5 Best Cheap Paints for Interior Walls

Are you searching for budget-friendly yet high-quality paints for your interior walls?

Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast, a frugal homeowner, or someone looking to freshen up their living space, I understand the importance of finding affordable paints that don’t compromise performance.

Selecting the right paint for your interior walls is vital as it can significantly impact the overall look and feel of your living space. From enhancing aesthetics to protecting against wear and tear, quality paint adds beauty and provides durability and longevity.

In this comprehensive blog, I will present the 5 best cheap paints of 2023!

5 Best Cheap Paints – Product Reviews

In this section, I will compare and analyze 5 affordable paint options that deliver quality results without breaking the bank.

Paint	BACKDROP Premium Cabinet & Door Paint	INSL-X Color-Changing Acrylic Ceiling Paint	INSL-X Tough Shield Floor and Patio Paint	Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint	Viva Decor Chalk Board Paint
Color	Yellow-orange	White	Desert Sand	Black	Black
Finish Type	Semi-Gloss	Flat	Satin	Matte	Matte
Paint Type	Acrylic	Acrylic	Acrylic, Enamel	Watercolor	Chalkboard
Surface Recommendation	Doors, Walls	Ceiling	Floors	Doors, Walls	Fabric, Metal, Plastic, Wood
Full Cure Time	4 Hours	24 Hours	12 Hours	3 Days	24 Hours
Coverage	200 square feet	400-450 square feet per gallon	350-450 square feet per gallon	80 square feet	12-14 square feet per gallon
Indoor/Outdoor Usage	Interior	Interior	Interior/Exterior	Interior	Indoor/Outdoor

BACKDROP Premium Cabinet & Door Paint

Features

Color: Infuse your walls with the vibrant and modern Color of the Year. The yellow-orange hue adds energy and freshness to your interior, creating an inviting atmosphere.

Finish Type: The paint offers a semi-gloss finish with a 30% sheen. This level of gloss ensures maximum durability and washability without an offensive shine.

Special Features: The paint is low odor, fade-resistant, Green Wise Certified, stain-resistant, and washable. These features make it ideal for maintaining the beauty and longevity of your walls.

Paint Type: BACKDROP is made with high-quality acrylic resin, ensuring a durable and long-lasting finish. The paint offers intense pigmentation and maximum coverage.

Specific Uses for Product: This paint is specifically designed for interior use, making it perfect for doors and walls in various rooms of your house.

Full Cure Time: The paint requires approximately 4 hours of full cure time, ensuring a thorough and complete drying process.

Coverage: Each 0.5-gallon container covers approximately 200 square feet, providing efficient coverage for your interior projects.

Water Resistance Level: The paint is water-resistant, offering protection against water damage and ensuring the longevity of your walls.

The New Way to Paint: BACKDROP paint is designed to provide a new and innovative painting experience. It has a low odor, is self-priming, and features an easy open and close can. The clean pour design and easy application make painting a hassle-free process. The paint also dries quickly, with a touch-dry time of 60 minutes and a recoat time of 3-4 hours.

Green Wise Certified: BACKDROP paint is tested and certified as Ultra Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). It is produced without using formaldehyde or any other potentially dangerous off-gassing materials. BACKDROP is the first Climate Neutral Certified paint company committed to environmental sustainability.

Cabinet & Door: The paint is specifically designed for interior cabinetry and doors. With a semi-gloss finish to withstand high wear, it is perfect for kitchen renovations, bathroom vanities, mudroom built-ins, and furniture refreshes. It offers easy application and results in a smooth, uniform finish.

Interior Standard (Semi-Matte) Finish: The premium interior Standard Finish wall paint offers a desired low sheen of 6%. It is durable, washable, and semi-matte, making it suitable for various rooms in your house, including living spaces, bedrooms, kitchens, and hallways.

Exterior Standard Finish: The exterior paint features a low sheen of 6% and a durable semi-matte finish. It is ideal for most exterior wall surfaces, built to withstand harsh conditions, including weather, humidity, and direct sunshine.

Exterior Semi-Gloss Finish: The exterior Semi-Gloss Finish offers a 30% sheen, providing maximum durability without an offensive shine. It is perfect for exterior trim and doors, designed to withstand the harshest outside conditions.

