Which interior paint brand is best in Australia?

Who makes what: four big names, three owners and a family firm

Some of the big interior paint brands share an owner. DuluxGroup lists both Dulux and Berger among its brands, along with British Paints. So Dulux and Berger come from the same group, but they're sold as separate brands with their own products. Berger says it has been making paint in Australia since 1916.

Taubmans is a PPG brand. Its guarantee is given by PPG Industries Australia, and its data sheets say the paint is made at plants in Villawood NSW and Clayton VIC. Wattyl's website is run by Hempel (Wattyl) Australia.

Haymes is the family firm. It says it was founded in Ballarat in 1935 and has passed through three generations of the Haymes family. Haymes also says it became the largest Australian made and owned paint maker after Nippon Paint acquired Dulux.

Ownership tells you who stands behind a guarantee. It doesn't tell you which paint suits your hallway. For that, you need the product line.

Premium vs trade lines: the range matters more than the badge

Each big maker sells more than one interior wall paint, and the lines aren't built for the same job. Taubmans shows it clearly. Endure is the one Taubmans calls a premium interior paint, with a lifetime guarantee. Tradex Interior is described as a professional-grade low sheen. Professional Interior is formulated for professional painters.

Read the data sheets and the differences are real. Taubmans says its Professional Interior Matt may mark more easily than higher sheen paints and isn't recommended for high traffic areas. It also says it's not recommended for two coat systems on new work. Its VOC level is listed at 94 g per litre, against 37 g for Tradex Low Sheen.

Haymes calls Ultra Premium its premium product offering. It also sells other interior lines, such as Elite Interior, which Haymes says suits interior walls and sheltered outside surfaces. Wattyl calls I.D Advanced an ultra premium water-based paint.

So when two quotes both say "premium paint", ask for the product name. A brand's top line and its trade line can sit on the same shelf.

Brand by brand: close on paper, so read the details

The top interior wall paints from each maker are close on the numbers they publish. Recoat is 2 hours for all three makers that publish it, touch dry is 20 to 30 minutes, and the coverage claims overlap. Here they are side by side, low sheen where the maker gives figures for it.

Notice Endure has two coverage figures. Taubmans' product page says up to 12 square metres per litre and its data sheet says up to 16. Plan on the lower one when you're buying tins. Our guide on how much paint you need shows how to work it out.

"Low sheen" isn't the same shine from every maker

Low sheen from one brand can be shinier than low sheen from another. Each maker sets its own range. Dulux, Taubmans and Wattyl measure theirs at a 60 degree angle, while the Haymes sheen guide doesn't state an angle. So the same named finish can bounce back a different amount of light from one brand to the next.

Wattyl adds a useful warning. In a long hallway with sunlight coming in at one end, low sheen can show up some flaws in the wall. Because sheen varies from maker to maker, use the same product and sheen as well as the same colour for touch-ups. For choosing the finish itself, see low sheen vs semi gloss.

Washability and guarantees: read the fine print

All the premium lines claim strong washability, but they describe it in their own words. Dulux says Wash&Wear offers stain resistance, scrub resistance and burnish resistance together. Taubmans says Endure resists burnishing, which is the shiny patch that forms when you wash a wall. Wattyl says I.D Advanced has excellent washability and stain resistance.

Wait before you scrub. Dulux says to allow 7 days for Wash&Wear to fully cure before washing. Taubmans' data sheets say walls may be washed after 7 days, and to always avoid abrasive cleaners.

Guarantees differ more than the paint does. Taubmans guarantees Endure against blistering, flaking or peeling, but only on suitable, properly prepared surfaces, for residential homes in Australia, and only for as long as the owner owns the home. It isn't transferable and needs proof of purchase. If it fails, Taubmans replaces the paint or refunds your money, and it says it isn't liable for labour. Haymes offers a 7-year mould and mildew protection guarantee on Interior Expressions. On the Dulux Wash&Wear pages we read, no lifetime guarantee was listed.

So Taubmans' guarantee pays for paint; the labour to repaint is on you. Good prep is what keeps the claim valid.

Is premium paint worth the extra? In busy rooms, the makers' own specs point to yes

Premium paint earns its price where walls get touched, bumped and washed. That's hallways, family rooms, kids' rooms and kitchens. The makers' own data shows why. Dulux Wash&Wear and Taubmans Endure both claim scrub and burnish resistance, while Taubmans says its Professional Interior Matt isn't recommended for high traffic areas.

In a spare room that gets little wear, we'd say the gap matters less. Taubmans calls Tradex Interior a professional-grade low sheen with superior washability, so a trade line like that is worth a look there, provided it's the right sheen and goes on properly.

Coats count too. Dulux says to apply two coats of Wash&Wear, letting the first dry completely, and that some colours need more than two, especially over a contrasting colour. Every extra coat means more time on the job. Our interior painting cost guide breaks the price down.

VOC is the other difference worth checking on the data sheet. The premium lines here list low or very low VOC, while the Professional Matt lists 94 g per litre.

Choosing for your rooms: a quick checklist

Pick the paint by the room it's going in, then pick the brand you can get easily in that line. Run this list over any tin or quote.

• Hallways, family rooms, kids' rooms: a premium washable wall paint that names scrub and burnish resistance on the data sheet.
• Kitchens, bathrooms, laundries: a wet-area product. Dulux, Haymes and Wattyl each make a kitchen and bathroom line.
• Low traffic bedrooms and spare rooms: our suggestion is a trade line in low sheen, such as Tradex, which Taubmans says has superior washability.
• Ceilings: a flat ceiling paint. Haymes, for one, says flat is best for ceilings because it hides roller marks.
• Doors and trims: a tougher, glossier finish, which Haymes recommends for doors and trims. See our guide to types of house paint.
• Any room: check the guarantee terms, the coverage on the data sheet and the cure time before washing.

High stairwell voids and raked ceilings are working at height. That's a job for a painter with the right access gear. If you can't reach it from the floor or a small step, stop there and get it looked at.

Getting the right paint on your walls

J. James Painting Contractors has painted Sunshine Coast homes since 1985 and holds QBCC licence 1281728. We work right across the Sunshine Coast. Our interior house painting page shows what's included on an inside job, and if you're painting outside too, see the best exterior paint for coastal homes. Call 0403 571 616, Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm or Saturday 8am to 1pm.