Crown Trade Fastflow Satin Review by Mia Watson

I was recently sent 2 tins of Fastflow Satin in white by the Decorators Forum UK in return for an honest review. I’m a Professional Decorator, so I use a wide variety of paint products on a regular basis.

What is Crown Trade Fastflow Satin?

This paint can be used for interior and exterior woodwork, as well as metal. Touch dry in approximately one hour and you can apply additional coats after around 4. This is ideal really as it means you can apply more than one coat in a day. Available in white, or most colours from Crown’s range. You must remember to use the Fastflow undercoat as part of the system. Do not try and cut corners by applying Fastflow satin directly to previously painted surfaces as it may fail over time.

Fastflow is ladled as a water-based product which is slightly misleading as it is actually a hybrid. However, do not let this put you off, because it only contains a tiny amount of oil, so you still get all the benefits of water-based.  Fastflow has basically no odour dries very quickly.

My Experience Using Fastflow Satin

I chose this product to use in my customer’s home because they are an elderly, so “quick drying” was essential. Also, my customer has to breath in purified air through a filter system. If I were to use an oil-based solvent which has a strong lasting odour, this could have an adverse effect on the air filter system.

I’m very happy I chose the Crown trade fastflow satin, as are my customers too… The paint has a nice flow to it, no dragging, it’s a nice consistency, definitely no transparency… first coat goes on really well, great coverage, aggo opacity, after the second coat the finish is perfect!

It is EXTREAMLY white and dries in under an hour ready to apply additional coats. Once cured, the paint seemed to stand up to a scratch test but only time will tell if the paint is durable enough for everyday use. It doesn’t seem to scuff very easily, and like most paints, Crown Fastflow takes a few weeks to fully cure.

It’s the ideal paint for when you want a modern contemporary flat look. I read a lot about water-based trim paints and I know some can cost a lot of money. The fact that crown trade fastflow satin is on the shelf at any crown trade centre and various other retailers at a fair price is an added bonus. You can also buy this product online, which will work out cheaper unless qualify for a trade discount. Click here to see online prices.

Final Thoughts

I’ve got to say, I’m quite impressed. I have used “quick dry” satins before, but never really found one I like. I understand all the benefits; environmentally friendly, low-odour, quicker to apply, longevity etc, but they normally look cheap once on.

Crown Fastflow doesn’t. The finish you can achieve is fantastic, and unlike other water-based satinwood paints like Johnstone’s Aqua, it’s dead easy to apply too. I’m even more impressed you can use Fastflow outside. Crown really do have a good product with this one.

I will be using more of this paint for future work. It’ll be interesting to see how the Crown Trade Fastflow gloss stacks up against the satin. Click here to see latest prices.

Best Tools to Use to Apply Crown Trade Fastflow Quick Dry Satin

As with any water-based or hybrid trim paints, the tools you use to apply Fastflow will make all the difference in terms of finish. So, I thought it would be useful if we added a little section on the best tools to apply it.

You will need a microfibre roller for the larger areas, and it needs to be capable of applying an even layer of paint without causing orange peel. Our recommendation is Two Fussy Blokes, which not only performs well in terms of paint application, but there is no need to de-lint it before you start. Click here to see latest prices.

As for the brush, The Purdy Monarch Elite XL is perfect when applying Crown Fastflow. It keeps its shape whilst cutting in, but it’s soft enough to lay-off. It also has a nice thick stock, so it holds loads of paint. Click here to see current prices.