Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss

Really Dulux? – As a fan of Dulux, this paint is garbage. Painted internal window frames for a new build, applied as per tin. Need to apply 3-4 coats for decent coverage but also fighting the brush marks. Using expensive brushes, prepped, undercoated etc.....doesn't make a difference. I am an experienced DIYer. Won't buy again, sorry this product is crap! Show details

Poor coverage – As an experienced professional painter I am not recommending this product, I bought a 10 litre from Dulux store in Bondi junction to do some wood work in the house and I thought maybe since years ago when I tested it they probably have improved the formula to have better coverage but no I was wrong. Still the worst coverage paint, it requires a… Read more

4-5 quotes at least to get any good coverage but still nothing close to when using dulux oil based paint semi gloss which sometimes you can even get a way with using one quote on the same colour primer. So I’m going to buy oil based semi gloss paint to finish the job and through this one out. Waste of money.

I think I can explain the conflicting ratings, it's VERY temperature sensitive – I found it really good, with an important caveat: I read on a reno forum that Aquanamel is no good in a Brisbane summer, and works best in 10- 20deg. I tried three coats (on skirting boards and some bedside tables) at 25C, 23C and 20C (the varying temps my old air-conditioner could get to depending on the outside temp each day). At 25C, I had to… Read more ·  1

work super fast and it was still drying faster than I could get it on. It was really hard to lay off the bigger surface on the top of the bedside tables. When it dried there was orange peel effect (luckily it was the first coat and it sanded off). However it was MUCH MUCH better at 20deg. I had time to lay it off before it started to dry, and my brush marks disappeared. I got a really nice finish. I think the forum reviewer was spot on that it likes to be 20deg or below. If you are painting in summer, crank the A/C, if it's exterior you going to have to wait for winter or use something else.

It’s a Thumbs Up from Me – I approached this paint with trepidation after reading so many bad reviews. Although I can’t comment on its longevity as I’ve only just applied it, I certainly can’t say anything bad about the way it applies. It seems perfectly normal and acceptable to me and I’m very happy with the coverage and finished appearance. I certainly had no trouble with… Read more ·  1

it drying too quickly. It applied nicely and could be brushed through. Does it run? Well, it’s not oil based and doesn’t ‘hold’ on the surface accordingly so if you apply too much then, yes, you can get it to run. Does it have the brush-stroke free appearance of oil based enamel? No, if you want that, use oil based enamel. Is it easier and quicker to apply than oil based enamel? Yes, it’s water based so it has all the inherent advantages of that including much easier clean-up, no smell etc.

I’ve used both oil based and water based enamels. They’re different animals, they apply differently and produce different results. They each have their inherent pluses and minuses. As a water based product this one seems absolutely fine to me. There may be better ones but I certainly found there’s nothing to fear with it.

(Applied over aged water and oil based enamelled skirting and architraves. Cleaned all surfaces with sugar soap then lightly sanded. Applied one coat of Dulux Precision Maximum Adhesion Primer then two coats of Aquaenamel. No thinning agent needed. Applied (so far) in temperatures of low 20s. I was applying a creamy colour over a darker colour).

Edit: PS It’s now over a year since I posted this review. The paint has performed absolutely faultlessly in terms of longevity; not one bit has peeled or chipped off.

Stick it in the fridge – After having a look at the reviews here I saw that outside temp if too high seems to have an adverse effect on the paint. So i chucked it in the fridge the day before and it went on beautifully. Show reply

Fantastic Stuff! – I was very wary after reading reviews about how hard to apply this paint was … but I am an amateur painter and I had no trouble at all. I just used primer and followed the drying times. Don’t be afraid to use this paint because it is brilliant with a lovely finish! Show details ·  1

Picky paint but wonderful finish of follow the directions – Great looking paint for trims and architraves. Haven’t tried on doors yet. Sanded down to timber, primed using recommended primer, sanded again using 320 grit and then painted x 2 coats. It’s not an easy paint to use but take time and it’s a great finish.  Show details ·  1

Worst paint I’ve ever used – I’ve painted my home 3 times and thought I’d give Aquaenamel a go instead of the oil base gloss. Well what a big mistake. I love the fact that it’s whiter than the oil based but what a horrible paint to use. It dries so quickly on the brush that it’s impossible to paint anything without getting a rough texture. How can the Dulux lab guys look at this and say it’s fine to produce? What absolute rubbish. Doesn’t even deserve a star. Garbage!! Show details

Worst paint ever – Without a doubt this is the worst paint i have ever used . Took 3 coats to get any sort of coverage . Threw half the 4 litres away and drove to get Haymes paint to finish the job. Haymes did the job with 2 coats and a better finish . Dulux Aquaenamel was recomended by a " paint expert" at bunnings . My mistake for listening to him Show details

Dulux...you can do better – Probably the only product in the Dulux range that is Terrible. I tried this years ago and again just recently......... ( thinking that maybe they have improved it) and nothing has changed ....TERRIBLE.. Also my painter friend who uses Dulux products all the time said to steer clear of this rubbish, he will not use this product under any circumstances.

