What’s the difference between Dulux Trade and Dulux paint?

Everyone’s way of living and working has changed in the past few months and for professional decorators, that might mean the place you buy paint from has been closed, forcing you to shop elsewhere. Your ways of working might also have changed, leading to new questions from clients.

This has led to a rise in the number of you asking the timeless questions - “what’s the difference between trade and retail paints?”.

Dulux Trade paints are designed to be tailored by professional users and retail paints are designed to be used straight from the can by DIYers.

Paint production is a very high-tech process. It's these recipes that make each individual paint tailored to the needs of decorators that are the most important part of the process.

Dulux Trade goes further

All Dulux Trade paints are carefully formulated to ensure that they give you the enhanced performance to adapt to the requirements of interior and exterior projects across a range of sectors.

The raw materials used in Dulux Trade paints are of a higher quality, including a greater concentration of pigments.

This is what makes the paint spread further, so each litre covers more square metres. They also have a more advanced thickener package, to optimise in-can and application feel, and give a better final surface appearance.

This means Dulux Trade paints will cover much more quickly and easily, and often require just one or two coats - saving you time and money right from the start of any project.

Dulux Trade offers more flexibility

Dulux Trade paints also combines scientific expertise with the skills you use as a decorator.

We know that every substrate requires a different approach and that application is an art. Dulux Trade paint gives you the flexibility you need for each job.

The advanced thickeners used in Dulux Trade paints allows for greater tailoring and flexibility, depending on the job to be done. For example, paints designed for bare plaster can be thinned by up to 30% allowing them to go further whilst maintaining good opacity and coverage.

In practice, that means you can adapt for the conditions and thin the paint to provide a comprehensive first coat and avoid extra costs.

Dulux Trade provides a superior finish

Those quality ingredients and the specific way they are combined in trade paints are also key to giving the paint a smoother, more even finish.

After you’ve applied Dulux Trade paints to your customers’ walls, the superior finish is obvious.

While DIYers can redecorate as often as they choose in their own home, a decorator needs to leave every domestic or commercial job confident their client won’t need them to return and paint again soon after, and this means they need paints formulated differently and that deliver the very best finish.

Dulux Trade lasts longer

The finish you get from Dulux Trade paints is also more durable. It won’t just last longer, it will retain its good as new look for longer too.

That’s because of specialist ingredients like Zinc Phosphate and biocides that are added to many trade paints - based on rigorous scientific testing - to offer greater protection in every setting so decorators can choose the best option depending on the job.

Dulux Trade undergoes rigorous testing

All Dulux Trade paints undergo much more rigorous testing than the retail paints.

These tests are benchmarked against internationally recognised standards and measure many factors including durability, colour consistency and colour protection, to make sure they withstand the toughest environments so you can be confident the finish they leave will last the test of time.

This intensive testing includes a team of ex-professional decorators working in the AkzoNobel R&D labs, as well as product trials at the Dulux Academy and also testing out on sites. Long before any new paint hits the shelf, it will have been put through its paces by a raft of professionals to make continual improvements to get the optimum formulation before products are launched.

Some Dulux Trade paints also get independent accreditations and verifications such as fire testing certifications and sustainability certifications like BREEAM and LEED.

Dulux Trade is made for the professional decorator

These scientific tests, additional high-quality ingredients and expert formulations add up to one thing. A higher quality product for you and a higher quality service for your customers.

This saves you time, money and effort during application, while providing a better finish for longer. In short, it’s the best value choice for your customers.

For more information, listen to Dulux Academy trainer Tony Pearson-Young discussing Dulux Trade and retail paints with AkzoNobel R&D expert Jess Fisher.