When putting interior paints to the test, we explored some specific paints from specific manufacturers. We chose the paints due to their popularity and because they are good companies who stand behind their products. When making this video on what interior paint covers the best, the paint brands we selected were:
PPG – Manor Hall
Benjamin Moore – Aura
Behr – Marquee
Sherwin Williams – Emerald
You can get some of these manufacturers’ paints in the big box stores like Home Depot, but some you can only get from the distributor. For example, Sherwin Williams’ Emerald is only available at a Sherwin Williams store. Some other types of Sherwin Williams’ products are available in the Big Box stores, but not Emerald. The Manor Hall PPG paint can only be purchased in a PPG store. Behr is made by MASCO and is licensed only to sell in Home Depot, so you can only get the Behr products at Home Depot. And, finally Benjamin Moore products are only available at independently owned paint and hardware stores. So, you may have to do a little research before heading out to the store to purchase your selected paint.
So you ask, what interior paint covers the best? In our evaluations, we’ve found it truly depends on the substrate, the way it is applied, and the colors involved. Sometimes a smooth surface produces a different coverage than a rough textured surface. A thicker nap roller will also produce a different result than a brush. And, certain colors cover more easily than others.
Behr has made a big claim that its Marquee line covers in one coat. These colors are guaranteed by Behr to cover in one coat of paint. We thought this to be a very big claim and one that we really wanted to put to the test.
After testing these Behr Marquee one-coat guaranteed colors, we found this claim to be mostly true. In our assessment of what interior paint covers the best, we found the Behr one-coat colors could be a great option. However, we found there are some caveats to Behr’s one-coat claim.
1) You must choose a Marquee “One-Coat” color. The color palette for Behr’s “One-Coat” guarantee is limited to only 1000 colors. The online color palette from Behr is marked with the number “1” in the upper right hand corner if that color has the “One-Coat Guarantee”. The other Behr Marquee colors are not guaranteed to cover in one coat. Unfortunately, white is one of the Behr guaranteed colors that is extremely limited. Since white is a highly used color, this line may not fit your needs.
And, 2) We discovered if you’re doing a drastic color change, you will need to apply a second coat, even with the Marquee One-Coat guaranteed colors.
When trying to determine what interior paint covers the best, there are some situations where a one-coat application is practical. Let’s say you’re painting a bedroom over the weekend and want to get it done quickly. A Behr Marquee One-Coat color may be a great solution for you.
For our video on what interior paint covers the best, we started with the Behr Marquee One-Coat color on a knockdown texture drywall surface. When covering a standard, non-drastic color (not going white over black) the Behr Marquee One-Coat color provided full coverage in one coat. We got the same result on a smooth baseboard.
The Marquee One-Coat color covered in one coat as long as we didn’t do a drastic color change, like going from ultra white to a dark blue. Going from an ultra white trim to a dark color typically requires either more paint load, or multiple coats. In a case like this, it is probably easier for the average DIY homeowner to do 2 easy coats of paint on those baseboards. It will take the average DIY homeowner less time to do two thin coats. Otherwise, time is spent trying to perfect the technique of overloading the brush with paint without causing drips and runs.
In the end the Behr Marquee One-Coat Guarantee colors performed well. We found good coverage in one coat if you choose from one of Behr’s 1000 One-Coat Guarantee colors, and use it to cover a typical, non-drastic color.
The other colors tested for our video on what interior paint covers the best were: Sherwin Williams Emerald, PPG Manor Hall, Behr Marquee (not a One-Coat color), and Benjamin Moore Aura. We used a 3/8 “ nap roller to apply the paint, and had the same Sherwin Williams white color mixed across all 4 paints. The color selected was Sherwin Williams SW 7005 Pure White and we had all the manufacturers match that paint color in their paint. And again, we painted on a knockdown texture drywall surface.
The results for coverage after one coat of these paints were as follows, listing the best coverage to the least amount of coverage:
- Benjamin Moore Aura (best coverage after one coat)
- Behr Marquee
- PPG Manor Hall
- Sherwin Williams Emerald (least amount of coverage after one coat)
After 2 coats, most paints provided full coverage in our search for what interior paint covers the best. The Benjamin Moore Aura, Behr Marquee, and PPG Manor Hall all covered about the same. The Sherwin Williams Emerald was the worst performer for coverage, and would definitely need 3 coats if you were covering black with white.
As a side note, the Benjamin Moore Aura and PPG Manor Hall paints had more of a yellow tint to them even though we asked for a color match to the SW 7005 Pure White across all manufacturers. That slight color difference may have contributed to the coverage seeming better in those 2 brands. The Sherwin Williams and Behr Marquee were the purest white in our testing.
The Behr Marquee One-Coat Guarantee color “Cameo White” did not cover the black in one coat. However, it did provide a lot more coverage in one coat than the other paints we tested. The one coat of Behr “Cameo White” provided more coverage than two coats of Sherwin Williams Emerald.
When it comes to the DIY Homeowner, most scenarios will dictate 2 coats of paint. In our research of what interior paint covers the best, all tested paints performed and covered well in 2 coats. Especially if you’re covering a color other than black! However, if you’re hiring a professional painter, you may discover a cost savings when requesting a one-coat color due to the reduction of labor cost. It’s worth asking your painter!
