Many paint can labels list the ingredients, even including the CAS
numbers. But they do not give percentages (either by volume or by
weight).

On food labels, I believe it is required by law that ingredients be
listed in descending order by percent. But paint is not food (unless
you're in the fungus Kingdom) so I was wondering if there is a similar
law, or perhaps just an industry-wide agreement, that paint contents
are always listed in descending order by percent. Anybody know?

I'm looking at two paint can labels here. They're both exterior porch
and floor satin latex. One is inexpensive and the other is quite a bit
more pricey (twice the price).

Here are the two ingredient lists:


water
titanium dioxide
acrylic polymer
quartz
trimethylpentanediol isobutyrate
cristobalite


water
acrylic polymer
nepheline syenite
titanium dioxide
2-(2 butoxyethoxy) ethanol
cristobalite


Is it obvious from the above which is the more expensive product?

Ether Jones wrote:
Many paint can labels list the ingredients, even including the CAS
numbers. But they do not give percentages (either by volume or by
weight).

On food labels, I believe it is required by law that ingredients be
listed in descending order by percent. But paint is not food (unless
you're in the fungus Kingdom) so I was wondering if there is a similar
law, or perhaps just an industry-wide agreement, that paint contents
are always listed in descending order by percent. Anybody know?

I'm looking at two paint can labels here. They're both exterior
porch and floor satin latex. One is inexpensive and the other is
quite a bit more pricey (twice the price).

Here are the two ingredient lists:


water
titanium dioxide
acrylic polymer
quartz
trimethylpentanediol isobutyrate
cristobalite


water
acrylic polymer
nepheline syenite
titanium dioxide
2-(2 butoxyethoxy) ethanol
cristobalite


Is it obvious from the above which is the more expensive product?

Same thing.

I know Benjamin moore impervo used to list percentages, Id say the 1st
one with more titanium dioxide is more expensive.

m Ransley wrote:
I know Benjamin moore impervo used to list percentages, Id say the 1st
one with more titanium dioxide is more expensive.

The first one is ColorPlace Latex Satin Porch & Floor, about $13 a
gallon at WalMart.

The second one is from a local paint/hardware store, "Best Look
Premium 100% Acrylic Latex Satin Porch & Floor Enamel", $25 a gallon.
It is made by Sherwin Williams (says so right on the label).

The chemicals are pretty simple and widely available. It would be
interesting to know why one paint is considered to be so much better
than the other (if indeed it is) when they contain essentially the same
chemicals.

"Ether Jones" wrote in message

The first one is ColorPlace Latex Satin Porch & Floor, about $13 a
gallon at WalMart.

The second one is from a local paint/hardware store, "Best Look
Premium 100% Acrylic Latex Satin Porch & Floor Enamel", $25 a gallon.
It is made by Sherwin Williams (says so right on the label).

The chemicals are pretty simple and widely available. It would be
interesting to know why one paint is considered to be so much better
than the other (if indeed it is) when they contain essentially the same
chemicals.

One of the chemicals listed is water. The percentage of water will have a
huge impact on the total price. The rest is the balance of the other
chemicals that can make quite a difference. Of course not listed is the
cost of marketing and advertising and that can account for a very large part
of the price also.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Ether Jones" wrote in message

The first one is ColorPlace Latex Satin Porch & Floor, about $13 a
gallon at WalMart.

The second one is from a local paint/hardware store, "Best Look
Premium 100% Acrylic Latex Satin Porch & Floor Enamel", $25 a gallon.
It is made by Sherwin Williams (says so right on the label).

The chemicals are pretty simple and widely available. It would be
interesting to know why one paint is considered to be so much better
than the other (if indeed it is) when they contain essentially the same
chemicals.

One of the chemicals listed is water. The percentage of water will have a
huge impact on the total price.

I understand the concept, but the math doesn't add up. There's not
nearly enough additional water in the cheapest latex to account for the
huge impact on the price.