Very disappointed with the result – I paid good money for a professional painter to use Aquanamel as I hate the smell of oil based paint. From the word go, the trims have been sub standard. They feel like primer - not the least bit of smooth, slippery gloss that I would expect from a trim - and they chip and peel super easily. I am quite upset about it and don't feel it is the… Read more

painter's fault (other work he has done is fine). I feel it is the product.

I now feel we will have to repaint with something else to fix this up which is a cost I wasn't factoring in.

Worst paint quality – I painted a shelf with 4 coats trying to get the smooth finish I’d normally get with 1 coat of Resenes or Berger or Wattyl it still looks like it needs another coat … it was already a white shelf I was painting white. I then used it for doors and skirting and wish I’d binned it after the shelf experience. It’s thin so takes multiple coats to cover… Read more

properly and it leaves roller/brush marks. It’s also easily damaged … a month after painting it has marks and chips. DONT buy this rubbish.

Very disappointed – This product was recommended by Bunnings over oil enamel for our cabinet doors. It was impossible to achieve a smooth even finish as it starts to dry immediately if the temperature is over 10 degrees, leaving lines and uneven patches. The bubbly finish does not dissipate as it sits. We wasted 5 days, sanding between coats to atempt a smooth finish, and have decided to revert to oil based.

Disappointed – I have only just painted all skirting, architraves and doors in my very large home and found that the Aqua Enamel paint at the slightest touch, chips . I’m furious with Bunnings for recommending this paint as I am a novice to painting . Never again to buy a Dulux product Show details

not very happy – Not very happy with this paint I thought that I would get better coverage than I did. I had used all the wright undercoats and still needed to do 3 of the Aquanamel to get coverage Show details

Terrible quality – I bought this product to paint the wooden door and door frame. The quality of the paint is terrible. So far I have put over 5 coats of paint and I can still see through the wood finish. The consistency of the pain is not good as well. It creates lots of drips and does not cover well. Please don’t buy this product and save your money . Show details

Doesn’t level out and no gloss whatsoever – I bought the Dulux Aquanamel semi gloss to paint the skirtings, door frames and window trim in my house. I did one room and stopped. The paint did not level out. It dries so quickly and is tacky fast. There is no time to run the brush tip over it to smooth it off. There were deep brush strokes in the paint and tacky patches where I tried to tip it… Read more

off. After the paint was fully dry it was dull and lifeless. Absolutely no gloss whatsoever. Not the look I was going for when I purchased this product. I returned it to Bunnings for a refund and purchased the Haymes Acrylic Enamel High Gloss instead, which I am very happy with and would highly recommend.

Aqua enamel is costly and time consuming – Dulux Aqua enamel is not even close to having the appearance of oil based paint 4 to 5 coats of vivid white and still not satisfied. Time consuming rubbish and the store recommended this, they must get incentives to push this product. My problem is half my house is done and have gone through a number of tins. Expensive rubbish. Show details

Crap product – I get so frustrated with Aquanamel. Ive been painting for decades and still try and give Aquanamel a chance or a go. I’m a bloody idiot I had another go , never again. Stiction is the worst issue by the paint drying too quickly laying down or when wet slumping to a flat Finnish is impossible. Paint dries so fast even in 20deg ambient that brush… Read more

marks are always evident. Bunnings and experts say add Floetrol to slow the drying process and add 10% water (not enough space in can ). Why wouldn’t Dulux do that add Floetrol or thin down. I even have a door rotating jig to do both sides of a door at the same time and keep the door flat so as to flood the brush so the paint with lay down but no matter what brush marks and drag on semi dry paint. Especially when trying to paint a barn door with panelling by the time you start one end it’s dry the other end and can’t touch up etc without dragging semi dry paint. Why is it paint manufacturers want paint to start to dry in 5 minutes at 20deg c doesn’t make sense. British Paints Glossmaster was the best paint for a glass like sprayed finish with a brush only thing it was oil based and yellowed sometimes that is a better trade off than using crap fast drying water based enamels which is an oxymoron in its self. So will try 10% water 10% Floetrol and have another go. If not I’ll go back to oil based or British Paints stuff ( maybe Dulux owns BP) who knows. No wonder most of my clients ask for flat or semi gloss so as not to show brush marks etc Try painting a barn door with a roller , good luck with that and have orange peel finish. Sometimes a better finish is from a cheaper brand as has more water in it and lays down better and doesn’t dry as fast as Dulux crap. Imagine trying to paint a door with Aquanamel why hung OMG what a disaster.

