Hi, I’m Ian Cooper, an experienced and qualified decorator who has been trading the best part of 15 years in the Leicestershire area. I thought I’d take the time to sit down and write an honest Dulux Quick Dry Gloss review.
I’m going to stick to talking about the trade version, as it’s much better than their retail quick dry gloss. You can buy this paint form any Dulux Decorating Centre, but unless you qualify for a trade discount, it will almost certainly be cheaper to buy this product online. Click here to see online prices.
My Experience With Dulux Quick Dry Gloss
After many years using oil-based products for gloss work, I decided to give Dulux Quick Dry Gloss a try earlier this year.
I will admit to being sceptical as I’d heard stories of it being difficult to apply.
These were, I’m afraid to say, quite true. The paint dragged and wouldn’t flow very well, leaving a very brush-marked finish. To check it wasn’t just the brushes I used, I used a variety from different brushes from different manufactures. Whilst some were better than others, the finish was still not acceptable.
After reading the method suggested by Dulux and a few posts by other decorators on DFUK, I decided to use a very fine water mist spray from a cheap spray bottle to lightly mist the surface before application (or a damp lint free cloth) and a slightly damp brush. If you are using this product a lot to cover large areas, I would recommend cleaning the brush as it will begin to clog due to the quick drying of the paint.
The paint flowed much better giving a virtually brush-mark free finish, much closer to an oil-based one with less visible lines and a glossier finish.
Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss is part of a 2-stage system and requires an undercoat to be applied before the topcoat. QD undercoat is a vital part of the paint system.
The paint has quite good opacity and good coverage of large areas, it is thinner than oil-based paint so runs/ sags can be an issue if applied too thickly, use 2 coats as advised instead of 1 thick one, the result is a better finish and with a re-coat time of 6 hours between.
Dulux Quick Dry Gloss is very white and after returning many months later I can confirm it doesn’t yellow nearly as much as oil-based products do. However, it is a hybrid product rather than a true water-based, so you can expect some discolouration over time.
I like Dulux Quick Dry Gloss. It’s all in the application, which is different from any other product I’ve used. Remember to keep you brush wet and dampen the surface you intend to pain. Providing you do that, you’ll love Dulux Quick Dry too. It’s much better than oil-based and hold’s it’s own against some of its water-based competitors. Click here to see online prices.
Summary
Dulux Quick Dry Gloss Review - Decorator's forum UK
Dulux Quick Dry Gloss is a water-based system used to paint interior woodwork like doors, frames, and skirting board.
Product Brand: Dulux Trade
3.4
Pros
- Quick and easy to apply.
- Nice finish
- Environmentally friendly.
Cons
- This is a hybrid paint, so it will still yellow.
- Can sag and run.
The Best Tools to Apply Water-Based Gloss
Having the correct tools will make all the difference when applying Dulux Quick Dry Gloss. You will need a mini-roller to apply the material to larger areas of windowsills and doors, and you will need a good quality paintbrush for the smaller edges and the cutting-in.
Your roller should be lint-free, hold loads of gloss, distribute it evenly, and leave no orange peel. For me, the best roller for Dulux Quick Dry Gloss is Two Fussy Blokes. Click here to see online prices.
As for the paintbrush – you need something that keeps its shape so you can strike a line, but stay soft enough to lay-off your gloss as you apply it. I don’t think you’ll find better than the Purdy Monarch Elite XL. Click here to see online prices.
FAQs
Should I sand between undercoat and gloss?
Just a quick de-nib is all you need. Run some smooth sandpaper over the surface to get rid of any tiny imperfections.
Is Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss paint water-based?
Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss is a hybrid, so it’s predominantly water-based with a little bit of alkyd oil to help with finish and durability.
Does Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss go yellow?
Not that you’ll notice. Because Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss contains a little bit of oil, theoretically it does yellow. But I have been using it for years and never noticed it discolour.
How long does Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss take to dry?
Dulux Trade Quick Dry Gloss is touch dry after an hour and recoat after 6 hours. It then takes a week or so to cure and harden up, so delay fitting carpets after you’ve painted.
I find even with good quality paint finish like Isomat you have to use Floetrol or Xim. There are paint conditioners and help flow rates no end for water based finish paints. I would suggest these are used to help flow rates for this product.
