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