A Bit of a Gamble (Wilkinson Own Brand Paint)

Member Name: helican

Product:	Wilkinson Own Brand Paint
Date:	24/07/09 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: it's cheap

Disadvantages: occasionally great but frequently thin & runny

It's very tempting to go for Wilkinson own-brand paint as it's so much cheaper than the big-name varieties like Dulux. Experience over the years though has made me realise that it's cheap for a reason: Wilkinson paint is regularly so thin that you need many coats to get an even finish, so that not only are the dearer brands not actually that much dearer because you don't need so much, but it's sometimes worth paying a little bit extra to save yourself some time & hassle.

Having just used some Wilkinson gloss that was almost as runny as milk & dripped everywhere, & some Wlikinson radiator paint that was a similar consistency with disappointing streaky results, I was all set to give them a terrible review.

But then yesterday I used some of their blue gloss that went on beautifully, looks fantastic & is hard as nails. This was shortly followed by blue emulsion on the walls (the colour is 'surf'); I was painting over purple & dark pink walls & fully expected to need four or five coats, but this was as thick & smooth as a quality paint, & after only three coats the effect is smooth & professional (if I do say so myself!).

I'm so impressed that I'm prepared to give Wilko emulsion another try. I'd definitely give the radiator paint a miss unless they significantly improved it, & probably the same with the gloss. I'm doing the bathroom next with anti-condensation paint & then regular matt emulsion. Wish me luck!

Summary: a budget paint of inconsistent quality