A condo board asked me why their new corridor paint was scuffing in weeks — the spec named a premium scrubbable line, but the cans on site said something else
A condo board asked me to look at corridors that had been repainted the spring before. Cart marks and shoe scuffs wouldn’t wash off, and when the cleaners scrubbed, the sheen went patchy. The specification they’d paid a consultant to write named a premium, scrubbable product line. I found two leftover cans in the storage room. Same manufacturer, same colour, different product: a contractor-grade line at a lower price, put in under the words “or approved equal.” Nobody had approved it. This post covers how product substitutions happen on a painting job and how to catch them before the paint is on the wall. It’s for condo boards and property managers, not homeowners.
1. “Or approved equal” is a door, not a loophole
Most painting specs name a product and then add “or approved equal.” That’s reasonable. Products get discontinued, and sometimes a contractor has a good reason to propose another one. But the key word is “approved.” The contractor is supposed to ask in writing, show that the substitute matches on the things that matter, and wait for a yes before buying paint.
What happens instead, more often than you’d think, is that the substitute just shows up. Same colour name on the lid, so nobody looks twice.
What to look at: Check your spec or contract for “or equal” wording, and make sure it says substitutions need written approval from the board or its consultant before any material is ordered.
2. Same colour, same brand, different paint
Colour is the easy part. Any line from a manufacturer can be tinted to the same colour. What changes between product lines is what you’re actually paying for in a corridor: how much it can be scrubbed before the finish wears, how well it hides in two coats, how it holds its sheen, and how much it smells while residents are home.
A contractor-grade line can look identical on day one. The difference shows up in the first few months of carts, boots and cleaning, which is exactly what happened in this building. More on why sheen and washability matter in high-traffic areas is in choosing paint sheen for common areas.
What to look at: If a substitute is proposed, ask for both product data sheets side by side and compare scrub resistance, sheen and coverage, not just the colour.
3. Read the label on site
The simplest check is also the one almost nobody does. Walk the job on the first day of painting and read the cans. The product name and line are printed on the label, right next to the colour sticker. It takes five minutes.
On my own jobs, I’m happy to leave the empty cans for a week so the property manager can see what went on the wall. If a contractor gets cagey when you ask to see the cans, that tells you something.
What to look at: On day one, photograph the label of every product on site and compare it to the spec. Ask for the same again whenever a new batch of paint arrives.
4. Put the product on the quote, not just the colour
A quote that says “two coats of paint, colour to match” leaves the door wide open. When I compare quotes for a board, the first thing I look for is whether each bidder named the actual product line for walls, ceilings, doors and trim. If one bidder is much cheaper, the product is often where the gap is. I go into that more in comparing condo painting quotes.
What to look at: Require every bidder to list the product line and sheen for each surface, and make that list part of the contract.
5. Keep the record for the next repaint
The spec, the approved substitutions and the actual products used belong in the building’s records, next to the colour schedule. Without them, the next contractor has to guess for touch-ups, and the board can’t tell whether a failure is the product or the work. A good colour and product schedule is covered in building colour specification.
What to look at: At the end of the job, ask for a one-page list of every product, line, colour and sheen used, by area, and file it with the reserve fund records.
What to do if you’re seeing any of this
If you’ve got a repaint coming up, I’ll go through your spec with you and tell you where the substitution gaps are. If a recent job is scuffing or wearing faster than it should, I’ll walk it, look at what’s left in the storage room and tell you what I think went on the wall. I work with condominium corporations and property managers across Ottawa — Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Orleans, Westboro and Stittsville. Call 613.325.3011 or email yasir@heims.ca.
— Yasir, HEIMS Construction
HEIMS Construction is an Ottawa-based commercial painting and drywall contractor serving condominium corporations, property managers and institutional clients across the Ottawa area. Fully licensed and insured, with $5M commercial general liability coverage.