Does Dulux paint vary in consistancy?

Just wondering if I've picked up a duff can of paint.

I bought one from B&Q and another from a local corner DIY store. Both cans are exactly the same Dulux colour Matt wall and ceiling 2.5l but one is just shy of basically being water whilst the other is more akin to custard.


Can they vary that much? :/

You have given them both a good stir with something long enough to pick the pigment up from the bottom of the tin haven't you?

My dad used to have a dedicated paint stirring stick in his shed. It was a bit of 1X1 worth about 10p, but you'd think it was a Ming vase the way he went on about it.

GeForce said:

You have given them both a good stir with something long enough to pick the pigment up from the bottom of the tin haven't you?

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I have dont worry.

It's not the colour that's the issue as they seem the same just the viscosity makes it rather hard to paint an artex ceiling with.

Wait unless the pigment is what gives it thickness? There was a substantial layer of oil on top before I mixed it in so I assume it's been sitting a long time.

Sounds like one of the tins hasn't had a proper good mixing.

I tend to give all tins of paint a good shake by hand for a few minutes and then if necessary use something to give it a quick stir by hand when opened.

I'll try mixing it again then. Maybe I failed .

Would be the first time my stick wasn't long enough.

The advice I've consistently come across is to buy tins from the same batch if you need more than one tin of the same colour. So I suppose yes they could vary but its probably pretty unlikely and also the colour might be slightly different.

By 'same batch' I mean two off the shelf that are next to each other.

Yeah I under estimated how many coats I'd need . The place hasn't been painted since it was built maybe 20 years ago.

We used to try and match batch numbers and give them a good throwing around inside the paint mixer at Homebase, this was 11 odd years ago now.

R.O.S.S.I said:

Sounds like one of the tins hasn't had a proper good mixing.

I tend to give all tins of paint a good shake by hand for a few minutes and then if necessary use something to give it a quick stir by hand when opened.

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Yeah, I much prefer shaking to mixing. With the latter, especially if they are older cans, you can end scraping off the occasional nasty flake which will invariably end up on the wall.

Nah I've mixed and shaken it again. Still like water .

Odd, not had any that thin. I've known them vary a bit but they're all roughly custard-ish

I once opened a can of white emulsion to find black so anything is possible!

Maybe its just a bad can or been incorrectly stored at too high/low temperature (or too old). If its that bad I would take it back as I've never seen any significant variation in thickness of the same paint no matter where I've purchased it.

The only other option is someone bought it used some and watered it down and returned it - I wouldn't put that past some people.

I always mix tins of the same colour together before I paint (at least before starting the final coat).

Perhaps this could solve your issue re. viscosity also.

I took it back with the old can and the guy was happy to replace it.

He just shrugged and grabbed me another so I guess it's not the first time it's happened there...

Can was pristine so I'd love to know how they got the lid off without damage (could certainly use that trick as I've always struggled, threw a tantrum then jabbed a screw driver into it ).

Is the custard consistency tin trade by any chance? The trade paint is thicker.

robfosters said:

My dad used to have a dedicated paint stirring stick in his shed. It was a bit of 1X1 worth about 10p, but you'd think it was a Ming vase the way he went on about it.

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Ah haha brilliant. There was a guy at work like that he never wiped his off so it bellowed out with all the dry paint. It was his pride and joy .

Also dulux is pants

Beerbaron said:

Is the custard consistency tin trade by any chance? The trade paint is thicker.

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Exactly the same tin. Both non trade I believe (I assume it says trade on them?). Googling before I posted mentioned trade paints were thicker but didn't seem to be the case.

Maccapacca said:

Also dulux is pants

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Honestly I wouldn't know any better .

Reccomendations for walls/ceilings that haven't been painted in decades?

Johnstones covaplus

You might have to find a brewers or a trade shop but there's a reason there's lots of little white vans at these places and not homebase or b&q

I'll give it a shot cheers .