For example, if you start with a gallon of the very best latex, and add
a pint of water, you've just reduced the price from $30/gallon to
$26.67/gallon. But it's now far thinner than even the cheapest latex,
which sells for $12/gallon.


Here are the contents from two cans of exterior latex, one costing
$13/gal and one costing $25/gal:

$13/gallon latex:

water
pigment (titanium dioxide)
binder (acrylic polymer)
filler (quartz)
solvent (trimethylpentanediol isobutyrate)
filler (cristobalite)


$25/gallon latex:

water
binder (acrylic polymer)
filler (nepheline syenite)
pigment (titanium dioxide)
solvent (2-(2 butoxyethoxy) ethanol)
filler (cristobalite)

Ether Jones wrote:

m Ransley wrote:

I know Benjamin moore impervo used to list percentages, Id say the 1st
one with more titanium dioxide is more expensive.


The first one is ColorPlace Latex Satin Porch & Floor, about $13 a
gallon at WalMart.

The second one is from a local paint/hardware store, "Best Look
Premium 100% Acrylic Latex Satin Porch & Floor Enamel", $25 a gallon.
It is made by Sherwin Williams (says so right on the label).

The chemicals are pretty simple and widely available. It would be
interesting to know why one paint is considered to be so much better
than the other (if indeed it is) when they contain essentially the same
chemicals.

There is also a wholesale factor, volume buying, etc. WalMart has a lot
of control over the price due to the volume they buy. Small outlets
probably have to take what they are offered, pricewise. Small outlets
also, probably, pay a price that includes some advertising on their behalf.

When our condo was painted, by a contractor, the paint company did
inspections as part of their warranty process. Paint company rep. came
out, after prep was done, to make sure it was done properly. Came out
again, I believe - can't recall. What does WalMart do for the warranty?
Bet they have some real wizards to offer advice in their paint dept.

I understand the concept, but the math doesn't add up. There's not
nearly enough additional water in the cheapest latex to account for the
huge impact on the price.

In both of your examples, assuming that the ingredients are indeed
listed in decreasing order by percentage, the better paint has more
binder than pigment, and vise versa for the cheaper. If the amount
of pigment needed to turn a given amount of paint white (the color of
titanium dioxide) is roughly the same, then the difference is the
amount of binder--and from my own experience, this can make a
huge difference in the quality of the paintjob and how long the paint
lasts before you find yourself scraping and painting again. It's worth

it--go for the better paint.
--Glenn Lyford

It only costs a few dollars or less including can to make a gallon of
paint. How much do you think it costs to make a gallon of Pepsi or Coke,
pennies.

Ether Jones wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Ether Jones" wrote in message

The first one is ColorPlace Latex Satin Porch & Floor, about $13 a
gallon at WalMart.

The second one is from a local paint/hardware store, "Best Look
Premium 100% Acrylic Latex Satin Porch & Floor Enamel", $25 a gallon.
It is made by Sherwin Williams (says so right on the label).

The chemicals are pretty simple and widely available. It would be
interesting to know why one paint is considered to be so much better
than the other (if indeed it is) when they contain essentially the same
chemicals.

One of the chemicals listed is water. The percentage of water will have a
huge impact on the total price.

I understand the concept, but the math doesn't add up. There's not
nearly enough additional water in the cheapest latex to account for the
huge impact on the price.

For example, if you start with a gallon of the very best latex, and add
a pint of water, you've just reduced the price from $30/gallon to
$26.67/gallon. But it's now far thinner than even the cheapest latex,
which sells for $12/gallon.


