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Expert Help

Types of Paint and Where They Go

Why use different types of paint? From durable paints to metal-friendly emulsions, our paint guide explains how Dulux paint types work in your space.


Finding the best paint finish is just as important as choosing the perfect colour. Our paint guide makes your decision easy.

Have you chosen the colour palette that’s going to revamp your home? When you do, it’s important to ensure those colours stay in top notch condition for years to come, with the correct paint finish. Depending on the surface and the room, different types of paint offer varying levels of shine, durability and suitability. Here’s everything you need to know to choose the perfect one.

 

First things first: your colour palette

 

Before launching into Dulux paint types for the best finish, it’s time to make a firm decision about your colour palette.  If you’re struggling, remember that you can break all the rules because all that really matters is that you love the colours you choose. If you’ve picked them based on your hobbies, interests, favourite shades, happy memories or the feelings you’d like to enhance in the home, you’ve done a great job!

It’s easy to check that your colour scheme works well in your space, with paint testers. Buy a collection of your favourite hues and apply two coats of each colour to pieces of A4 lining paper, then wait for them to dry. Go on a colour adventure throughout your home, by hanging sample pieces on the walls and observing them in changing light across the day. You’ll soon spot the perfect combinations for you, so you can move on and pick a paint finish.

 

Dulux paint types for the best finish

 

Are you on a mission to paint the entire home, or just a wall or two? Regardless, you can combat grubby little fingers with Easycare paint, ensure durability with exterior paint, save time with quick drying finishes and brighten up dark spaces with light reflective paint. To make the process simple, write down all the different surfaces and rooms that require painting, then jot down the corresponding Dulux paint types from this easy guide.

 

Easycare paint

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How often do you wish you could easily remove dirty fingerprints or even red wine splashes from the walls? Easycare paint is the answer, with stain repellent technology to repel all those nasty spots. It works by turning water-based stains into beads that sit on top of the paint. Because they don’t soak in, you can simply wipe them away for walls that look as good as new.

Dulux Easycare is perfect for busy living spaces, including anywhere that takes a beating from spills, mud or children running in and out. Featuring a steam resistant, Mouldtech formula, Dulux Easycare Bathroom keeps your bathroom looking fresh for years to come. Are you thinking that it’s the kitchen walls in your home that need the most maintenance? Dulux Easycare Kitchen offers greaseproof technology so you can easily wipe those cooking splatters off while maintaining colour quality.

 

Exterior paint

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Durable paint is what’s required for the exterior of your home, so it stands up to a variety of weather conditions, rain, hail or shine. It’s also perfect for window sills, doors and woodwork, as sometimes a quick refresh of the trimmings is all it takes to update the kerb appeal of your house. Different types of paint for exteriors ensure you get the finish your painting project deserves.

Dulux Weathershield provides guaranteed total weather protection as it’s rainproof and UV resistant. Do you want a textured finish? Try Dulux Weathershield All Weather Protection Textured Masonry Paint, that also guards against mould growth. If a medium sheen is more your style, prevent it from cracking with Dulux Weathershield Exterior Satin. To protect outdoor woodwork such as benches, furniture and sheds, check out Cuprinol Garden Shades.

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Quick dry paint

 

If you don’t have much time to read a paint guide, let alone wait for paint to dry, quick drying paint is your new best friend. Along with fast drying times, it also offers a safer working environment due to lower VOC, without compromising on durability. Try Dulux Quick Dry Gloss for interior wood and metal, which is self-undercoating. Do you want a perfect finish in just one coat? Dulux Once delivers it so you can get back to normal life in a flash. If you’re painting the ceilings, Dulux Magic White saves you time by fading from pink to white in under an hour, to ensure you don’t miss a spot the first time around.

 

Light reflective paint

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With limited natural light, it’s often hard to brighten up dark rooms, hallways or bathrooms. For both practicality and to increase the appearance of size, light reflective paint finishes do the trick. Dulux Light+Space features a formulation that works with light-reflective particles in order to reflect up to twice as much glow back into the room.

 

Polycell Polyfilla

 

It may not be among types of paint finishes, but Polycell Polyfilla is what you need to prepare your walls for painting. Proper wall preparation creates the foundation you need to ensure a long-lasting finish.

 

Order your Dulux paint tester pot

 

There’s no need to go in blind with your choice for a paint finish. Simply order Dulux paint tester pots online and benefit from free delivery, pick some up from a Dulux Decorator Centre or pop down to the hardware store. That way, you can check that your choices work before buying all the paint. Speaking of which...

 

How much paint should you buy?

 

Once you pick a paint for your ideal finish, check our easy guide below to find out how much paint you need.

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That’s it! You’re ready to set up your tools, pick up that brush and start painting. To get you started, here’s a handy guide for which order to paint a room in.

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