Dulux Trade or cheaper Alt for mist coat

[padstar]

I use Dulux Trade supermatt for all my white emulsion work and find it to be great and worth the money but have a lot of new plaster that needs mist coating. Is mist coat better to do with one of the builders merchants offer paints. At the moment i can get 10ltr tubs of Leylands for £10 or Crown for £20 each locally vs £40 for the Dulux.

What do you recommend?

 

[opps]

I would just stick with the Supermatt. First coat diluted one part water to five parts paint followed by two full coats. I once purchased the the 10L tin of Crown, from memory it was £15. I got it to touch up white walls in a client's rental property. After 5 coats I could still see the dark scuff marks on the walls. I suspect adding water to it would actually make it thicker. I binned it.

Leyland Trade, and Crown Trade paints are ok for the price but the retail versions (which you are looking at) are shockingly bad.

 

[padstar]

Cheers I will stick with the dukux trade which has never failed me so far

 

[Wayners]

If using durable or trade paint the manufacturers of these trade paints recommended using that thinned 20% with water. These contract paints are designed to apply and let surfaces dry out over the coming months and to use for no other reason. Contact matts are not smooth nor do they seal ready for a quality emulsion over, and if you get trouble and phone technical they will tell you this. I prime plaster with acrylic primer undercoat or with products like Optiva primer or follow the data sheet application guide for the top coat paint. It's made for the job vs poor quality naff contract paints which are not, unless you plan to leave to dry out over summer. Have you ever read a data sheet or application sheet for paint where it said to go out and buy cheap contract matt and apply first? I haven't. I've seen the reverse and watched the technical advice on YouTube telling people not to do it. Deaf ears in the decorating trade though. I do get annoyed with this and frustrated on jobs dealing with problems of what is called builders contract emulsion. Should be banned

 

[opps]

These contract paints are designed to apply and let surfaces dry out over the coming months and to use for no other reason. Contact matts are not smooth nor do they seal ready for a quality emulsion over, and if you get trouble and phone technical they will tell you this.

I completely agree with you. They are designed to be "problem" solving, as you said, where the plaster isn't totally dry. The low latex/acrylic paints do provide a nice matt finish but they are impossible to keep clean. Technically, Dulux Super Matt is one such paint. That said, on my current job I will be using Dulux Trade Ultra Matt on the previously painted ceilings.

https://www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk/dulux-trade-ultra-matt

I have warned the customer that it will be impossible wipe away marks, but who cleans ceilings. It really is ultra matt, so much so that you cannot see where paint has been touched in. The other downside is cost and availability £70 for 10L and none of my local suppliers sell it.

Although I would advise against either Ultra matt or Supermatt on walls, I can see why people would want to use them.

 

[Wayners]

@opps
I'm all in on Tikkurila or johnstone's paints. Do like there durable matt for walls. If you like dulux 15% off at toolstation from Monday . Think the trade matt is £35 10lt. That would be a better to mistcoat with vs contract

 

[padstar]

I really like the suppermstt finish for the ceilings. As you say I wouldn't use on the walls.

Is a code required for the 15% off at toolstation

 

[Wayners]

I really like the suppermstt finish for the ceilings. As you say I wouldn't use on the walls.

Is a code required for the 15% off at toolstation

Nope. It will be in new catalogue. Out today or Monday

 

[padstar]

Just wanted to say thanks for highlighting that paint is not just paint. I used to think throw a bit of water in an give it a stir for fresh plaster then neat for painting. Having now read the tub there are clear dilution rates for both.

Who would have thought you water down emulsion during normal use. Thanks for enlightening me . . my tubs will go further now.

Ps the fresh plaster now looks nice and crisp in white.