Here are the contents from two cans of exterior latex, one costing
$13/gal and one costing $25/gal:

$13/gallon latex:

water
pigment (titanium dioxide)
binder (acrylic polymer)
filler (quartz)
solvent (trimethylpentanediol isobutyrate)
filler (cristobalite)


$25/gallon latex:

water
binder (acrylic polymer)
filler (nepheline syenite)
pigment (titanium dioxide)
solvent (2-(2 butoxyethoxy) ethanol)
filler (cristobalite)

The way it was explained to me is that the cheaper paint will probably
take 3 coats to do a good job; the expensive paint will take 1 coat

Turned out right as far as the cheaper paint; I went for that since I
had the time and it took 3 coats for a nice job. Didn't have any paint
left over to worry about.

Pj

"Ether Jones" wrote in message
I understand the concept, but the math doesn't add up. There's not
nearly enough additional water in the cheapest latex to account for the
huge impact on the price.

For example, if you start with a gallon of the very best latex, and add
a pint of water, you've just reduced the price from $30/gallon to
$26.67/gallon. But it's now far thinner than even the cheapest latex,
which sells for $12/gallon.


Here are the contents from two cans of exterior latex, one costing
$13/gal and one costing $25/gal:

But there are still two big factors here. We don't know if the contents are
in order of quantity, nore do we know the price of cristobalite or
butoxeyethoxy. They may be $1 per pound or may be $40 per ounce. Until we
do know, it is just speculation. I do know that cheap paint does not go on
as well as good paint and I won't buy cheap paint any more.

$13/gallon latex:

water
pigment (titanium dioxide)
binder (acrylic polymer)
filler (quartz)
solvent (trimethylpentanediol isobutyrate)
filler (cristobalite)


$25/gallon latex:

water
binder (acrylic polymer)
filler (nepheline syenite)
pigment (titanium dioxide)
solvent (2-(2 butoxyethoxy) ethanol)
filler (cristobalite)

We should not forget the principle of "charge what the traffic will
bear". $30 for a gallon of mineral spirits at an art store, or $10 at
home despot. $20 for acryllic medium at an art store, or a little
Elmer's Glue and water....you don't always get what you pay for, or pay
for what you get )

I can spend $15 for a tube (little more than one ounce) of moderately
priced "artist" oil color, which has far less of anything in it than a
gallon of "cheap" paint from wally's.

I once found a website for a company that sells all the stuff for
compounding your own paint, and there are still decorators who do that.
Wish I could find it now.

m Ransley wrote:
It only costs a few dollars or less including can to make a gallon of
paint. How much do you think it costs to make a gallon of Pepsi or Coke,
pennies.

That reminds me - hubby told me that Coke is a good rust remover.
Anyone ever try it?

Norminn wrote:

That reminds me - hubby told me that Coke is a good rust remover.
Anyone ever try it?

No, but I ran an experiment once back in the '60s and '70s. It takes
Coke about 13 years to eat through the can. Of course, that was the
old-style can, before they invented pop-tops and super-thin aluminum.

On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 02:57:52 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Edwin
Pawlowski" quickly quoth:

But there are still two big factors here. We don't know if the contents are
in order of quantity,

By U.S. law, ingredients are listed by weight in decreasing order.
Water is the #1 ingredient by weight.

After further review, methinks this topic might be a troll.


--
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is it such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet?

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 02:57:52 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Edwin
Pawlowski" quickly quoth:

But there are still two big factors here. We don't know if the contents
are
in order of quantity,

By U.S. law, ingredients are listed by weight in decreasing order.
Water is the #1 ingredient by weight.

After further review, methinks this topic might be a troll.


--
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is it such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet?

WRONG. The most annoying thing on Usenet are NetNannies.

If a person cannot learn to use the down key or the DELETE key, they need to
box up their computer and take it to the Salvation Army. They're too stupid
to own a computer. If they are stupid enough to participate in a
conversation with people over top posting, then they're too stupid to be
allowed out of doors without adult supervision.

Steve

Larry Jaques wrote:

By U.S. law, ingredients are listed by weight in decreasing order.
Water is the #1 ingredient by weight.

That is US law for labels on food.

How sure are you it also applies to paint?