Pros

This paint saves time by providing outstanding coverage with just one coat.

It dries quickly, allowing you to move on to other tasks or apply additional coats sooner.

The paint is easy to apply, making it suitable for both experienced painters and beginners.

With its smudge-proof feature, you can easily wipe away any marks or smudges on the painted surface without leaving residue.

The paint is scrubbable, meaning you can clean it with a damp cloth, making it ideal for areas that are prone to getting dirty.

It has a low odor, ensuring a more pleasant painting experience, especially for those sensitive to strong smells.

The paint is eco-friendly, made with low-VOC ingredients that are less harmful to the environment.

Cons

Some users find the paint to be a bit thin, which may require additional coats for desired coverage.

It may not be as durable as some other paints, making it more prone to wear and tear over time.

The paint can be a bit pricey compared to other options available in the market.

INSL-X Color-Changing Acrylic Ceiling Paint

Features

Color: The paint is available in a classic White color, providing a clean and bright finish to your ceilings.

Finish Type: It offers a Flat finish, creating a smooth and uniform appearance on your ceilings.

Paint Type: The paint is formulated with high-quality Acrylic, ensuring durability and long-lasting performance.

Special Feature: The Color-Changing technology sets this paint apart. It goes on pink when applied, indicating the painted areas, and then dries to a brilliant white color. This feature helps prevent missed spots and ensures even coverage.

Specific Uses for Product: INSL-X Color-Changing Acrylic Ceiling Paint is designed specifically for interior ceiling applications, providing exceptional performance on this surface.

Surface Recommendation: This paint is recommended for use on ceilings, whether they have a smooth or textured finish.

Type: The paint is water-based, making it easy to apply and clean up with just soap and water.

Project Advantages: This ceiling paint offers several advantages, including being spatter-resistant and self-priming. It is suitable for both smooth and textured ceilings, accommodating different surface types.

Recoat Time: The paint dries quickly, allowing for a recoat in as little as two hours. This saves time and allows for efficient painting progress.

Coverage: With a coverage rate of 400 to 450 square feet per gallon, this paint provides excellent coverage, ensuring that a single gallon goes a long way.

Clean-up: Clean-up is a breeze with this paint. Use soap and water to remove any excess paint or spills.

Easy Application: The acrylic formula and self-priming properties make this paint easy to apply, providing a smooth and hassle-free painting experience.

Application Guidelines: The paint can be applied when the surface and ambient temperatures are above 50 °F (10 °C) and below 90 °F (32 °C).

Pros

The paint is white enough to effectively cover dirty marks on the ceiling, providing a fresh and clean appearance.

It is reasonably priced, offering good value for its quality and coverage.

The paint’s color-changing feature, going on pink and drying white, makes it great for painting ceilings and helps ensure complete coverage without missing any spots.

Many users appreciate the ease of use and the ability to track their painting progress with the color-changing property.

The paint effectively covers and revitalizes dingy or stained ceilings, including oily splatters and water stains.

It dries quickly, allowing for efficient painting and minimizing waiting time.

Users find the paint to be of good quality, resulting in a satisfactory finished result.

The paint is suitable for bathroom use, indicating its durability and suitability for areas with high humidity.

The paint packaging is well done, ensuring safe delivery and a positive customer experience.

Cons

A few users encountered difficulties seeing the pink color change in certain lighting conditions, affecting their ability to track their painting progress.

There were instances where the paint left lines and yellow spots on the ceiling, leading to unsatisfactory results.

While the product is generally well-received, some users felt that the pink color change could be more pronounced for easier visibility.

A user mentioned using the paint on a popcorn ceiling, indicating its effectiveness in repairing existing surfaces.

INSL-X Tough Shield Floor and Patio Paint

Features

Color: The paint is available in the warm and inviting Desert Sand color, adding a touch of elegance to your floors and patio.

Finish Type: The satin finish of this paint produces a rugged and durable surface that can withstand weather elements and abrasion. It adds an attractive sheen to your floors while providing protection and longevity.

Paint Type: The paint is formulated with waterborne acrylic enamel, combining acrylic’s durability and the enamel’s protective properties. This ensures a rugged and long-lasting finish.

