Dulux Super Enamel High Gloss

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.

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

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.

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.