Nice post Ken. Here is my take on the discussion.
 
Back when I was contracting FT (94-01) I used BM almost exclusively. Occasionally I dabbled in Duron but that was only on the side when the wife was out of town. BM gave me good performance in the Atlanta area. 
 
Now here is where the issue gets interesting. Eureka! I began to discover that paints exhibit radically different performance values in varying conditions. 
 
When I moved to the Georgia coast to be the HP Super for Jekyll Island I experimented with all types of paint to see what would work best. JI was a pressure cooker for paints. Long hot summers, high humidity, crazy bio growth on everything, damp winters, etc. When I arrived they were using BM almost exclusively and were lucky to get 24 months without extreme fading, chalking, and beginning signs of failure. I attributed some of this to crappy prep and tightened the crew up on prep jobs. Still the same results. 
 
I eventually tried the Fine Paints of Europe Schreuder product that was made in Holland. About $125 a gallon but well made and oil based at the time. I figured to hell with the cost, if I could eliminate one entire paint cycle every few years the labor savings alone would be huge. I discovered that this premium oil paint performed poorly in our climate. To much crazy thermal movement of exterior wall surfaces tore it apart and mildew ate it for breakfast. Toto, I don't think we are in Holland anymore! I did like their primer and the marine yacht varnish was superior. They have now switched entirely to acrylics and I have not used any of these paints.  
 
These days on my home and school projects I have been trying SW latex super paint. I have seen evidence of slight loss of lustre after a year of application but it has held onto the walls and down here that is asking a lot. It covers well and does not run. About $40ish a gallon but it goes a long way. 
 
I would love to do a low tech study on the performance of paints down here. Just slap a few coats on some pine and place it in the sun for a couple of years and monitor the results. The problem is that the results would only be valid for my conditions and the performance might be completely different in NYC. My opinion is that most OTC paints are crap and are marketed to DIY homeowners who have no idea of proper prep or application. If Americans move every 3-5 years why should manufacturers design residential paints to last longer? It is a load of crap but sells a hell of a lot of paint. 
 
Caveat Emptor
 
Brian                   
 
Brian Scott Robinson, MHP 
Professor 
Savannah College of Art and Design 
School of Building Arts 
Historic Preservation Department 
P.O. Box 3146 
Savannah, GA 31402 

912 525 6940 office (Tues/Thurs) 
912 262 2650 home (students emergency only) 
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