask how your ceiling or wall (?) paint is holding up?

  • geek001 on 20/10/2017 - 10:28

    I have used a mixture of Spring and Dulux paint in my recent reno, it is ok. It seems to splatter a bit more and is thinner than Dulux paint, but at 1/3 the price, can't complain. Longevity-wise, I can't comment on that, I believe it was only rolled out a few years ago to compete with now defunct Master's cheap paint. Also, the same colour is very slightly different for Spring and Dulux paints and only noticeable if they are side by side so try to paint entire walls with one brand.

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 10:47

      Thanks, after using both would use spring again? Do they smell the same, some people say the spring paint has a strong odor?

      • geek001 on 20/10/2017 - 11:07

        Yes I would. Spring paint is thinner so you need a little extra care when you roll it on to make sure it covers the surface properly. Otherwise you can always do 3 coats if you doing DIY. Otherwise paying a painter to apply a 3rd coat is probably very expensive.

        Sorry, I don't smell my paint. ;) Lol I think all paint has odour, but it dissipates after a week or so.

        • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 11:19

          Lol, the smell can't be to bad then. I will be doing the paining so a third coat is no problem. Spring seems to be the way to go, just concerned with the longevity, if it starts to peel it is hard to rectify and becomes a false economy but I guess as phunkydude said surface prep plays a big part.

        • geek001 on 20/10/2017 - 11:29

          @zagi: Yes, phunkydude would be very right. If you are painting over existing paint, I would wash the surface down with sugar soap first. If you are painting over unprimed surfaces, please use undercoat or if you want to skimp on that, at least put on a coat of flat paint. I find flat paint seems to stick to unprimed surfaces better than low sheen paint. Painting takes longer than I thought it would, prep work probably takes up 70% of the effort/time when I did my painting.

  • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 10:38

    oops meant to reply

  • [Deactivated] on 20/10/2017 - 10:51

    it's a total different look but I always use a semi gloss on walls not the ceiling, it's easier to wipe down and in my opinion lasts longer.

  • hoey888 on 20/10/2017 - 10:56

    just a food for thought.

    Sometimes the cheaper paint is very thin. Makes it extremely hard when using a roller to manage the drips. If you end up purchasing a cheap paint thats too thin and you can't return it, purchase a 'well branded' paint (Dulux/Taubmans/alike) and mix it in a ratio of roughly 1:1. It definitely made painting cheaper. You ideally want paint thats got some consistency to it. The cheap paint is literally like water.

    *We made the mistake of buying the Masters Generic Pascol ceiling white paint when they were around. Worse paint

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 11:01

      Thanks for the tip.

    • sparkles on 20/10/2017 - 13:40

      I painted a granny flat room in the Masters Pascol satin white and it turned out OK. It still stinks though months later. Considering it was $10 a can and nothing in Bunnings even came remotely close to the dirt cheapness of it (even mis-tints), I guess you get what you pay for. Didn't notice it to be watery after a good stir. The finish on the walls is OK so far, painted over existing paint after washing in sugar soap and fixing loads of damages with putty and sanding.

      Would be inclined to use a better paint inside the house where the finish and less smell is vastly more important.

  • 87percent on 20/10/2017 - 10:57

    i used taubmans on my walls and ceiling over 9 years ago and it's been fine (so far) but we are getting the house repainted because the CFO (aka the wife) wants a new look

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 11:05

      Do you know which Talbmans paint it was, Taubmans Trade Pro / tradex / endure etc?

      • 87percent on 20/10/2017 - 11:09

        Easy Coat something… no idea why i remember that. It also had a picture of a lightbulb on the tin

    • KLoNe on 21/10/2017 - 13:21

      How much you charging her for it?

  • [Deactivated] on 20/10/2017 - 11:01

    So I used cheap Masters paint for one half of my house and I’m using Dulux in the other side. I’m finding the Dulux undercoat is not great, it gets sucked up by the gyprock and it’s not covering anything like the area it is supposed to (by about half). The paint seems fine, but again I’m having to put on 4 coats. I’m thinking of putting two coats of undercoat on in the remaining rooms and 3 coats of paint to try and compensate for the paints patchiness. I found the Masters stuff fine, but the ceiling paint has bubbled in one section, it is on 100year old bog plaster though, so it could be to do with small cracks underneath.

