Dulux Super Enamel
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I’ve used dulux super high gloss on a lot of windows trims doors skirts Ive found it can be thinner than some other brands but with saying this it’s been manageable to apply. A foam roller has delivered the best results were applicable’ but the right brush with the right technique works well also . I’ve noticed a lot of negative reviews on lasting… Read more · 1
effects on this product I guess time will tell ‘but as for general painting I’ve had great success & a great finish I added few photos of wooden shutters I painted with foam roller with great results. If the paint gloss doesn’t last I will definitely be making an update review in time..4 stars because theses always room for improvement.
Terrible yellowing within 6 months – As a painter i used Super Gloss Enamel on the frames, doors and skirtings for a client last October (2024). Today February 8th i was called back by the client about how yellow it had turned in less than 6 months and yes i did use the recommended Dulux undercoat. Now i need to go back and spend 3 days of my own time and cost on correcting this. Terrible product and am amazed that Dulux still push this product. Negative 5 stars Show details
Not fit for purpose – We chose super enamel to go over old trim oil paint in our house as well as to paint some new timber windows to avoid sticking. All work was completed by an experienced master painter with recommended prep, 2 coats. The windows are not in direct sunlight and were painted in optimal weather conditions. We’ve had chipping/cracking on exterior of the… Read more
windows within a few months. And the yellowing inside! I was warned about this but foolishly thought because it was going over old oil paint that was 20y old and fine that it would be ok. It was yellowing within weeks. I’m devastated. The cost of the paint isn’t the problem, it’s the tens of thousands of dollars of wasted labour. I can’t begin to work out how to rectify this. I will never use a Dulux product again.
Hi Alex, We're so sorry to hear you're not completely happy… Read more
This one seals the deal – I was recommended this product by my trade store chain that has recently sold out to Dulux, as a hard wearing product for kick boards/trim. I believe it is Dulux's premium product. I've used house, automotive and industrial products extensively and I have to say this product in this instance was a fail and cost me alot of re-prepping time. I'm… Read more
writing a review because Dulux's reaction to my technical advice inquiry was that they had no technical knowledge of the flattening agent or the composition of this product that they could use to help he identify the issue, and for any one else who has a similar outcome so at least you know you are not crazy. Their advice was to write an email and send pictures to the "lab" for analysis - yeah ok, I'm too busy re-sanding all my work pieces sorry. After a very poor/unexpected finish on a work piece, I tried brushing samples and spraying samples with a conventional spray gun to make sure it wasn't just an odd one-off issue. This product appears to be a high gloss product that is flattened by using some sort of aggregate. Typically it would be extremely finely ground silica or glass spheres which disrupt the gloss surface to give it a semi gloss appearance. Its a common technique with 2 pack epoxies as 2 pack coatings are hard to flatten chemically. With products like this it is important to stir it very well to ensure the flattening agent is fully dispersed through the paint. In this instance I followed the product data sheet, applied two coats, temp approx 22 deg. Manufacture date was May 2020. Application on Dec 2021. Batch GF08446. The sample does not appear smooth or semi-gloss. It is runny to apply (probably has an agent in it to help with flow and eliminate brush marks) and has the appearance of a high gloss enamel with fine sand grains evident in the surface. It is rough to touch like worn fine sandpaper. Pics attached. Seems unlikely Dulux would be able to sell such a bad product so the next possibility is that it may have been a badly formulated batch. At a guess perhaps the flattening agent has caked together or some other attribute of the product has broken down. Dulux customer service did concede that is was a "fairly new purchase" so is probably not due to age. Note that the product was not opened any time before application and it was 3 months old when sold. I took the sample back to the distributor and they were also surprised and in good faith replaced the paint with a new batch. They were helpful as always. I will update this review with the outcome.
There was a time when I bought a lot of Dulux products because I believed they made a product that justified their market leading prices. If you read a few of their reviews, it seems those days are gone. They push their "trade" relationship, but I can tell you that companies like Haymes and Wattyl actually have technical understanding of their products when you ring them, make very reliable top quality products and have better prices.
My advice is that if you are having problems with products you have trusted in the past, try shopping around because things change.
Pic1 Sprayed onto primed steel, 1.4Tip 2 bar,narrow fan,5% spray thinner. Pic2 Brushed on primed MDF. Taken after second coat (still tacky after 22 hours).
Sooooo BAD. Scratches so easily! – We followed all the right steps to prepare our timber cabinet - cleaning, stripping it back to bare timber, primed it, waited extra long to reapply etc but even after 60 days, the paint scratches sooooo easily. Bunnings told us that we need a rep to come out and see it because we have done all the right things so I contacted Dulux. They basically… Read more
came back and said that because of the humidity since October, the paint isn’t setting and that’s not their problem and shut down the case. That was their only comment, didn’t even want a sample of the batch to test it. Didn’t want to send a rep to us even though they are only down the road from us. Really shocked with the product and even more shocked about the way I was treated even though Bunnings backed me up. So much time and energy wasted. Now the cabinets are in a special room with a non-stop dehumidifier going... no difference yet. Wonder what dulux has to say about that.
