Any decorators - paint quality, Dulux worth it?

alant1000

Hi,

i've just bought a nice brand new flat but sadly was just a little toooo late to chose the colour scheme :mad: , so i am about to buy a load of paint to paint all the rooms again....

Question is, is Dulux, at almost twice the price as own brand worth the extra? Or are cheap own brand paints a false economy, i.e will i have to repaint the whole lot twice due to poor coverage, taking twice as long for slightly more money?

For the DIY freaks - I will be painting pure white over contractors finish cream, plus one feature wall in dark grey.

I have also heard that with Dulux some decorators do the first coat watered down, then the second normal, does this work??

thanks!

Canucklehead

Good evening: We've bought Glidden paint from a Dulux Decorating Center in the past (unfortunately the closest one to us now is 50 miles away) ...they mixed the Dulux shades for us and we saved a fair bit of money. Misgrace, our resident Painting/decorating pro should be around soon to give you some first rate advice ...you could do a search for her recent posts on this forum as she has helped a number of folks out.

HTH

Canucklehead

tomstickland

I decorated my flat last year I reckon good paint is worth it; the cheap stuff can be really watery and actually a load more time and hassle to paint on. I used Farrow and Ball; the whole cost was something like £150 including gloss and exterior woodwork etc.

shown73

Cheap paint can be false economy of course, but own-brand stuff seems just as good to me. Over the years I've tried so many paints that were supposed to only need one coat, but I've never found one yet that fulfilled that promise, regardless of what colour I was trying to paint over, and regardless if it was emulsion or gloss. I tend now to go for the colour I want, and if it has to be Dulux or similar, so be it, but I would try to avoid it, because I think that you are paying a premium for something which comes out of the same plant as the in-house brands. It costs a lot of money to swamp the market and advertise, etc., and I haven't really found the quality to be any different. Add to that the ploliferation of supposedly specialist paint, for wood, metal, radiators, garden gates, and heaven knows what else the manufacturers dream up to ensnare the gullible. A walk around the average DIY now reveals a bewildering choice of very expensive paints, most of which are, at least in my unqualified opinion, a load of tosh.

ixwood

I use B&Q big value tubs and have no problems with it. Although a lotg of people seem t prefer dulex.

Redbedhead

I have found it depends on the paint. I will never again buy cheap kitchen / bathroom paint as the texture on all except Dulux are rubbish.

I have used other paints and found them ok, but would still generally plump for dulux as it seems to go on a bit better.

Steve_xx

It's about coverabiliy really. Years ago, Which? used to recommend B&Q paint. Not sure what the stance is nowadays. Dulux didn't used to fair especially well in their tests, considering its premium.

The question to be asking is "what is the pigment load", as this will give you a better idea of the coverability.

http://www.neverpaintagain.co.uk/article/FAQ-paint

bankuser

I am not a painter and decorator but have done a lot of decorlating lately looking for bargain paints. I have found the cheap makes B & Q's own not much difference in the finish although can be a bit more liquidy to use. There white emulsion (bright white/stay white not sure of the name) comes in a big bargain tub. Recently painted three rooms with it including ceilings and then put a colour coat over the top. This worts as sometimes you have to use two coats of colour and they are usually dearer than white. Dulux Lifeproof is very good quality finish. Look for bargains on the B & Q shelves. Got a Lifeproof for £4 (usually £20) or grab a granny as pensioners get 10% discount on Wed at B & Q. Happy decorating!

nickj_2

dulux trade is about the best paint in terms of quality
make sure you get it from a trade merchant , as the dulux stuff from
diy store is a bit thinner, doesn't cover as well and not any cheaper .

there is no need to water the first coat down , unless you are painting new plaster , then follow manufacturers instructions on tin

alant1000

nickj wrote: »

dulux trade is about the best paint in terms of quality
make sure you get it from a trade merchant , as the dulux stuff from
diy store is a bit thinner, doesn't cover as well and not any cheaper .

there is no need to water the first coat down , unless you are painting new plaster , then follow manufacturers instructions on tin

Many thanks, do you know if i will be able to buy direct from a trade merchant even though i am not a trader, i.e will i need an account?

alant1000

sems like the consunses so far is either B&Q or Dulux - i was looking at Sainburys homebase myself, shows how far off the mark i was!! :eek: . I was interestred to hear that B&Q has a Which recommendation, definitely swerves my consideration!

I know that its only the matter of a few pounds per tin either way, i guess why i am banging on about it is more to do with how much time it will take, and i really didnt want to try and cut corners and pay less if i ended up having to do it all 3 times over!