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 11:31

      It sounds like the masters paint had better coverage than dulux. I wonder why it bubbled, was it painted on the raw plaster or on old paint over the plaster. I painted an old house and anywhere I didn't sand first the new dulux paint would peel off, so I had to sand to give the new paint something to key into.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/10/2017 - 13:52

        It’s bubbled on top of old cracks, so probably my fault in not fixinig them as wellas I could have. I’ll redress it soon with some cornice cement

  • boomramada on 20/10/2017 - 12:00

    just a food for thought, Ceiling Paint, get the pain that change colour after applying it, save your neck/back :)

  • bobbified on 20/10/2017 - 12:17

    Take the price difference between a cheap paint and the good quality paints that we know cost a bit more and divide it by the number of years you expect each to last. The difference in cost per year isn't going to be much more, so I would go for a better quality paint that I know will stay nice through the years.

    The thing to consider is, if you use a cheap paint, you could potentially have to repaint the whole place if doesn't turn out nice. That would mean additional costs for new paint and the whole pain in the ass effort of actually repainting.

    Unless you really can't afford to get the more expensive paint, then aim to do it properly the first time.

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 12:39

      Thanks for the advice. I'm just trying to determine if the assumption that these cheep paints won't last as long as expensive paint has any basis. Do you have first hand experience with Spring or Taubmans Trade Pro paints performance over time?

  • MelbEng on 20/10/2017 - 12:21
    +1

    I painted the whole interior of my house with Haymes, but used Solver ceiling for one section. I may have saved a few dollars, but now I wish that I had hadn't used the Solver. It looks patchy and certainly didn't go as easily.
    I am not sure how much you value your time, but advice is buy the best you can from a good paint store.

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 12:33

      Thanks for the advice.

  • PVA on 20/10/2017 - 12:50

    longevity is fine but, generally, you'll find the cheaper the paint the less it covers, meaning more coats maybe needed. Thats according to my dad who was a painter for a million years.

    Dont go overboard in price though and if you are covering over with the same or close colour will be fine - I used Solver years ago on an old Queenslander house and Dad was suprised by its quality, but generally he'd stick with a Taubmans paint or similar price range - Dulux, ya paying for the name a little.
    current place has Taubmans on walls, achitrave, doors for 10 years , still fine. paint went over the old paint well (completely different colour, 2 coats)

    • zagi on 20/10/2017 - 13:03

      Thanks for the advice. So perhaps the Taubmans Trade Pro or Tradex is the way to go?

      • PVA on 20/10/2017 - 13:16

        It is fine.

        and ask the seller what you need, you may not need undercoat for example- if it has previously been painted and you are not going from say dark blue to white then you wont likely need it assuming the old paint is not flaky and same as the new (water based). ask the expert in the trade store or even bunnings, they'll guide you.
        its not as complex as it sounds.

  • wordplay on 20/10/2017 - 19:07

    all i know is that if God was a painter he'd use dulux

    • robbyjones on 21/10/2017 - 15:30

      Then your God needs to look beyond the label, Dulux is good but it's not the only paint that is.

  • Meho2026 on 21/10/2017 - 07:39

    Ive painted about 4 times using the cheapest paint, including those brands.
    I find like others are saying, those cheap paints are thinner with more splatter and require more coats. I end up making a total mess, end up with a poor finish and it takes longer cos another coat is usually needed.
    The 5th time I did a big paint job, I spent more money and used Taubmanns Endure plus I bought the most expensive tape and bought more expensive brushes and rollers. It was much easier, obviously it cost more $ but it looked better, was much quicker so saved time and I wasnt as psychotic by the end of it.
    To be honest though I was a little disappointed with the paint, it deffo was better but dunno if it was that good value.
    My opinion if you are a patient person, with time on their hands and good painting skills then the cheap paint works out best value. If not pay more for better quality paint.

    • zagi on 21/10/2017 - 11:34

      Thanks, it's great to hear your experience, how long ago did you use the cheaper paints? have they deteriorated / peeled over time?

  • dp1 on 21/10/2017 - 11:10
    +1

    Just doing all my doors and frames now and I have gone for dulux aquanamel at $90 for 4L. Previously I have tried to save $10 with Taubmans and it needs 3 coats, dulux is a really good finish with just 2. And I am really rubbish at painting as well and find dulux more forgiving of my "skills"

    • nobby148 on 21/10/2017 - 22:23

      Can vouch for dulux aqua enamel been at least 7 years since we repainted our doors and skirting boards with it it still looks the same as day one. (then again it was the first time we painted anything and you definitely don't see the imperfections as much)

  • Powershopz on 21/10/2017 - 13:40

    Cheap paints will mark easier and need more coats to look equivalent.