Specific Uses for Product: INSL-X Tough Shield Floor and Patio Paint is suitable for both interior and exterior use. It is the perfect option for a variety of household and light commercial projects because it was specifically created for floor applications.

Surface Recommendation: This paint is recommended for use on floors, providing excellent coverage and durability on a wide range of surfaces.

Item Form: The paint is liquid, allowing for easy application and smooth coverage.

Full Cure Time: The paint requires approximately 12 hours of full cure time, ensuring a thorough and complete drying process before the surface can be fully utilized.

Coverage: Each gallon of paint covers an area of approximately 350 to 450 square feet, providing efficient coverage and reducing the need for multiple coats.

Water Resistance: The Tough Shield Floor and Patio Paint is designed to resist ponding water, making it suitable for areas prone to moisture or water exposure.

Abrasion Resistance: This paint exhibits excellent wearing qualities, withstanding detergents, oils, greases, and scrubbing. It is built to withstand the rigors of high-traffic areas and maintain its durability over time.

Application Guidelines: The paint can be applied when the surface and air temperatures are above 50 °F (10 °C). It is important not to apply the paint if the temperature is within 5° of the Dew Point or if rain is expected within 12 hours, ensuring proper drying and adhesion.

Usage Limitation: It is important to note that this paint should not be used on garage floors or car parking surfaces. It is specifically formulated for other floor applications.

Pros

The paint is spreadable and durable, providing a long-lasting finish.

It is suitable for exterior applications, such as porch or workshop floors, and can withstand heavy use.

The inclusion of flecks adds a decorative touch and enhances the appearance of the painted surface.

It is tough and maintains its appearance even after two years, demonstrating its durability.

The paint covers well, requiring only two coats for adequate coverage.

Users appreciate the quick drying time, allowing them to plan and execute their painting projects efficiently.

The paint has low odor and outgasses quickly compared to other commercial paints, improving the painting experience.

The product provides a primer and paint in one, saving time and money on additional priming steps.

It offers good coverage and a nice finish, effectively concealing imperfections on surfaces like concrete floors.

Users are impressed with the paint’s ability to cover scratches and provide a satisfactory finish with just one coat.

The paint is easy to apply, providing smooth and streak-free results.

It performs well even on rugged and porous surfaces, delivering the desired outcome.

Cons

The acrylic formula of the paint can be corrosive to the steel can provide, leading to potential rusting and holes.

The paint is slightly more expensive, but users appreciate the cost savings on primer and time.

Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint

Features

Color: The Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint is available in a classic and versatile Black color.

Special Feature: The paint is washable, allowing for easy cleaning and maintenance of the chalkboard surface.

Paint Type: Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint is a water-based paint specifically designed for creating chalkboard surfaces.

Surface Recommendation: This paint is suitable for application on various surfaces, including doors and walls. It works effectively on wood, metal, drywall, masonry, glass, terra cotta, concrete, paperboard, plaster, and hardboard.

Cure Time: The paint requires approximately 3 days to cure fully, ensuring a durable and long-lasting chalkboard surface.

Versatile Application: This paint allows you to transform numerous objects and surfaces into chalkboards. The possibilities are endless, whether it’s walls, furniture, cabinets, doors, flower pots, picture frames, or table tops.

Resistant to Stains, Scratches, and Scuffs: The chalkboard surface is created with Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint is designed to resist stains, scratches, and scuffs. This ensures a clean and durable surface that can withstand everyday use.

Combination with Magnetize-it! Magnetic Paint & Primer: For a powerful magnetic chalkboard surface, you can use Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint in combination with Magnetize-it! Magnetic Paint & Primer. This allows you to create a multifunctional space that combines the benefits of both a chalkboard and a magnetic surface.

Ideal for Various Spaces: This chalkboard paint is perfect for kids’ bedrooms, toy rooms, home and business offices, kitchens, garages, and more. It provides a creative and functional solution for both personal and professional environments.

Create Custom Chalkboards: With this paint, you can create custom chalkboards in various sizes and shapes. Whether you want to resurface ping pong tables, existing chalkboards or create entirely new chalkboards, this paint provides the flexibility to bring your ideas to life.

Coverage: Each 32-ounce can of Magnetize-It! Chalkboard Paint can cover approximately 80 square feet with one layer when applied with a roller.

