If you’re looking for cheap paint, Walmart’s your place. For a mere $10, you can become the proud owner of a whole gallon of Colorplace Flat White Ceiling Paint. $43 will garner you a 5 gallon bucket.
To put this in perspective, a gallon of our favorite paint, Ralph Lauren from Home Depot, costs a whopping $27/gallon. Walmart’s ceiling paint is 60% off this retail high, and seemingly a fantastic deal. But as the old saying goes: Good paint ain’t cheap. Cheap paint ain’t good. That quip basically holds true here, though our experience wasn’t horrible. Read on for the details.
We painted our dining room walls with a brown Ralph Lauren eggshell paint, custom mixed at Home Depot at the aforementioned full retail price. To our amazement, 1 gallon of Ralph Lauren covered all four walls of this 12×14 room with two coats, essentially 390 sq. ft. x 2. The ceiling was already mostly white, so we decided we could risk painting with Walmart’s ceiling white (an experience we expected would be less than overwhelming).
Colorplace flat ceiling white took an entire gallon to cover the ceiling, a 168 sq. ft. area-less than half of the area covered by Ralph Lauren on the walls. In Walmart’s defense, we had just sanded down the stipple texture on this ceiling, and a great deal of drywall patch was exposed. The result: much of the paint was absorbed into the drywall patch. Colorplace still took two coats to get full coverage, even though the ceiling started mostly white (there were several slightly discolored areas that showed through after the first coat).
So why weren’t we disappointed? Well, Colorplace costs less than half of its Ralph Lauren counterpart, and covers about half as well, making it ultimately a better deal for ceilings if you’re willing to put in the time and your ceiling is already mostly white.
Recycle Old Paint
Old paint can be recycled into new paint or even concrete and cement. Check out this great post to learn more about recycling paint and finding the closest recycling center near you.
What do you think? Have you used Walmart paint? What was your experience?
Semi-relevant photo by Clean Wal-Mart.
Actually, we HAVE used it and had good results. We generally use only Behr products in recent years, but we needed to touch up paint in a bedroom that had been painted with Dutch Boy originally. It’s kind of a moot point now since said room will soon have wallpaper and beadboard on its walls, but the colormatch came out well and the touch-up wasn’t bad. Probably not as noticeable to anyone but us, but it did the trick for a temporary fix.
Nicole – from a cursory search around the web, it looks like a lot of folks are pleased with Colorplace (far more than I expected, actually, considering the price). The ceiling paint we used was thin, but most ceiling paints are (“ceiling” being a code word for “not very much pigment” in paint-talk). Glad to hear that your experience was good, too.
Having a couple of rentals, limiting expenses & downtime for repainting/repairs is vital to our existance. ColorPlace is the ONLY paint I buy/use! Biggest negative @ ColorPlace is occassional problem of stores not having the colors I use on the shelf. Like New Balance, Wal-Mart discontinues many product lines. With the price of gasoline, I call ahead to make sure they have what I need [that is if they will answer the phone]. I overstock on my ‘most used’ colors & my storage room probably has as much ColorPlace cans as many of the WM stores:).
If it helps anyone…both colorplace and dutchboy are made by Sherman Williams.
I met a truck driver who works for them, and he swears that literally, both colorplace and Sherman Williams come of the same line…then half go down one direction to be slapped with the Sherman Williams label, and the other half goes the other directiong and gets slapped with the ColorPlace label. See Sherman Williams gets to make a lot of extra money by selling great volumes as the colorplace brand in walmarts and for folks concerned with price and would never walk into a Sherman Williams. For thos concerned with brandnames, they get to add $20 to the price and market it as ‘Sherman Williams’.
Back in 2000 I spray painted most of my home’s ceilings with Color Place Ceiling White 5000–a horrible task which I vow never to repeat. Now I need to touch up a couple of places where the acoustical crap has come off and where I got my new wall paint roller against the ceiling. I sent hubby to WM to get some more, but all they had is Ceiling White #5010 which does not match, possibly because nine years have elapsed. Does anybody know if this #5000 exists today?
