Paint Consumer Reports

JLC- Notebook Article: "Next time you install shingles, siding, paint, or deck stain for a customer, don't be surprised if she brings up Consumer Reports. Long trusted as an authority on appliances, vehicles, and other consumer goods, the nonprofit magazine has added building materials to its repertory in recent years. The August 2003 issue looked at fiberglass-asphalt roofing shingles, vinyl siding, paint, and deck stains, picking 'Best Buy' winners in all four categories. Ratings are based on lab tests dreamed up by Consumer Reports technicians, as well as industry-accepted standard tests.

In the roofing category, three-tab roofing shingles from CertainTeed and Owens Corning, priced around $30 a square, were the magazine's 'Quick Picks' for a good deal. CertainTeed's Grand Manor Shangle, a heavyweight laminated with a lifetime guarantee and a $140/square price tag to match, was rated the top performer when budget is not an issue.

Paint brands varied by color; Consumer Reports named M.A. Bruder Sea Shore as the top white paint, Glidden Endurance the best blue, and California Fresh Coat Velvet as the top brown (and the only brown paint still showing in prime condition after nine years). All three top brands placed highly in every color, but the California brand is available only in the East, the magazine noted, and rated Glidden's white a better value anyway at $17/gallon (vs. $25 for California). "