Dulux Trade high gloss-pure brilliant white

As a professional decorator, the difference between a good job and a perfect job is the finish. You can spend days on preparation work, which is very important, but if the final coat of paint you apply looks inadequate then all of your previous hard work has been wasted.

In this review I've been looking at the Dulux trade high-gloss. I've been using this product for around 15 years and due to different European regulations - mainly VOC 2010, paint has changed a fair bit in this time. As with many other decorators I found the new paint that met this regulation yellowed after a small amount of time. Dulux however seemed to have now resolved this issue, and their latest figures suggest after reformulating their gloss range in 2011 the chance of yellowing has been dramatically reduced - however it is worth noting that according to Dulux's own tests it's still not quite as good as the pre-2010 paints. Something I guess we will just have to live with.

With the small yellowing issue aside and resolved it is by far the best gloss product on the market today.

The pure brilliant white colour gives a bright shiny finish. It is easy to apply however sometimes (mainly in warmer weather), I have found it needs slightly thinning with white spirit - not that that's such a bad thing, as I'd much prefer my paints to be too thick but have the ability to thin them as required. The flow rate is excellent and the opacity is 2nd to none within this range of products. Once dried, this paint is easy to wipe clean, and is very resistant to knocks and bumps. Because of the new VOC 2010 regulations this paint now smells a lot less than it used to in the past, which is great news when working in small rooms or public areas.

The Dulux trade high-gloss is available in 1 litre, 2.5 liter and 5 litre tins. This product can be used on both interior and exterior work and is touch dry after 4 hours. Dulux recommend a re coat of 16 to 24 hours however due to its excellent coverage I rarely need to apply any more than the one coat.

Do remember though that this gloss won't solve all of your problems in one go. To get the best out of this paint you must still make sure that all areas have been fully and correctly prepared and I would recommend that at least one coat of Dulux trade white undercoat is applied. Personally, before glossing I then rub down with some 320 grade sandpaper and wipe over with a tack cloth before I apply the Dulux trade high-gloss with a good quality brush.

Even with water-based gloss products rapidly advancing to take over the oil-based market, I believe that this gloss is here to stay with us for a long time yet.

Note: Whilst leading-edge technology has been used in the development of this product, the nature of solvent-based paints means that they will all discolour over time. The rate of discolouration is faster in areas with no natural or UV light. For long-lasting whiteness, we recommend the use of a water-based formulation such as Dulux Trade Ecosure Water-Based Gloss.