I love Armstead durable matt!! It is very cheap compared to other durable matt emulsions on the market and you can achieve a true matt finish. In fact, the finish is lovely!! No flashing or roller marks at all really. Opacity in pale colours can be more of an issue, so expect to have to apply a third coat on occasion. This is the only thing you need to look out for. Armstead contract matt is designed for use on bare plaster as it allows the surface to breathe. This makes it the ideal product for new builds. STIR THOROUGHLY BEFORE USE. On very absorbent surfaces apply a sealing coat of thinned Armstead Trade Vinyl Matt (up to 1 part clean water to 5 parts paint). The normal finishing process is 1 or 2 full coats of Armstead Trade Vinyl Matt. Coverage up to 14m²/l on smooth surfaces of average porosity. Touch Dry: 1-2hours. Recoat: 2-4 hours. Drying times dependent upon temperature and humidity.

I love the vinyl matt too. For something that’s so cheap, it covers bare plaster in two coats and looks brilliant. It has a low sheen level meaning you don’t see picture framing or roller marks. I just wish you could still get any Dulux colour matched into Armstead, like you could a couple of years ago. You can save a fortune by switching over to Armstead. Opacity is good, in fact two coats on bare plaster should be ample. It doesn’t seem as porous as most contract matt emulsions either, so ease of use on the second coat is pretty good. The finish is nice and flat, and there is very little flashing.The massive downside of contract matt is it isn’t very durable. durability isn’t an issue on most ceilings, but you may want to look at a more substantial product as a finish coat on your walls. Trade quality contract matt emulsion is something that comes up on the Decorators Forum UK on a regular basis and everyone seems keen to work out which is the best on the market. I regret to say, there are many I have yet to use, but I can take you through the ones I have. Armstead vinyl matt leaves a true matt finish, and you encounter very few problems such as picture framing and roller marks. Drying time is roughly 2 – 4 hours depending on conditions, and you can have this product tinted into any colour from Armstead’s extensive range. You should dilute your first coat if you intend to use it on bare plaster. In this review, I’m going to focus on Armstead paint products and talk about each one in turn. As a professional decorator, I have been using Armstead regularly for some time, and know the brand inside and out. I find the overall quality good. I’d even go as far as to say it is one of the best trade brands available, especially if you consider value for money.

You can get Armstead vinyl matt tinted into any colour from Armstead’s extensive range. They can normally match a Dulux colour into an Armstead product but can’t guarantee the accuracy (I’ve never had a problem). Armstead has been one of my favourite paint brands for a long time now. Not only are they a cheaper alternative to Dulux Trade, but the brand stands on its own for quality, price and performance. It’s a brand I can rely on to achieve professional results for my clients.STIR THOROUGHLY BEFORE USE. On very absorbent surfaces apply a sealing coat of thinned Armstead Trade Contract Matt (up to 1 part clean water to 5 parts paint). The normal finishing process is 1 or 2 full coats of Armstead Trade Contract Matt. Coverage up to 15m²/l on smooth surfaces of average porosity. Touch Dry: 1-2hours. Recoat: 2-4 hours. Drying time dependent upon temperature and humidity. Valspar Trade are going from strength to strength with their new and improved reformulated paint products. Their contract matt can be used on bare plaster without the need to thin the product prior to use. I see it all the time on the Decorators Forum UK. People arguing that, “contract matt allows plaster to breathe”. Well yes, it does, until you coat over the top of it with something that doesn’t. So that argument is null and void.

Valspar Trade is easier to use than most other contract matt paints. It doesn’t seem to drag as much as you’re applying it, and the overall finish is spot on. The opacity on application is poor, but it bleaches out as it dries, so don’t panic. Great finish too! I love this paint, it’s one of the best contract matt emulsion products on the market. You can get a good finish if you use a foam roller, but it does take a bit of faffing. It sprays well though. Another redeeming feature of Armstead QD gloss is the price. It is much cheaper than a lot of comparable trade products, so you are getting value for money. It isn’t my preferred system though. As a decorator, I have been using Armstead products for almost two decades. The brand offers a cheaper, but sometimes better alternative to Dulux Trade. However, one product I hated for a number of years was Armstead contract matt, so I stopped using it altogether. It always had a high sheen level and flashed spectacularly on any light sensitive ceilings or walls. Opacity used to be an issue in pale colours, but Armstead seem to have sorted this problem out over the last couple of years. You can now cover bare plaster in two coats, which is ideal. Armstead, like Dulux is manufactured by Akzo Nobel and both brands are sold side by side online and in Dulux Decorating Centres.

Contract matt is normally used to prime bare plaster as it contains little in the way of polymer binders and allows the plaster to breathe. It is also the perfect base coat for other emulsion type products. You can use it as a finish coat on ceilings which is the big test as a lot of emulsions show blemishes when used on light critical ceilings. It also sprays well!! I decided to test it whilst mist coating a new build a couple of days ago and it was lovely. It went through my airless with ease and the finish was spot on. There was no hint of trailing and it left a nice flat finish. What more can you ask for?? Armstead is owned and manufactured by AkzoNobel, who also make Dulux, often in the same factory. You’ll find both brands sold side by side at any Dulux Decorating Centre and a lot of other independant trade merchants. Contract matt is often used as a finish coat on newbuilds for a few reasons. The first being it’s cheap, but it tends to have better opacity than vinyl matt which means fewer coats. Some brands touch up well, which is ideal for snagging and homeowners tend to paint over a “builders finish” anyway.