Hi apainter,
Unfortunately, I don’t know if this particular Colorplace is still available. Your best option is probably to do a colormatch at one of the local home improvement stores. (Not sure how easy this will be with a white, but potentially worth a shot).
Fred
I run a Benjamin Moore paint store and the town I am in is about to open a WM behind us. I’ve been through this once in another town. Recently, I decided to do some comparison between ColorPlace and Ben Moore. I used the Benjamin Moore line of Super Hide, to be comparible in price with WM’s interior paint. The difference between the two really amazed me. I bought the interior flat white ColorPlace at 12$ a gallon. The Super Hide 282-01 in my store is 14$. I did a coverage test over a burgundy color (one coat each). The CP paint was streaky, and very clearly showed the burgundy. The BM paint almost covered the burgundy completly in one coat! Having been in the business for over 10 years, I can without a doubt tell you that, you get what you pay for in paint.
White is not necessarily white. Color Place ceiling paint is not pure white. Put a piece of paper near the block on their color chart and you will see it is a very light cream. This is true of many ceiling paints. Our large ceiling was painted with Color Place “Bright White” ceiling paint Number 2000. This is really “white”. I only want to touch up a small area and only have a small amount in the bottem of the can. Am trying to track down a Walmart store for some more of the original.
Responding to PaintManager on BM paints, they draw a big negative from me. Up till 15 years ago I purchased BM only from our local paint store. I needeed to repaint our hall fwoodwork from a light cream color to an off white and the hiding power was terrible. Took three coats. Never will buy BM again.
We’ve settled in on Sherwin Williams, ProClassic, oil based paint for all our interior woodwork. It pulls like a horse on your brush but, when finished with one coat it is good for at least 20 years. Costs a lot, but sales can get it to $30 per gallon.
Chet
My buddy was a pro painter for 10 years…and he said the paint’s really good. I wouldn’t use it on the exterior of a house but that’s my opinion.
The trick is…and this applies to ANY paint…use filters to get the chunks out and good brushes (Purdy). You use a crap brush/roller and you’ll have paint lines and it won’t matter which paint you choose…
Oh, and that was in regards to the Color Place paint. Obviously the primer won’t be as good as Kilz, and Benjamin Moore’s high on themselves. They want way too much for their paint.
Dutchboy and Colorplace are made by Sherwin Williams BUT they use different formulations. Very easy to make in the same factory. Dutchboy and Colorplace use less RAW materials and more water. Simple as that. Heck even Kilz Casual Colors at Walmart also fills Colorplace but once again it’s a different formulation. If you look at consumers reports Kilz Casual Colors is always #1 or #2 paint always above Sherwin Williams or Dutchboy.
I used Color Place exterior a few years ago and it is holding well. I used two coats and primed with Kilz basic primer.
Now I am doing the interior and I have primed two rooms including the ceilings. I used a Dutch Boy ceiling paint and it went on and looks worse than the Kilz primer. I am going to buy a Flat white and redo the ceilings. I am no expert but from what I am reading Ceiling paint sucks? Just a cheap thin paint with no shine so they market this when Flat is better for ceilings? I dunno?
I bought Dutch Boy interior Satin from Wally World for the walls and I can only hope it is a thicker paint than this ceiling crap. I want my $13 back! I will try Kilz flat interior white from Wally World!
Color Place was horrible paint to work with.I bought the semi latex for moisture and highly used areas. Every time my daughter takes a shower the paint seems wet.It peeled off the walls i had to touch it up again and again,I am glad everyone else had a good experience i sure did not…
Walmart has a Good Better Best program and that is exactly what it is, Colorplace is a good paint, Dutchboy is a better Paint, and Kilz Casual Colors is Walmarts Best Paint. If you want the job done right the first time and you want to save time and money in the long run use Kilz Casual Colors. They guarantee one coat in Kilz colors plus a life time guarantee. How can you go wrong. I’ve used all 3 of these brands and there is no comparison. Kilz is the Best.