No coverage, runs when sprayed - Nightmare – Bought all my paint for a project at Dulux Inspirations Dural. Just took what the guy gave me as he had been good advice-wise in the past. For the windows / french doors / skirtings he gave me Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss. I didn't realise it was water based (a water base enamel? - Seriously?). Put it in the sprayer (I always use paint as undiluted… Read more

as possible to get it to feed through the sprayer because it means less work and no runs). The paint went on the windows OK and looked glossy while wet so I kept going. Got through 4 doors and windows and went back to check on the first window. The paint had started running, and I had only put on light coat. I checked the other doors and windows which were pre-primed, they were all running. I had to wipe most of it off, and after all that effort I went back to the store. I said I wanted oil based enamel and water based was no good for me. He convinced me the oil based would go yellow and I needed to use an oil based primer for the Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss to work. So I bought more primer (which was Zinsser cover stain primer - GREAT paint - $69 3.8L) and sprayed all 7 Doors / Windows and skirting. Paint went on great - no runs or drips and great coverage). I then load up the Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss and after doing 4 Doors / Windows I check the first window - its running AGAIN! I wipe it ALL off and go back to the paint store and leave the Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss on the counter and in insist on an oil based enamel. He says I must have put in too much water (Ah, no I didn't) and I can use the Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss for something else - I say I don't want it and don't want to even look at it. It has cost me hundreds in lost time and damage to my masking. No apology - no refund. I get my paint and leave - oil based enamel works great - no runs / drips. I also used water based ceiling paint through the sprayer - perfect - no drips, no runs. Dulux Aquanamel Semi Gloss is total garbage - like water with some powdery stuff in it. My advice: DO NOT USE IT - and don't trust the Dulux stores advice, do your own research - they don't stand behind their products.

When we switched from oil based to this crap – The boss called the dulux rep out to the job site, a new hotel as we had switched from oil and were getting a terrible finish. When the rep arrived he said that's how its supposed to look. Show details

Terrible product – I painted walls using wash and ware and it came up a treat. Used Aquanamel for frames on the advice of Dulux, expecting the same standard and was extremely disappointed. It seems you need to be a cross between a scientist and a professional painter to use this product with the correct primer, roller, temperature time of day etc. It does not self… Read more

level and hardly any gloss detectable. I was advised i could use a thinner. Why should i have to spend more money on top of the primer and paint to get the product to work. This product should not be sold or recommended by Dulux to the general public. I want my money back

The paint does not appear to take to the surface of area being painted – After sanding timber door back to bare wood , applied the dulux 1 step prep water base, let dry overnight , applied coat of dulux aquaenamel . Paint didnt appear to do anything in regards to covering . Gave benefit of doubt. Waited 3 hours ,very light sand apply 2 nd coat , again was like applying a clear varnish. Left overnight again , light sand… Read more

, vigourous mixing , apply 3 rd coat again was like i had done nothing even though paint level in tin was going down . Bought this product on the basis of claiming ultra white colour , no yellowing and mould resistant also dulux brand. Will be re sanding door and trying different gloss.

No problems if used correctly – Had initial issues with the applying old full gloss with a small roller sticking etc. Decided to get a new tin and change to Semi Gloss. Spoke with Dulux tech support and after using a 230mm wide Raylon roller 5mm NAP and a very light sand between it came up a treat! Apply as quickly as possible with reasonable amount of paint on the roller and minimise the rolling finish. The paint seems to settle down after completion. Show details ·  1

Stay away, there are better paints and cheaper. Shocking product – I have restored a few houses and have painted using a variety of brands. I must say that this paint is by far the worst i have come across. It goes tacky very quickly, i got the hang of it after a few tries but i only continued using it because i committed and bought a large tin and couldn't be bothered with returning it and having an argument at… Read more

Bunnings. If you are new to painting, stay clear of this paint, as i said i have a lot of experience in renovations and this paint is not for beginners, you have to be quick and precise with the quantity you are apllying as you cannot keep going back to spread it. It just dries to quick. The finish is ok if you sanded the surface, primed it and sanded again. Not worth the money...go with Haynes...i have achieved better results with cheaper paints and equally as hard wearing.

Terrible coverage – Bought Dulux paint as we perceived it as a premium brand to paint our new house. What a mistake that was. All products we used had very poor coverage and required multiple applications to achieve average results. Switched to another brand and got the rest of the job done in a fraction of the time that it took to paint with Dulux. Show details

Pls see comments below – I really think a lot of people on this site need to read the comments from people like jbambury and others.I can't actually give this particular product a rating. I am rating the semi gloss. Which I stick to especially when painting wood trim. When painting over bare old wood you have to be so super careful with the priming, and sanding and… Read more

priming and sanding etc... Like someone said follow the specks but as someone else said get advice. My personal preference is get advice from specialist paint shop. I'm no where near professional but I've done two places now and about to re-do my own apartment plus focus on the new kitchen (not a flat pack obviously) and also the ugly old wooden doorways, skirting boards and architraves(not wooden?. If anyone has any suggestions for the architraves that is different would be great! Or should I just stick with the semi gloss? Also sorry I know we're meant to be talking about Dulux but has anyone used Benjamin Moore? I love some of their colours!

Great results using this paint as normal – After having used aqua enamel in the past was surprised to read all the bad ratings. This paint goes on well, providing you don't play with it too much. I used a 50mm brush with a quality foam roller and no issues. Having said that if you do over roll the paint, I noticed tiny bubbles in finish. Easily removed with light roll with no pressure. … Read more ·  1

Painted the bathroom in 3 hours - 2 coats as well. First coat dried in 2 hours as stated on tin. My painting skill is pretty average and this paint made the task easy.