Vivid white trap

Vivid white is a very good colour name, many clients who choose this colour are kind of attacted by its name. It even shows a very friendly attitude on the colour chart. Whoever wants the house looks extremely clean and simple, all wants vivid white. There is no colour names “pure white”, so vivid white always like a finger step choice. When the clients bring the paint back home start DIY, they found its not that easy to cover the walls, the clean and simple colour end up a half transparent surface even they applied many coats. Not that simple right? Then the clients start to doubt themselves such like the tools or skills not good enough, in fact, even the professional painter fail a lot in this colour.

Why Vivid white has so bad covering ability? If you looking carefully on your paint bucket you will notice that the “vivid white” mark on it. If you could even notice that the sales person in paint shop carries the paint directly to you without any tint in the paint bucket. Yes, vivid white colour means factory white colour without any tint, its just a base white colour. Dulux name it vivid white, a very sophisticate name fool a lot of people.

So when you choose this colour for the house, especially for the walls, here is some tips for you :
1. If you plan to use Dulux same product for the walls without mix any other brand, no matter dulux professional serial or Dulux wash&wear, Dulux Weathershield, prepare minimum 3-5 coats, unless the walls current colour is vivid white already. When you try to use vivid white to cover any other colour, even the current colour is very light, you still need to prepare at least 3 coats.
2. If it’s very dark, such as blue, red, black or yellow, if you want to lower the cost, better use the undercoat for the first couple of coats, at least the undercoat is cheaper than normal top coat right? (This method also suitable for the light walls if you want to lower the cost)
3. Choose a product names Dulux Super hide wash&wear, it covers every colour in 3 coats, could be 2 coats if you are lucky. But keep in mind that Dulux Super hide is super expensive, could be double price than normal paint. It works.

Vivid white colour like a trap for clients and painters, so when the painters gave colour ideas to clients, please be careful about this colour, it may easily destroy your quote. The Dulux colour consultant like this colour very much because they need the clients to buy more paint to achieve the performance. How irony is that.

Many other light colour could do very similar performance to the house as vivid white, such as lexicon quarter or antique white USA quarter. The factory paint without any tint of course lack of covering power, if you desperate want this colour, take the cost to account, would be roughly cost 15% more than normal colour system.

(Ceiling colour normally called ceiling white, it’s not vivid white. The vivid white only exist in Dulux wall and trim system, other brand may have other names, but different colour in different factory white)