Easy Application: You can use an existing frame or handcraft one to create a chalkboard surface. Additionally, the paint can be applied to foam board, cardboard, or hardboard to create a chalkboard surface or resurface an existing chalkboard.

Pros

Many users found that this paint was easy to apply and that it covered well with one coat.

The paint is said to be durable and to withstand scratching and fading.

The paint can be used on various surfaces, including walls, furniture, and even appliances.

Cons

Some users reported that the paint had a strong odor when it was first applied.

The paint may not be as opaque as some other paints, so you may need to apply two coats.

The paint isn’t magnetic, as it claims, so you can’t attach magnets to the surface. However, it is a decent option for creating your interior walls into a chalkboard.

Viva Decor Chalk Board Paint

Features

Color: The paint is available in a classic and versatile Black color, providing a beautiful matte black finish to your surfaces.

Finish Type: It offers a Matte finish, creating a smooth and elegant appearance.

Special Feature: Viva Decor Chalkboard Paint is non-toxic, ensuring safe and environmentally friendly use.

Paint Type: This paint is specifically designed as chalkboard paint, providing a writable, abrasion-resistant surface.

Surface Recommendation: The chalkboard paint is suitable for a variety of surfaces, including fabric, metal, plastic, and wood. It offers excellent adhesion and coverage on these materials.

Indoor/Outdoor Usage: The paint can be used indoors and outdoors, allowing versatility in your creative projects.

Curing Time: The paint requires approximately 24 hours to cure fully. It is important to wait for this duration after applying the paint before using the surface as a chalkboard.

Coverage: With one coat, Viva Decor Chalkboard Paint covers approximately 12 to 14 square feet per gallon. This means that you will need about 1 gallon of paint to cover an area of 144 square feet with one coat.

Highest Quality: The water-based and odorless formulation of Viva Decor Chalkboard Paint ensures a high-quality finish. The paint is made with non-toxic ingredients, providing a safe and healthy option for your projects. It offers a writable and abrasion-resistant surface that can be easily wiped clean.

Easy to Apply: The paint is designed for easy application, even for non-painters. It has a drip-resistant formulation and provides high coverage, resulting in a streak-free finish.

Numerous Possibilities: Viva Decor Chalkboard Paint is suitable for various applications and materials. It can be used to create highlights on furniture, enhance walls in children’s rooms, add character to hallways or offices, refresh kitchen fronts, and more. The paint adheres to wood, ceramics, plastic, fabric, metal, concrete, and other surfaces, allowing you to explore creativity.

Made in Germany: By producing in-house, Viva Decor ensures direct control over the manufacturing process and delivers products of premium quality to customers. The paint is carefully crafted with top-quality, non-hazardous components, providing peace of mind.

Pros

Many users found that this paint was easy to apply and that it covered well with one coat.

The paint dries to a matte finish, which is ideal for chalkboards.

The paint is relatively affordable, making it a good option for budget-minded homeowners.

The paint can be used on interior walls and furniture.

Cons

The paint may not be as durable as some other paints, so you may need to apply two coats.

The paint can be messy, so it is important to wear gloves and a drop cloth when applying it.

Some users reported that the paint had a strong odor when it was first applied.

Bottom Line

That’s it! I hope I have helped you find affordable paint options without compromising quality.

Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a budget-conscious homeowner, these paints offer excellent coverage, ease of application, and durability.

By choosing the right paint for your interior walls, you can confidently transform your living space, creating a fresh and vibrant atmosphere that suits your style and budget.

Happy painting!

FAQ

What type of paint is best for walls?

When it comes to choosing the best paint for walls, matte, semi-gloss, and satin finishes are recommended for interior walls.

For trim and woodwork, semi-gloss and gloss paints are ideal.

If you prefer a more subtle shine, an eggshell finish is a great option. It offers a softer sheen while still providing a smooth and durable finish for your walls.

How do you know if paint is good quality?

The quality of paint can be determined by its composition.

High-quality paint typically contains a higher concentration of total solids, including pigments and resins, and a lower amount of solvents than lower-quality paint.

As a result, high-quality paint forms a thicker and more durable paint film once the solvents evaporate.

On the other hand, low-quality paint contains fewer solids and more solvents, leading to a thinner and less resilient paint film.

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