@Marie72 … did you prep the walls properly prior to applying the s/g Colorplace? (not said snidely) 🙂 I only ask because the paint “peeled off the walls”. If each step of the prep isn’t done “well” or “thoroughly”, one runs the risk of the finish coat peeling, cracking, oil-canning (vertical waves across the horizontal view of the surface), etc. While many big-brand paints today are so advanced that they allow for one or more missed prep steps, sometimes it only takes one piece of that puzzle for the finish coat to fail. My personal steps that I’ve found don’t let me, my family or tenants down…
1. Lightly sand any uneven spots with a drywall paper/sponge/screen
2. Clean off the dust (with a non-oiled rag if you plan on using a latex/synthetic/waterbased paint) and let dry (if cleaning was done w/ a lightly dampened rag)
3. Prime *hint: if you plan on using a deep and/or dark finish color, have the store throw some black tint into your primer. This will make it a nice “wet concrete grey” and will give your finish color the depth you seek in half the coats (or less)! It makes sense if you think of this: What color are automobiles primed in? Deep grey, no matter what their finish color! 🙂 Ok.. let the primer dry completely, allowing extra dry-time in more humid climates and/or rainy weather, even though you’re painting inside..outdoor conditions still effect the cure-rate 🙂
4. Paint. Use high quality applicators (brushes/rollers), stay away from gimick-type edging solutions and pads. *Hint: if you spend a lower amount of your project budget on paint and more of it on the applicators, you will almost always come out happy (and you’ll have brushes that will last you years if cared for properly)! 🙂
Apply an ample amount of paint to the surface. Let dry. Apply second coat if necessary to achieve the desired color and/or coverage. Let dry. ENJOY!
Adam, Thanks for the great tips/instructions! I am teased constantly by Hubby because I don’t like the prep work, I just want to rush into painting. I’ll print the tips & put under a thumb tack on garage wall above where paint is stored:):). I use the cheapest, easiest to use paint as my rentals walls don’t get much respect on the bottom half of the wall & require repainting after @ 2 yrs. I should have done what I was told long time ago—–dark paneling on walls, but I like light bright houses & always am positive the dirt & grime won’t happen again:).
Houston Grandma,
Thank you! Having my tips thumb-tacked on someones’ garage wall has got to be the sincerest form of flattery in the household-how-to world! 🙂 oh.. and I hear you about the bottom half of the walls taking a beating.. why is it that your own house never gets that crazy wear and tear, but the rentals get pelted with it? Perhaps the fact that we’re on a website such as oneprojectcloser is the answer — because we know all the work it takes to get it looking good, so we’re careful not to abuse our own walls! 🙂
So I have an idea for the problem you posed: What about 32″long (tall) pine wainscoting, primed & painted a dark color? It’s work to fill in all the nail heads, but in high-traffic and/or rental situations one would think you could skip that step altogether 😉 They come in packages that will cover 9.33 sq.ft. (or 32″ tall stretching a 3.5′ wide path) I’ve included a link to the Lowe’s page with a sample of the product at the end of this post 🙂
Just nail it up, slap a band of colonial casing across the top for a finished look, prime (see note below), paint a dark color and enjoy the better half of the wall remaining a nice bright, airy tone. Even if they beat it up, it looks WAY better than cheap paneling without breaking the bank as premium wainscot would, plus it can always be sanded/repainted to look anyway you like 🙂
Note on primer: Use B-I-N shellac-based (or Kilz oil-based) primer/sealer as you’re PRIMEary 😉 concern is to seal in the tannin from the knots in the wood, so it doesn’t bleed through the finish coat. Almost every other primer/sealer out there does NOT seal tannin-bleed from knots ~ many believe that as long as they’re using an oil based primer, it will seal the knots but it’s simply untrue 🙂
As an added if not off-topic bonus, B-I-N is one of the only proven “vapor barrier” sealers too.. I covered the subfloors with it before installing new flooring in a house where the prior owners’ pets had urinated all over (be sure to open all your windows if you attempt that one) haha. I have extremely sensitive allergies, especially to odors and pets.. and I breathe easy still today 🙂 …and no, I don’t work for B-I-N haha 😉
Link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_112888-40277-112888_?PL=1&productId=3106545&cm_mmc=search_shoppingcom-_-shoppingcom-_-052510-_-EverTrue%2032%22%20Premium%20Grade%20Pine%20Wainscot
where can I purches Color Place oil base Floor and Porch paint .I asked at my local WalMart in NJ theye sead there dont cary oil base paint aney more .I am close to Matemrores Pa. and Mideltown NY. do eather of these stors cary this paint. THank you
Mary
I painted the outside of my house with Walmart’s Color Place exterior paint 3 1/2 yrs ago. It covered beautifully in one coat, and still looks like it’s freshly painted, even on the north and west sides where the sun beats down! I don’t use anything but Color Place inside and out, and they can match paint as well as any home improvement store I’ve tried in the past! I usually do feel that you get what you pay for, but this is one of those exceptions. Inexpensive and great quality!!
