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 two hours. It costs around £30 for 5 litres, 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 paint but generally performs better. Cheaper materials are used in retail paint to produce it on a large scale at a lower price for homeowners.

Wilko is a retail paint manufactured by PPG (the same company that makes Johnstone’s and Leyland). That said, I used Wilko Walls & Ceilings Matt Paint 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 Paint 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 Matt Paint 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 because that extra coat meant I used a third more paint.

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

It’s worth pointing out that even though it says “wipeable” on the tin of Wilko Walls & Ceilings, it isn’t exactly durable. It might stand up to the steam in most kitchens, or to 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 provided 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 paint, and it would have taken me less time. For me, that justifies the extra £20 or so spent on trade paint. Plus, the overall result will always be better with trade paint, and it will last longer.

Wilko Walls & Ceilings has two trade counterparts, both manufactured by PPG. If you buy online by clicking here, 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 you buy it online, it isn’t much more expensive than Wilko Walls & Ceilings. The opacity is better, as is its ease of use, and the finish is similar. Click here to see the latest 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. Its ease of use, durability and opacity are all miles better than those of Wilko Walls & Ceilings. Click here to see the 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 to the 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 the ProDec Ice Fusion, which ticks all the boxes. Its bristles are tapered from the base to the tip, meaning there is more room within the brush to hold paint. Click here to see the online prices.

You also need a good roller when applying vinyl matt. I like the Hamilton Perfection Medium Pile (Green). It holdsplenty of paint, spreads it evenly, and leaves a smooth finish with virtually no roller texture. Click here to see online prices.

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