R2,

You are absolutely correct about knowing what to buy, and what not to buy at Home Depot, same with Cabela's and other large chains (WALMART). I get my plywood, studs, and any cedar from my local place down the road. HD wood is generally crap. Not everything is.

I'm not a full time painter, just a banker who helps friends and family out every summer with their homes, about 35 or so in the past 12 years. They buy the paint and lunch and dinner and I supply the labor. I also paint a home or two a year for my bank. Two homes done this year so far, three more to go and I'll be done.

I would venture a guess that half of the homes I've done have been with Behr, while the rest have been Sherwin Williams, Ben Moore and Parker (Parker is made by Behr). If you prep the surface correctly, it is hard to screw up paint. Poor prep = poor result. I spend more time on prep than actual painting. Never had a failure with any of these brands of paints, and the application rates have been about the same through my airless. I've easily shot 1,000-1,500 gallons of paint. Not a lot by pro standards, but certainly more than Joe Schmoe home owner.

Mom and Dad bought the high end Behr Ultra. It is what they wanted. I didn't argue. Nuff said?

Wanna bring this topic back on course, please? Thanks!