I found this gloss terrible to use. It is like trying to paint with milk it is that runny. I had more paint on me and the floor than I did on the door!
add black or blue to high gloss measure out with a tea spoon stop it from yellowing.
Always use Dulux but not anymore – this paint is awful stuff .
I’m taking it back to B+Q see what their reaction is.
Don’t expect a high gloss with Dulux quick drying gloss. It’s more like a lustre egg shell
Over brush and you will have dull patches
Stick to oil based paint for a high gloss but expect yellow in 2 years or so
I’ve got to say this is the worst Dulux paint I’ve ever used , Its extremely thin and painting a door is a nightmare .
We were doing a landing with 4 solid wood doors , terrible ! If you put it on thinly it had a dull finish if you then put a second coat on it started running as it had grip problems . £22 , i won’t be spending again with Dulux.
Terrible stuff. No high gloss, looks more like undercoat. Followed all instructions too. Will never buy again, feel like I’ve been robbed.
I decided to try Dulux quick dry water based gloss paint. NOT a gooday idea. It’s coverage is poor and it does not brush out lie oil based paints. It leaves deep brush marks regardless of the type used.
I used this paint on skirting boards & door frame, I had same problem leaving brush marks also very thin, I lightly sanded wood before second coat & the paint just peeled off, I went and bought Leyland Trade gloss, much better coverage. No more Dulux for me.
It works well for me.
It is a very bright white when compared to other B&Q gloss paints. However, I applied it on the top of a dulux undercoat, and the appearance looked thin and brush marks did not settle out. Not at all pleased. From a distance it looks fine and it certainly makes my landing look much brighter.
I finally got to the end of my 5 litres old tin of Dulux Oil based White Gloss, many skins had been cut off, and many oils had to be re-mixed back in, and the paint was amazing, stuck like glue, covered over primer undercoat well, would mix with ” Purple Rain” as my late Dad would call it ( Driers to the rest of us ) , and it was a great product. Now the save the worlders , have taken out all the good stuff, and the new Dulux Oil based White gloss is absolute rubbish by comparison. I will need to get tins of Leyland, Crown, and others just to form my own opinion , and do a test rig, on primed boards , left outside to check out for the future , how can a large outfit like Dulux get it so wrong, this new stuff, even with added driers , wont dry !!! its thin, runny, and does not even smell like paint!! the old regime at Dulux would be rolling in their graves. There must be room for a new supplier that gived pro-decs what they have always used and always need. Feel sorry for DIY’ers that dont know any different.
Many thanks Ian Cooper for your extremely helpful review, which saved me from giving up on this paint. I found the huge problem was trying to maintain the wet edge when painting our deep panelled wood grained doors. The grain means you have to put quite a bit of paint on the brush, and would take some working into the grain, else it just skimmed over the top of it. But it started going off so quickly that it was impossible to then brush it out, so stayed on quite thick, and then slumping in ghastly drifts and runs that were impossible to brush out. And working from left to right, by the time I got back to the left again, no matter how fast I worked, the wet edge was not wet enough, and just dragged when trying to join onto it.
Then I read your review, and in all truth I was highly sceptical, as it seemed so counter intuitive. But I gave it a go and delighted how well it works. With a fine mist spray the behaviour is so different. Still needs a bit of care – too little spray and it makes little difference, too excessive and the paint dilutes. But get it right and it’s like a completely different paint, with all the benefits of old fashioned gloss and all the benefits of modern low odour gloss.
So pleased I persevered, because it really is a fabulous gloss paint. Really deep lustrous gloss, with a lovely finish. And I think it must be tough. I’d put a sizeable fire extinguisher by the door to stop our dog walking into the wet paint, and I knocked it over into the door only a couple of hours after the 2nd gloss coat … not a mark on the paint at all.
Also realised something intriguing – not sure if it is true for all gloss paints (I only do DIY decorating). But having done three doors off the hallway, I noticed that the on with just one gloss coat on was much less glossy than the other two that I’d finished a while ago. Having put the 2nd coat on, I now realise it is the 2nd coat that really brings out the high gloss finish. So the 2nd coat is not just about coverage but also about finish.
Many thanks again :).