What is best brand of paint available in New Zealand or does brand matter for interior?

Question:There's a lot of different brands of paint and I would like to know if there is much difference between them. Some of the brands I have come accross here in New Zealand include Dulux, Ace, British Paints, Resene. Is any one of them better than the others or any of them particularly bad and should be avoided? I will be painting interior walls, ceilings and trim.

Answers:
The brand is not as critical as is the quality. Most paint makers try to satisfy the marketplace with price and performance matters. This means their lower cost paints cover poorly and may need more coats of paint to get a good result - which means the cost per job is usually equal or higher than the cost per job of the higher priced paint. If you factor in the added labor, the lower cost paints usually cost a lot more per job.

The higher priced paints usually have better stability and are less prone to fade, staining, peeling, and other degradation and are more easy to clean by washing. This is a generalization and all paint will over time and exposure degrade.

My recommendation is to use the best quality paints from a reputable maker that is marketed by someone who knows paints. Department stores that sell paint usually are not the best place. Many home improvement stores are not a lot better. Find a good dealer, establish a rapport with him. He wants you as a returning customer and he knows a satisfied customer will result in returns whereas a dissatisfied one will not. Perhaps this will be your best option.