Hi Deepthika We are sorry to read you have had a negative… Read more
Perfect if you take your time – This stuff is excellent when used with proper preparation. Used it on doors, thinned with penetrol, applied with a brush and I gota say the finish is as close as I’ve ever got to spraying. There were absolutely no brush marks and it laid down perfect Show details
Great gloss finish that yellows after 6 months – Made the mistake thinking price and reputation = quality. I painted all my trims and doors. Undercoat then 2 coats of white Aquanamel Gloss. The flow of the paint is good and the gloss and hardness is excellent. Expect 12 hours to dry before you can recoat. Unfortunately, there is clear yellowing after 6 months on any shaded or semi-shaded area… Read more
that was painted. Areas that see indirect sunlight in well lit rooms have gone yellow after 1 year. i.e. all the trim and doors etc.
After 18 months the yellowing is so obvious you can plainly see it. It looks gross and dirty. I have started repainting everything again. Never again, what a waste of effort.
Hi Jay We're sorry to read that your experience with our… Read more
Wasted work – Used Dulux Super Enamel High Gloss Vivid White to paint all interior wood work (doors, architraves, skirting, etc) including some shelves made from mdf. This paint is rubbish when used on areas not subject to light, eg back of doors in cupboards, architraves in cupboards, shelves where something sits on the paint like a book or ornament. The… Read more
paint quickly yellows and looks terrible in a short time. Apparently this can be a problem with this paint; shame the salesman didn't point this out at point of purchase. My fault; I should have done some research but went to Dulux due to the name being synonymous with quality and reliability; in this case how wrong was I? Now have to repaint all the affected areas and find a paint I can trust; any suggestions?
Hi Mike, we are sorry to see that you are not satisfied… Read more
Use this not aquanamel if you want a beautiful finish in less coats – Tried aquanamel for stained wood trim over both water based and oil based primers. Big fail. Found a tin of super enamel I had for about 6 years but never used it. Opened the tin, gave it a good stir and already after just 1 coat on an oil based primer it’s looking amazing. See my other review on the cruddy finish from Aquanamel and you’ll feel my… Read more
pain. This is 2 thumbs up. Don’t get paint expert from a dulux rep, he said there were no advantages of oil based over water based enamel. Come to my house buddy and I will show you!
THIN and RUNNY – I love Dulux High Gloss and have worked with it extensively over the past few years. Unfortunately I cant say the same about the Dulux Super Enamel Semi Gloss. I found it EXTREMELY runny, creating endless work and slight runs on drying. Back to the sanding block...!!! If I wanted thin, I would have bought a cheap brand. I'm also not happy… Read more
with the drying texture when using a roller...!!! Grrr..... Back to the sanding block again.
2 Coats later, I've decided to throw it away and purchase a tin of High Gloss.
Disappointed and Saddened – After browsing several options for a suitable high gloss finish online, i chose Dulux for the job. What a mistake. The paint was used on a 9mm plywood project. I used british paints 4 in 1 primer/sealer/undercoat as the base and i can honestly say british paints has it in spades. It's a beautiful creamy paint that gave a superb finish. I… Read more
applied three coats of the 4 in 1, sanded in between, then another coat and sanded by hand. exceptionally smooth surface ready for the topcoat.
I had great expectations for an excellent finish, but was sorely let down by dulux for a number of reasons.
The first, hundreds of tiny bubbles appeared on the surface that did not pop during the drying process. Ok maybe i'm applying it incorrectly. I did some research, oops i need a foam roller according to the sales staff. waited days for the oil to dry, and then sanded. Oops, the heat generated from sanding caused the oil to heat up and melt into an uneven blotchy mess. waited half a day, sanded again and prepared it for another go, this time with a foam roller.
