Crown Trade Paint is Undervalued

Does anyone else think that Crown Trade Paint is undervalued?  As Decorators, we have a huge number of exotic brands available to choose from now. Everything from Tikkurila, to Teknos, all the way to Benjamin Moore.

It’s easy to forget your roots. Back in the day, there were only really three brands of paint us Decorators would use. One of those brands is Crown Trade, which now seems to get overlooked. I think it’s still one of the best paint brands on the market.

It does have its faults, as does every other brand, but it’s still a fantastic range of paints. It’s owned by the Hempel Foundation, meaning that a significant portion of their profits goes towards funding the Foundation’s charitable work and community projects.

As far as I’m aware, Crown Trade were the first of the big brands to offer paint recycling on a big scale. Their Can-Back Scheme is fantastic, and they take paint from any other brand. They use another charity called NIMTEC to process it all.

The Quality of Crown Trade Paint Products

Crown Trade Fastflow Satin is another great paint!! I know it’s a hybrid, but the undercoat goes on lovely and flat, and sticks well to old oil-based gloss. The satin goes on well and doesn’t look cheap like some others do. It’s a very undervalued system, and never seems to get talked about online.

PX4 Adhesion Primer is the perfect example of how Crown Trade Paints are Undervalued. Normally, Decorators go crazy for a new water-based adhesion primer. Crown Trade PX4 is brilliant, and it completely went under the radar when it was launched a few years ago. I bet a lot of Decorators still haven’t heard of it.

The last standout product I think is worth a mention is the Crown Trade Next Generation Gloss. It seems to last for years before you notice it yellowing. Much longer than the others I’ve used (not that I use an awful lot of oil-based gloss nowadays). It’s so undervalued that they don’t even stock it in my local branch anymore!

The Crown Paint Factory in Hull

I visited the Crown paint factory in Hull recently. I got the chance to speak with the people who drive Crown Trade forward and ask some really in-depth questions about the product. They’re miles ahead of the others in terms of their sustainability goals.

They’ve literally invested millions into making their business as close as they can to being carbon neutral. I suppose this is another result of being run as part of a trust rather than a business; any profit can be reinvested. No one is trying to squirrel it all away or paying shareholders.

The efficiency of the factory is impressive too. Almost all of it is automated, with people just on the quality control and some of the tinting. The lines work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no down time.

Everyone I spoke to was genuinely proud of the work they did. They see it as making a real difference, which they are.

Final Thoughts

I honestly think it’s time we started appreciating Crown Trade Paints a little more. The only issue I’ve ever had with them is their colour compatibility when purchased at CDC. It seems some Crown Trade colours only go into certain products, which can be a little frustrating. But that’s about it, and it’s only ever an issue when buying tinted trim paints really.

I’ve always had a great service at my local Crown Decorating Centre, and you can always buy their products online by clicking here instead. Quality products deserve to be talked about, so I’m making a stand! I love Crown Trade Paints! It’s one of the best brands available and I know my money isn’t going into a shareholder’s pocket.