Best wall paint

[Herban Legend]

I need to paint some drywall and was wondering what is the best paint to use.
Right now it is flat white primer and after 6 months I see some mold growing in some of the corners and want paint that is washable and mold resistant.
Thanks for any input.

 

[sedate]

I like Ralph Lauren Polo Titanium White.

Kinda spendy - $10/quart at Home Depot last time I bought some.

Buy a nice brush and pay attention to a good, even application.

 

[hiboy]

Use oil based and i like a gloss so it can be wiped down and sprayed with water (somewhat). Great for cleanups. I think flat is better for reflection but i'ld line it anyways with some sort of reflective material.
hiboy

 

[delamountain]

Do not use oil based paint unless you plan on not using the room for at least 2 weeks gloss oil can take weeks to cure.Any flat white will work and cost the least but if you want to be able to wipe it up use a pearl or semi-gloss.The anti mold additive is a good idea just add it to the paint.Any brand paint will work but I prefer benjamin-moore super white it doesnt get any whiter.Oil will work and is the most durable but is a hassle to work with and clean up is a pain over kill in my opinion.By the way Im a licensed painting contractor so this is not bs.Dela

 

[treehugger]

iam not sure about washable but any time i paint i add some packets of this mold restaint stuff it is sold right near the paint counter of any homedepot or lowes you just add it in the paint and stir it wirks great

The mold additives i see, say outdoor use only. Don't think i want to breathe that stuff cooking in the lights!

 

[Papa]

I prefer benjamin-moore super white

+1

 

[Smokey503ski]

Killz is always a good one to use. I used drywall primer first then used Killz on top of that. No problems for me.
For best light refltection, flat white is the best.

 

[lazarus718]

Do not use oil based paint unless you plan on not using the room for at least 2 weeks gloss oil can take weeks to cure.Any flat white will work and cost the least but if you want to be able to wipe it up use a pearl or semi-gloss.The anti mold additive is a good idea just add it to the paint.Any brand paint will work but I prefer benjamin-moore super white it doesnt get any whiter.Oil will work and is the most durable but is a hassle to work with and clean up is a pain over kill in my opinion.By the way Im a licensed painting contractor so this is not bs.Dela

This guy's got your answer, I'd add that Ace Royal works good too and is cheaper. Stay away from all of the big box paints. Flat white is better than any semi-gloss or gloss because it is more reflective.

 

[TopDog]

Everyone "says" that flat white is more reflective but how do you know that. There are a lot of myths that live on these boards like aluminum foil causing hot spots etc.
Has anyone any test data to back up the claim? Did anyone build a test setup with a light meter? Please explain why flat is more reflective than gloss.

 

[Papa]

topdog, pick up any textbook on illumination engineering and you'll find the test data. it's not a myth.


Papa

 

[Farmer Jon]

Everyone "says" that flat white is more reflective but how do you know that. There are a lot of myths that live on these boards like aluminum foil causing hot spots etc.
Has anyone any test data to back up the claim? Did anyone build a test setup with a light meter? Please explain why flat is more reflective than gloss.

Pretty basic really it's all about focal points or the lack of... (think magnifying glass burning ants).
The research has been done my friend, in the lab as well as the real world. I don't have the time ATM to drop links for you but if you search i'm sure you will find relivent information.
FJ

 

[sedate]

Everyone "says" that flat white is more reflective but how do you know that. There are a lot of myths that live on these boards like aluminum foil causing hot spots etc.

topdog, pick up any textbook on illumination engineering and you'll find the test data. it's not a myth.

Broadly speaking, Papa is correct - but a bit of nuance -

It sort of depends where in the spectrum you measure these things -

Across the visible spectrum, flat white paint is the best for reflectivity, and most light meters generally give the strongest readings in the visible light spectrum - the HydroFarm light meter - IIRC - is 'tuned' to something like 3000K - "warm white" light rather high in the red spectrum.

So - a - say - 40w bulb @2700K measured 1ft away will give a higher reading than a 40w bulb@7000K measured at the exact same spot/angle of incidence.

Also - from what I understand - mirrored/polished surfaces (not sure about gloss paint tho) like aluminum or dimpled aluminum or even a mirror tend to produce much more reflectivity as you move out of the visible spectrum and into UV.

. . . Food for thought . . .