Dulux Retail vs. Dulux Trade

In a previous blog I wrote about why Dulux select don't guarantee work completed with retail products. I won't go into detail now, but you can read that post here.

A while ago I did a job where the customer wanted to do some of the work themselves. They decided to strip the wallpaper and paint the doors and I would finish off everything else.

They had their bits done before I started and had sanded and primed the doors with Zinsser B.I.N, which were previously dark stained grained doors, followed by an undercoat (not sure which) and top coated in 2 coats of Dulux retail satinwood, so bringing the total to 4 coats of paint.

When it was my turn on the frames I sanded them, coated them in Zinsser B.I.N primer and followed this with a coat of Zinsser cover stain. Next, I put one coat of the required colour, but instead of using Dulux retail I used Dulux trade diamond satin.

At this point it already looked much better than the retail painted doors, which had had 4 coats of paint - I was only on the 3rd. I did put a 4th coat on, but before I did I took a picture.

Just to recap, this is a door painted by the customer and frame by me, both were dark stained wood/wood grain - 4 coats on door (primer, undercoat + 2 top coat retail satin) and 3 coats on the frame (primer, undercoat + 1 coat of Dulux trade diamond satin)

I think the Trade version wins, right? There is a reason trade paint costs more, its not just marketing. Yes you can put more coats on of retail and spend less, but this takes a lot longer - this Hallway had around 13 doors. If you were paying a professional they will charge you for the extra coats, so its actually cheaper to buy the more expensive paints. If you are doing the job yourself you can save money on paint, but you'll end up spending all your free time repainting things unnecessarily!