Paint reviews, guides, and color
Independent paint and tool round-ups. Project step-by-steps. Color references and brand reviews. Every product pick lists a real con — no review without a real weakness.
INSL-X Stix Bonding Primer: Honest Review (2026)
A chemist's INSL-X Stix review: the bonding primer that grips glossy cabinets, laminate, melamine, tile, and PVC so your finish coat actually stays put.
Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec Exterior: Honest Review (2026)
Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec Exterior review: the budget contractor exterior paint rated down to 40°F. Where the low-temp value line wins and where it loses.
Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint: Honest Review (2026)
Benjamin Moore's dead-flat ceiling paint hides flashing and patches, kills glare, and barely spatters. The premium ceiling white worth it over builder-grade.
C2 Premium Exterior Paint: Honest Review (2026)
C2's color-led 100% acrylic exterior, tested against Aura and Emerald. Where the dealer-only premium and thin specs earn the spend, and where they don't.
C2 Guard Wood & Masonry Sealer: Honest Review (2026)
C2 Guard soaks into wood instead of filming over, so it can't peel. Where its no-sand, clean-and-recoat lifecycle earns the dealer price, and where it won't.
Clare Ceiling Paint: Honest Review (2026)
An honest Clare ceiling paint review: the flat zero-VOC white, the self-priming hide, the white-only deck, and where the $49 direct-ship gallon costs you.
Clare Primer: Honest Review (2026)
Clare Primer review: the zero-VOC, GREENGUARD Gold DTC primer that seals new drywall, blocks ordinary stains, and bonds slick surfaces before Clare paint.
Dunn-Edwards Decoglo: Honest Review (2026)
Decoglo is DE's purpose-built cabinet & trim enamel, a urethane-acrylic with a lacquer-like hard finish. Where this DE cabinet enamel wins and where it loses.
Dunn-Edwards Porch & Floor: Honest Review (2026)
DE Porch & Floor coating review: Dunn-Edwards' new 2025 acrylic for concrete and wood porches — where the eggshell film holds and where the etch bites.
Dunn-Edwards Spartashield: Honest Review (2026)
DE Spartashield exterior paint review: the contractor-grade 100% acrylic under Evershield. Where it holds on good stucco and siding, and where it gives up.
Dunn-Edwards Ultra-Grip Primer: Honest Review (2026)
A chemist's honest review of Dunn-Edwards Ultra-Grip Premium, the ultra-low-VOC DE bonding primer for aged gloss, aluminum, vinyl, and slick fiberglass.
Dutch Boy Dura Clean: Honest Review (2026)
Dutch Boy Dura Clean washable paint reviewed for 2026: where its scrub-clean Stay-Clean finish holds up on busy walls, and where it honestly falls short.