Smith & Rodger Duro Review

As a professional decorator, I’m aware of the challenges that paint comes up against in humid environments like kitchens and bathrooms.  To survive in those places, paint needs to be tough, and ideally mould-resistant. 

There are a few good ones on the market – not as many as you might expect – and I think I’ve reviewed them all at one time or another. But I have recently became aware of a new paint from Scotland’s Smith & Rodger; knowing the quality of their other products (Rocktop, Flow&Bond and Blockade), I was really keen to try it out.  Here’s my honest review of Smith & Rodger’s Duro Mould-Resist Paint.  

Smith & Rodger Duro – Key Facts & Figures

• Suitable for interior use only, ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, commercial and rental properties  
• “Engineered for long-term protection against mould and mildew”.  
• Pack sizes: 1L, 2.5L, 5L  
• Finishes: Matt, Satin and Gloss  
• Colours: White (can be tinted in-store with water-based tinters)  
• Coverage: up to 12m² per litre  
• Drying times – touch dry in 30 minutes, re-coat in 2 hours, fully cured in 5-7 days  
• Can be sprayed, or applied by brush and roller  
• Water based – clean tools with water and mild detergent (such as Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner)  

What’s Different from Other Paints?

One of the things to stress about Duro is that it’s not just another anti-mould paint.  It’s also scrubbable, making it easy to clean in areas like kitchens and rental properties where stains can be a common problem.  And because it contains the same technology as Smith & Rodger’s Flow&Bond, it flows really nicely straight from the tin, and sticks to a multitude of surfaces. For example, you could do your bathroom ceiling in the matt, the walls in the satin and the woodwork in the gloss, if you fancied it (or keep life really simple and do the whole lot in the satin!). 

For landlords trying to comply with new legislation around mould in rental properties, this product could be a life-saver (literally).  Obviously you need to treat any mould properly first, and ensure proper ventilation, but from a pure painting point-of-view, two coats of Duro over the whole bathroom and kitchen and you’re done in a few hours (two hour recoat time) – mould-resistant, scrubbable, and long-lasting. 

Smith & Rodger Duro Mould-Resist Paint Matt In Use  

This is a lovely paint!  The consistency is really nice to work with, and the paint flows really well straight from the tin. When I opened the tin the first time I used it, I thought “Wow, that looks really white”, and that opinion was backed up when I started to apply the paint – the opacity is really good, noticeably better than one or two other products I could think of. 

The matt looks fantastic on ceilings – it’s not one of these “ultra flat matt” ceiling paints, but I would say if anything it’s got slightly less sheen than most vinyl matts.  The satin is a good product too, a little bit shiny for my personal taste, but if you’re looking for that traditional “kitchen and bathroom paint” sheen that’s reassuringly easy to wipe down, this will definitely tick that box.

I haven’t tried out the gloss yet, simply because I haven’t had an opportunity where it would have been the ideal paint for the job, but based on how well the other two performed, I’m certainly not averse to trying it.  

Final Thoughts

This is a really good quality product.  There are plenty of mould-resistant paints around, but not all are scrubbable, and the inlcusion of Smith & Rodger’s Flow&Bond technology in this paint makes it a joy to use, and gives it the extra adhesion needed to bond to multiple surfaces, so you can use the same paint on the ceiling, walls and woodwork – keeping life simple!  Definitely recommended!  

Review Summary