Dulux/Crown trade paint- is it worth the price?

[said]

I've spotted it in B&Q but it's about twice the price of bog-standard emulsion. What's the difference? Use half as much for the same coverage?

[TalkinPeace2]

much stronger colour and better coverage
my deccies wont use cheap stuff even when they are working on price

[Bunbaker]

Yes, yes, yes.

Cheap emulsion paints have much poorer coverage so you end up doing 2 or 3 coats. They also feel much smoother to use and go on more easily and you don't get patchy results. I do all the decorating in our house and I have used cheap own brand and Dulux and Crown and won't ever use cheap own brand again.

I have asked professional decorators what they think and they won't use cheap own brand emulsion paint either, for the same reasons.

This is one occasion where the more expensive branded product is of a much higher quality.

If you are using gloss paint don't be tempted to get non drip gloss and it still shows the brush marks when it has dried. Professionals decorators won't touch the stuff. Which recommends Dulux as the best option for gloss paint, but Homebase Just One Coat gloss gets good reviews as well.

[said]

Thanks. I didn't mean cheap own brand, tbh, but compared to non-trade Dulux/Crown really

[teta]

Most decorators seem to think the trade paint is better.I use it because my local trade centre will match up F&B colourways in it.But other trade ranges are good.I am currently using Leyland Pliolite masonry paint [for longevity] and have also colour matched Sandersons paint for outside woodwork.A lot of painters do use the cheaper trade ranges though, according to my local centre but i suspect probably charge their customers Dulux prices.

[Bunbaker]

I think trade paint is better than own brand DIY chain paint. After all, professional decorators wouldn't use anything that was rubbish. In our old house I painted one bathroom with B & Q silk emulsion and the other with Dulux. I needed to do three coats of B & Q to one of Dulux. There's no saving in that.

We also had decorators in because the entire house needed doing, so they did the jobs I couldn't. They said that for non trade users Crown and Dulux made the best paint. In fact the paint they used was Crown trade paint.