Wilko Walls & Ceilings Matt Paint Review

Wilko Walls & Ceilings Matt paint is an emulsion designed for interior plastered surfaces such as walls and ceilings. It is described as “wipeable”, is available in Brilliant White or a handful of ready-mixed colours, and has a drying time of around 2 hours. It costs around £30 for 5L, which is incredibly cheap for an interior emulsion.

As a professional decorator, I tend to stick with trade paint. For anyone unsure, trade paint is slightly more expensive than retail, but generally performs better. Cheaper materials are used in retail paint to mass produce paint at a low-price for homeowners.

Wilko is a retail paint manufactured by PPG (the same company who make Johnstone’s and Leyland). That said, I used Wilko Walls & Ceilings on a recent job, so I thought I’d share my findings.

My Wilko Walls & Ceilings Matt Paint Review

As explained above, Wilko Walls & Ceilings Matt is a lower-quality paint than I’m used to. I found it quite heavy on my brush and roller, so even though it states “easy to apply” on the tin, I found the opposite. It tends to drag, and you need to ensure you brush everything out to avoid brush marks.

Opacity is poor. I was going for a colour change from white to Oatmeal and needed to apply a third coat of Wilko Walls & Ceilings to get a solid finish. As a decorator, this makes me question whether buying retail paint is actually cheaper. Not just because I charge for the added labour, but that extra coat means I used a third more paint.

The finish though, is good. Wilko Walls & Ceilings has a low-sheen, so leaves you with a contemporary chalky finish. There’s no flashing or picture framing either, so providing you avoid those dreaded brush marks, the finish is great.

It’s worth pointing out that even though it says “wipeable” on your tin of Wilko Walls & Ceilings, it isn’t exactly durable. It might stand up to the steam in most kitchens, or a very light wipe over, but I found it marked relatively easily.

Final Thoughts

I tend to review products honestly, based on quality Vs price. I don’t mind a product underperforming providing it represents good value for money. However, in this case, even though Wilko Walls & Ceilings is cheap and performs reasonably well, I still don’t know why anyone would opt for this over a trade option.

I would have used a third less paint if I’d gone for trade and it would have taken me less time. For me, that justifies the extra twenty quid or so on trade paint. Plus, the overall result will always be better with trade, and it will last longer.

Wilko Walls & Ceilings has two trade counterparts based on products also manufactured by PPG. If you buy online by clicking here, then you can even get Wilko colours matched into Johnstone’s trade paint.

If you want a vinyl matt, then Johnstone’s Covaplus is the way to go. If bought online, it isn’t much more expensive that Wilko Walls & Ceilings. The opacity is better, as is its ease-of-use, and the finish is similar. Click here to see online prices.

If you want a durable matt for high-traffic areas, kitchens, and bathrooms, then Johnstone’s Acrylic Durable is the product I’d recommend. Ease-of-use, durability and opacity are all miles better in this paint than Wilko Walls & Ceilings. Click here to see online prices.

Best Tools to Apply Matt Emulsion

Regardless of whether you use wilko, Johnstone’s, or another matt emulsion, having the best tools for the job will make a big difference in terms of overall finish.

You should use a brush that holds plenty of paint, holds its shape, won’t drag, and is soft enough to ‘lay off’ without leaving brush marks. My favourite is ProDec Ice Fusion, which ticks all the boxes. Its bristles are tapered from base to tip, meaning there is more room within the brush to hold paint. Click here to see online prices.

You also need a good roller when applying vinyl matt. I like Hamilton Perfection Medium Pile (green). They hold plenty of paint, spread it evenly, and leave no orange peel. Click here to see online prices.

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