Love It!
What could cause paint to “roll up with latex” while being applied with brush? It’s like the latex is geling while being brushed. I used best quality brush, good prep, and ” WalMart color place (dutch boy) latex satin wall & trim ” paint. I noticed a “warning do not freeze” label on the can, could this be a cause for such a problem?
Michael, yes, freezing could cause exactly the problem you’re having.
I am building a new home. My painter is experienced and highly recommended. Eject is using dutchboy on the walls with no problems. Dutch boy ceiling solutions is being put on ceilings. Upstairs ceiling was painted first. Worked ok. First floor ceiling now being painted same paint d.b. ceiling solutions. Sprayed on and followed up with roller. Paint was leaving swirl marks. He got a few gallons of Colorplace from Walmart. He just called me and said there are now noticeable ridges on ceiling. Any ideas what went wrong or what I should do?
My daughter used color place paint from Wal-Mart and her painting projects looked great. I live in a different town and decided to go to our Wal-Mart. Omg what a mistake-The paints runs, covers unevenly, 4 weeks after painting I needed to lightly wash an area and the paint peeled off, I was doing my bathroom with stripes I painted my walls and waited 3 weeks to do the stripes. I used the blue tape to do my stripes and applied the latex poly- After awhile I started to remove the tape-As I removed the tape it peeled off the paint. I now have to prime all the ares kitchen, living room and 2 bathrooms buy more paint and start over. Who can I contact to discuss this horror.
Lori,
Sorry to hear about your experience, but I appreciate you adding it here. Unfortunately, we aren’t affiliate with Walmart – which is probably the place to start with a complaint. Unfortunately, WM is a huge organization, so I’m not sure how much you will be heard. I would suggest starting with the local manager and asking for a refund, or providing feedback via WM’s web site.
Fred
I understand your not affiliated with WalMart, but wanted to respond to Lori if I may. I’ve used Color Place for yrs & it’s been great, easy to apply, did not “run”/etc. I have rentals & had the colors organized/etc for easy touching up. Last year, I went to local WalMart for more paint & was I DISAPPOINTED to find a very small selection of paints & the colors/#s/labels/etc have ALL CHANGED! Complaints go unanswered! Grandma’s gettin’ too old for all these changes:). Now I’m searching for a paint company that will NOT change colors/names/labels/#s every few years! Whoever it is will have a very LOYAL customer for life!! WalMart is becomming a Dollar Store!
I used WalMart paint exclusively throughout my house. I painted the walls with “Dune” a paint that has been discontinued from the swatches selection. They can still mix it the color, but it does not match as it should. I used the WalMart brand white ceiling paint and it turned out good, but I have a problem. I am attempting to sell the house and I need another gallon of the old if you will the WalMart white ceiling paint and not the Glidden white ceiling paint that they are currently selling. They told me that they would match, but that is just not the case. I do not want to have to paint the ceilings over just for about two areas that cover about two square feet each. Can I still purchase the old ceiling paint somewhere or what? What do I do?
james, I share your frustration. Wal-Mart has greatly disappointed me with their paint. I cannot stand to go to the paint dept anymore. A tip I’ve used when only a small spot or two need touch up. Touch up with same gloss & color as close as possible. Let it dry. Then I take a sponge with liquid detergent & waster & gently rub over the retouched area. It takes away the gloss/new look. Keep doing & work your way out a bit futher each time, blending the colors together. Only you may be able to note the spots. Just make sure to use the same gloss. I loved Wal-Mart ceiling paint & price. Looks like they are getting out of the paint business.