Bubbles remain, the foam roller was pushing air under the paint surface. It looked promising at first, but then bubbles appeared that ruined any chance of a decent finish. Spoke to another fella that suggested against the foam roller. Thanks sales staff, it would be nice if you all could agree unanimously, from experience, how to best apply enamel oil based paint. He recommended a foam brush.
waited ages. sanded. tried again. nope, still bubbles and surface imperfections. I rang dulux to double check whether i could apply paint thinner to help the bubbles settle during the drying process. No! There is no need for paint thinner! All you need is a foam roller, he said. Thanks mate, i tried that already.
tried a microfibre 4mm nap roller - stringy surface imperfections and bubbles.
tried a synthetic soft brush - tiny demonic bubbles remain.
back to bunnings. spoke to a gentleman named [name removed]. he agreed the foam roller and brush are unsuitable. Mohair 5mm nap, he said. however, after rolling with the mohair roller once, use a brush to go over the surface in one direction. a little better this time, but surface imperfections and several bubbles remain. the paint was drying too quickly, causing tiny stringy fiber-looking paint blotches to form at the surface along with bubbles that wouldn't go away. even a non mirror orange peel finish at this point would have been satisfactory in comparison.
out of options, out of money, not to mention the paint is extremely hard to work with. It dries too quickly, cannot be applied to the claimed Dulux standard, and i was not allowed to manipulate the paint with thinners or additives. There is only one or two good things to say about this paint.
1) i saw my reflection in the paint upon opening the paint tin. the paint actually made me appear good-looking.
2) the flow is excellent.
i have now been advised the only way to apply this paint is to use a sprayer. which i refuse to do, because i don't agree the only way to get an acceptable finish is to buy a compressor and airbrush. money i don't have. my project is now on hold until i can afford to buy paint that delivers results.
I would love to say that i still have faith in Dulux oil based products, but the truth is i just don't. Dulux effects Gold paint 500ml is something i buy regularly and i don't have any problems with that water based paint.
I don't even know which other brand i can turn to, to get a great result. All i know is that if i could get a refund or storw credit, it would go a long way to put out the flames of frustration that i've experienced for three weeks.
edit: website not allowing me to upload proof of purchase, i click the button but nothing happens.
Hi David, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave… Read more
The finish to die for – Used Dulux Hi-Gloss on trim and door in a spare bedroom. I took my time doing the job. Two undercoats, sanding in between. Then used a small foam roller, again sanding between the two top coats. For large flat surfaces a roller is a must. You will not achieve the same finish with a brush. The finish I achieved is as close as I am ever going to get… Read more
to perfection. Achieved an almost mirror finish on the doors. The paint is beautiful to apply and tensions up on drying to give a super flat surface, but you need to do a lot of preparation. However it's worth it. Brilliant paint.
Outstanding oil-based enamel, beautiful finish – Elated by the finish with this paint. Consistently excellent. I have used it both externally and internally for years, but I just finished repainting a chest of drawers with the leftovers of what I used on my garage door and finish is so great I had to review it. There are no shortcuts though. you have to be prepared to put down a good undercoat… Read more
and two top coats, follow the drying time and sand lightly between coats. Also you have to work in a clean environment. dust, sand flies, lint really detract from it, so my tip is keep your surroundings clean and wipe down with good lint-free turps-soaked rag (like an old cotton shirt).
Not sure about the negative reviews but I have a suspicion. Dulux's undercoat/ primers are really bad. They dry too fast and don't self-level. Fair enough with a water-based primer where everyone wants fast results. But the Dulux oil-based 3-in-1 primer is really, really bad. It will ruin your topcoats unless you spend ages sanding and lay it down twice. My tip is use British Paints 4-in-1 undercoat... an excellent undercoat that the Dulux Super Enamel flows beautifully over.
Also, if you can't be arsed doing the job properly (in terms of prep, sanding, good brush, follow instructions), then forget it- it is unforgiving. But if you want an excellent result, inside or out, and are prepared to put the time in, Dulux Super Enamel over British Paints undercoat is the best finish you can get.
Find out how Dulux Super Enamel compares to other Paints & Varnishes
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Thin and does not go on well – I have been using Dulux paint for years but it had been a while since I had used it. Purchased recently on the basis of past experience and was immediately disappointed. Thin and messy to work with, leaves a lot of ugly marks with a paintbrush and dries too quickly making it hard to go back and try to fix up streaks in paintwork (as much as that is possible). Won't be using again. Show details
Hi Sean, thank you for your review. We would like to get… Read more (+1 reply)
Oil Based Semi Gloss Enamel – I am a signwriter by trade so I've used lots of different oil based enamel paint over the years. I have renovated a couple of houses and have always used Dulux paint. I consider Dulux to be a good quality product for interior and exterior use however after using Super Enamel Semi Gloss (I have used this for windows, architraves & skirtings) I… Read more
would have to say this is not a good product to paint with when using a brush. It covers well, it is white (not slightly cream like others) but it has poor reflow. That means it gets lots of brush marks and drags on the brush. Even when slightly thinned you need to work really fast laying it off to get a smooth finish. Perhaps you could use an additive like Penetrol but I wanted to avoid anything that might make the white 'yellow' over time. I have managed a fair result with this product but with considerable effort and only after lightly sanding between coats.
Hi Sutho, Thank you for your review. We would like to get… Read more
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Derek thank you for taking the time to leave feedback on… Read more