Valspar Trade Eggshell Review – Interior

As a professional decorator, the word “Valspar” is a bit of a punchline, simply because of its reputation as a retail brand. However, I feel this is unjust. Valspar also run a comprehensive Trade paint range, some of which is very good quality.

Valspar Trade Eggshell is a product I’m very familiar with. It is a fully water-based paint product (low-sheen), used for interior woodwork and metal. You will need a separate adhesion primer if you intend to use Valspar eggshell over problem surfaces such as old oil-based gloss and melamine.

Drying time is roughly one hour and you can recoat this product after three to four hours. The price works out around £12 per litre and you can buy Valspar Trade eggshell in white, or any one of 2,000 colours from your local B&Q.

My Valspar Trade Eggshell Review

As mentioned, Valspar Trade Eggshell is a full water-based, meaning it contains no oil at all and will never discolour. It is very easy to use and flows lovely off the brush. One issue with a lot of water-based products is brush marks. However, this really isn’t the case with Valspar eggshell. It flattens off beautifully and brush marks just melt away, leaving a stunning finish.

Another issue with a lot of water-based paints is the lack of durability. Again, not with Valspar! This really is a good product, and it will stand up well to scuffs and knocks. I have every faith that a painted surface will still look brand-new for years with Valspar.

The opacity of this paint is quite poor, which is a drawback. However, you need to apply an undercoat before the eggshell, so just make sure you achieve a solid finish with the undercoat.

Why is Valspar Trade Eggshell So Good?

I use a lot of products, in fact I’m a bit of a decorating geek. As a rule, if a manufacturer tries to make a paint that does every job, it does none of them well. A most other water-based eggshells are developed as an emulsion first and a woodwork paint as an after-thought. Or they try and develop a product that acts as an adhesion primer, as well as a topcoat, or exterior as well as interior. This is a mistake in a lot of cases.

Valspar Trade eggshell has only one job, and that is to finish interior wood and metal. That one job is done very well!!  Opacity isn’t as good as most other paints and you will need an adhesion primer, but the overall finish and durability are second to none! I genuinely like this paint. I just wish it wasn’t as thin.

Review Summary

FAQs

Is Valspar Eggshell shiny?

You’re looking at a sheen level of around 20% for Valspar Eggshell. Just for a bit of perspective, matt is around 6% and satinwood is around 40%, so eggshell sits between the two.

How long does a Valspar Eggshell take to dry?

Valspar Trade Eggshell is touch dry after just 1 hour and the recoat time is 2-4 hours (which is very impressive for a trim paint). This means you can apply multiple coats in a day. It can take up to a month for Valspar Eggshell to fully cure and harden.

Is Valspar Eggshell water based?

Valspar Eggshell is indeed water-based. There is no alkyd oil in the paint at all. This ensures easier application, quicker recoat time, and a more environmentally friendly option.

Why is my Valspar paint tacky?

This might be one of two things.

1. There might be contaminants on the surface you painted, which have blead through the paint and formed a film on top. This hinders evaporation of water.
2. Or it might be the environment. If the room is too cold, or too humid, then evaporation of water in the paint will not happen, and your paint will not dry.