    If you want to do a good job - you can use good quality paints and get away with an undercoat and 1 top coat. Otherwise using cheap paints you'd have to do 2 top coats because it's so thin.

    Unless you're going to change your mind about colour schemes or plan on moving out in 5 years, spend the extra and do a good job that will last 10-15 years. If it's just for a renal property you own, use cheap stuff as odds are you'll be repainting every 5 years either way.

  • myusername on 21/10/2017 - 14:59

    pretty sure the cheaper the paint is the more lead is in it yeah?

    • robbyjones on 21/10/2017 - 15:27

      No, cheaper pigments which mean less coverage and wearability.

  • Hoju on 21/10/2017 - 15:30

    We painted our apartment two years ago.
    Initially I let my wife talk me into the $65/4L dulux stuff.

    It was so bad I wrote a letter of complaint to dulux and got a refund - the stuff is so thick it almost gave no coverage and was very difficult to roll on, and in the end it would have cost hundreds in paint to do our apartment.

    So we went for the Bunnings spring brand at $10/4L

    I found it way easier to apply and you basically need 2 coats anyway. Did our whole apartment with $20 worth of paint.

    2 years on its standing up to my filthy kids well, dirty hand prints wipe out easily.

    Can't recommend it enough to be honest…

    • zagi on 21/10/2017 - 16:18

      Thanks, this is great to know, I'm thinking I'll go with Sring paint : )

    • Nicktorious on 21/10/2017 - 18:29

      I gave the spring paint a shot to clean up the walls after redoing the kitchen / floors. My expectations were low, so i was pleasantly surprised it cam up ok. 3 months on no issues.

  • photonbuddy on 21/10/2017 - 23:38

    I used 2 coats of British's 'Paint & Prime'. Cost just over $60 for a 4 litre tin, and, as the name suggests, both primes and top coats, meaning you don't need 2 lots of paint.

    Still good after a year, although that's not very long …

  • GangGang on 22/10/2017 - 07:30

    Taubmans have locked out all of there full time manufacturing employees that make the paint . They have hired casuals with no experience making it for the first time. I'd keep the receipt just in case the quality is no good.

  • cannedhams on 22/10/2017 - 07:41

    Just paint everything in cheap ceiling white inside and out. Dont worry about using primer on any bare timber. Then sell the house.

    Source: just about every house renovation my mum has ever done.

  • snajper on 22/10/2017 - 08:39
    +1

    I have learned the hard way. Painted my house with tradex in January, not very washable and finish was avarage. 6 months later had to repaint high traffic rooms again due to small kids. Used taubmans endure . Much better finish and almost no smell… Also used dulux cheaper ceiling paint which stank for weeks despite leaving all windoes open for a full week.

    Endure is $69 for 6l while 4l is like $68

  • mirz on 22/10/2017 - 09:00

    Also consider buying 10L bucket if you will need more paint. I found its much better value compare to 4L tins.
    If you aren’t in rush, keep an eye on paint spot, they go 20% off during summer time.

    http://www.paintspot.com.au/ourbrands.html

  • JimB on 22/10/2017 - 11:04

    How much do you value your time?

    Paint isn't something you should skimp on. It's false economy.

    Haymes ultra premium undercoat is fantastic if you need it.

    Wattyl Professional Choice is the cheapest I'd go. But I recommend to spend a few dollars more for Wattyl ID.

    Good Paint isn't expensive when it lasts longer than cheap paint.

    PS, Dulux wash and wear is the most expensive but isn't very good these days.

  • Andym on 22/10/2017 - 12:11

    With paint you get what you pay for. The more expensive paints have more pigment are thicker and better coverage, the cheaper ones have less pigment, are thinner and need more coats.

    People often don't take into consideration all the work and time that goes into the prep and painting of a house, if you paint it with cheaper stuff you are going to have to do it more often, which means more work and the purchase of more paint, so you are not really saving in the long term.

    Most trade paints are pretty good but I don't believe they are as good as the premium ones.

    You can usually feel the difference in the weight of the cans as the pigments make the paint much heavier. Dulux used to sell an expensive One Coat paint and a ten litre tin of that was a real effort to lug around due to the extra pigment it had in it.

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