Armstead Pliolite Masonry Paint Review

Armstead are manufactured by Akzo Nobel, who also manufacture all Dulux and Sikkens products. Armstead are Akzo Nobel’s budget trade brad, whereas Dulux Trade are their premium brand. This can be a bit confusing as a lot of the Armstead products are actually better than their Dulux counterparts.

Both brands are normally sold side by side. I did a full comparison blog on Armstead Vs Dulux which may be worth checking out. I digress, I’m here to do an Armstead pliolite masonry paint review, so that’s what I’m going to do.

Armstead pliolite masonry paint is available in white, or a range of thousands of tinted colours. You can’t really have Dulux colours accurately mixed into Armstead pliolite, so make sure you choose from the Armstead card. Touch dry in around 2 hours, recoat in 12, you should expect to pay around £40 for 5L of this oil-based product. This puts it slightly cheaper than Johnstone’s and Sandtex pliolite alternatives.

My Armstead Pliolite Masonry Paint Review

Right, let’s get into my opinion as a decorator; there are better products out there!! Armstead used to be a great cheap alternative to Dulux, so you didn’t mind a drop off in quality on some products, but this isn’t much cheaper than Johnstone’s Stormshield, which is PPG’s premium brand!! It is roughly the same price as the Wethertex PP77, which is a million times better.

Opacity is ok, but it is with any pliolite masonry paint. Ease of use is ok too and you do get “15 years protection”. I have two major issues with this paint; You can’t have it mixed into any Dulux colours, so it isn’t really an alternative to the premium products, and it doesn’t block stains!! Pliolite is a synthetic polymer oil which should block absolutely everything!!

I live in an area with a lot of sandstone windowsills which can hold moisture. You can’t use water-based masonry paint on old sandstone sills as you can have stains bleeding through, so you opt for pliolite… Well, any pliolite except Armstead, as Armstead is useless at this. You still get the same issues with stains coming through, pathetic!!

Conclusion

Maybe I am being a little bit harsh and there are other reasons you choose Armstead pliolite masonry paint. It does give a nice finish and you can use pliolite in low temperatures. All I can do is compare it to other pliolite masonry paints in the same price bracket and I’m sorry, but I don’t rate Armstead.

Akzo Nobel used to do an alternative called Dulux All-Seasons which WAS awesome, but expensive. However, in their infinite wisdom they discontinued the All-Seasons, so now if you need a pliolite based masonry paint in a Dulux colour, you have to go to your closest Johnstone’s Decorating Centre and ask them to match it for you, mental!

You can buy Armstead Pliolite Based Masonry paint from any Dulux Decorating Centre, but unless you’re entitled to a trade discount, it will almost certainly be cheaper to buy this product online by clicking here.

Review Summary

FAQs

Why use pliolite paint?

Pliolite masonry paint has a few benefits: It blocks stains, you can use it in low temperatures, and it’s showerproof after a short period. It normally holds back stains too.

Why does my masonry paint keep peeling off?

This normally happens if your masonry contains water, which builds up behind the paint film and forces it off. Or your masonry might be lime-based, and your paint isn’t breathable enough to cope. Check this blog out for more info.

Can I paint over old masonry paint?

Yes, you shouldn’t have any issues painting over old masonry paint, providing it has fully cured.

Does masonry paint cause damp?

Some masonry paints can trap moisture in a building instead of letting it past. This may lead to issues with damp inside, but only rarely. In my experience, it’s more likely that damp is caused by something like a leaking gutter, failed pointing, gaps around a window, or a failing damp course.