How to choose a Paint Grade

Do you get frustrated when you go to the paint store? You look around and see so many different types a.k.a. grades of paints, and don't know where to begin. It's not as difficult as you may think. The main reason but not the only reason all paint companies have multiple grades of paint is because different projects require different grades. An individual homeowner painting a garage or the exterior of their home won't get the same paint as a painter whose painting tract homes or warehouses. For an individual homeowner what you should consider first are your substrates that you are painting; are you painting exterior stucco, your garage door or working on an interior project? I typically suggest to homeowners that you stick with products that are available in quarts, gallons and 5 gallons. That will put you in the Ultra Premium and Premium lines. Once you start to venture off into other products that do not come in those sizes they are typically limited in sizes and color variation. Some come only in 5 gallon containers and some only come in white to off white. You don't want to have to get a 5 gallon if you're one gallon shy of finishing your project. So next time you step into the paint store, don't pull your hair out. You've got the shortcut to choosing that grade to make your home beautiful.