Behr Premium Plus Ultra paints, sold at Home Depot, were the top-scoring finishes in our March 2010 report on interior paints. (Ratings of low-luster, flat, and semigloss finishes are available to subscribers.)

Lots of you agree with and many of you disagree with our findings and fiercely debate which is the best paint in our active forums. What's more, many professional contractors choose other brands over Behr, a point the company's representatives acknowledged at last month's International Builders' Show. And some pro painters take real issue with Consumer Reports' ratings of interior paint. (Pros might tend to be more interested in how easy a paint is to apply and touch up, while consumers tend to be concerned with how well a paint holds up over time.)

Behr hopes that its new direct-to-pro program will spur more contractors to use its pains by providing them with free delivery on orders of 50 gallons or more, volume discounted pricing, factory tinting intended to provide consistent color matching, and other services.

So if Behr is your paint of choice, you might mention the direct-to-pro program to your contractor. But don't be surprised if your painter suggest you use another brand.

—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our advice for hiring a professional painter. But if you'll be the one wielding a brush, avoid these common painting mistakes.