Sherwin-Williams Best for DIY
Sherwin-Williams Best for DIY
There are certainly many good paints available to DIYers, from several well-known companies. But here I want to tell you why Sherwin-Williams is the best place for DIYers to get their paint. Now, if you know anything about the paint industry, you’re saying, “Huh? Sherwin-Williams caters to professional painters, not DIYers. The paint departments of big box store and regional hardware chains are what cater to DIYers.” That is all true, but that is precisely why DIYers should get their paint at Sherwin-Williams. Let me explain.
What is Sherwin-Williams?
Most trade/construction outlets will sell to both pros and DIYers. Some, like the big box retailers, are set up to mostly sell to DIYers, although they have programs for pro accounts. Others are designed to focus on pros and commercial accounts, although they solicit and are happy to serve walk-in DIYers. Sherwin-Williams is in this latter category.
About the mid-nineties Sherwin-Williams began to aggressively acquire other paint, coatings, and related industries in what had until then been a fragmented market, composed of a patchwork of regional paint brands. This strategy was competently executed and has catapulted Sherwin-Williams to the leader in the coatings industry, dwarfing most competitors in size. One hundred years after they started using the iconic “Cover the Earth” logo, Sherwin-Williams became poised to do just that!
It’s this size that allows them to dominate the professional painters market, both local one-person operations and large national and international paint/construction operations (most of which you’ve never heard of). They offer the largest selection of coatings (not just paint), and they have a field force that services on-site construction projects with sales, deliveries, and training.
Why Sherwin-Williams Size and Pro Focus Benefits DIYers
Even though Sherwin-Williams is pro-focused, they actively solicit DIY customers. Most Sherwin-Williams stores have extended hours and are open weekends. Their many social media accounts reach out to DIY painters. Check out their consumer-focused Instagram page, for example – if it doesn’t make you want to go and paint something, you need help!
You will get excellent, pro-level advice. This is probably the most important differentiator that Sherwin-Williams provides to DIYers. The manager of a Sherwin Williams store may well have 20 to 30 years of experience. That’s not just 2-3 decades of selling paint, it’s 20-30 years of talking with pro painters day-in and day-out. It’s hearing every day what works and what doesn’t in the real world. The person behind the counter at a big box store may or may not be knowledgeable about paint (I’ve heard both good and sketchy advice given out there), but they certainly don’t have that level of experience and knowledge.
No one at Sherwin-Williams has an incentive to sell you a product that isn’t ideal for your application. The slight store profit from selling you an $80 gallon of paint rather than a $60 gallon won’t even register on the store’s annual financials. The store would much rather have you recommend Sherwin-Williams to your friends because you had a good experience there.
I’ve been in my local Sherwin-Williams quite a bit over the last 30 years, and I’ve never seen a non-professional treated with anything but courtesy and genuine helpfulness.
They make excellent products. If there’s one thing that Sherwin Williams’ pro customer base hates, it’s call-backs. These are time-wasting profit- and reputation- killers, and any product that results in them doesn’t get pro business. Since Sherwin-Williams dominates the pro trade, it’s obvious that their products are top-notch. That’s hardly a surprise since Sherwin-Williams’ size allows them to fund a lot of R&D.
They are conveniently located. Sherwin-Williams has over 5400 retail stores and branches. That’s twice as many as The Home Depot has.
They have the widest selection of products. If you have an unusual situation, Sherwin Williams is more likely than anywhere else to have the paint (or other coating) solution.
Sherwin-Williams is cost-competitive. Yes, paint seems expensive, but it’s probably the least expensive item on a remodel, or for a small outlay you can completely update the look of a room, even if you pay full retail price. But you don’t need to. Sherwin-Williams has a free PaintPerks program that gets you 10% off purchases as well as an initial credit, and they routinely have sales of up to 40% off.
Sherwin-Williams has outstanding color palates. Their curated collection of historic, Arts & Crafts, mid-century, colonial, and other color palates have done a lot of the work for you in choosing colors and combinations, or just getting inspiration. To appreciate how valuable this is, you have to understand that there’s a whole field of color theory (not to be confused with color psychology, which a different legitimate field) that explains which colors work together. (My artist wife has educated me to this fact.) Most people just go to the paint store and pick a color that they think they will like…with the predictable not-very-good results. As a large company, Sherwin-Williams can afford to employ professional architectural artists to develop colors and combinations that work beautifully together for whatever style of home you have or want to take inspiration from, and make this knowledge available to you for free.
These Sherwin-Williams curated palates have become something of an industry standard. You’ll often see magazines or websites devoted to design or to a particular style use them. Many designers do, too. Most stores stock brochures for each palate.
Lots of tools. Sherwin-Williams has many tools on their website to help you choose colors for specific applications. Their color visualizer tool allows you to paint stock pictures of different rooms with any color combination, or you can upload a photo of your own space and paint areas of it with any color (my wife and I found this tool invaluable when remodeling our current home). They now have AI tools on their website, as well as both free and fee-based consultation available (the fees are very small). There so many free tools and information on the website that it takes some time to go through.
Free education. When I was taking guitar lessons years ago, my teacher told me that the guitar is an instrument that’s easy to play badly, and difficult to play well. The same applies to painting. Yes, anyone can slap paint up on a wall, but having the job come out well requires some skill and knowledge. Sherwin-Williams has an extensive section of their website filled with tutorials on every aspect of painting. If you’re new to painting, or just never got professional tutelage in it, well…it’s all yours, again for free.
Take Advantage of the Pros’ Experience
Try to go to a Sherwin-Williams store at times other than first thing or late in the workday on weekdays. That’s when the pros are there getting stock for their jobs, and you’ll get more staff attention at other times.
Now, Lowes sells some Sherwin-Williams paint lines. Certainly the Sherwin-Williams products there are certainly of good quality, and you’ll well there in that regard. But if you can get to a Sherwin-Williams store, you’ll find more resources.
Whether you’re a production pro or a new homeowner, you’ll do well at Sherwin-Williams.
Full disclosure. I have no financial interest in Sherwin-Williams whatsoever, and have received no consideration of any kind for writing this article. I do have a cousin that works for the company, and a (now deceased) uncle that did. They have no idea that I am writing this – these are just my observations and opinions.
