Have you caught the DIY bug? With us spending so much time at home the past few years, it's no surprise we've all been up-cyclingand redecorating our homesso much. From changing the colour tone in the living room, to hanging up some stylish art, there are so many tweaks and changes we can make to our home to make them feel and look more comfortable and modern.
Gloss paint is a must-have if you want to freshen up your home with something different. It's great to use on doors and skirting boards in particular, which can often get dirty thanks to hand prints and pets. Gloss paint can also be used to give any metal-work or furniture a new lease of life too, making its possibilities endless.
What is gloss paint?
Gloss paint provides a shinier finish to things, both internally and externally. It can be used on many materials, including wood and metal. Gloss paint comes either water based or oil-based. While oil-based gloss paints have been used for years and years, water-based gloss paints have only been available in the UK in recent years.
While oil-based products achieve a very high sheen finish, they often get dull over a short space of time. Water-based products however produce a less glossy finish, but they can maintain the sheen over a longer period of time.
How to apply gloss paint
If you've ever used gloss paint before, you'll know how difficult it can be to achieve a smooth finish. If you're using gloss paint for wood such as on skirting boards or doors, you'll want to fully prep the area before starting.
- Remove any furniture in the room well out of the way and lay a good quality, double layer dust sheet down, taping it into place at the edges of the floor with masking tape. This will make sure your carpet stays protected.
- When using gloss paint, it's important not to paint directly onto the wood. You'll first need to use a primer which will stop any stains from coming through the wood. Give the primer a good shake and stir before using and pour into a paint tray. Paint the primer on in the direction of the grain. Most paint brushes will be fine for this part. If painting a large area, you might want to use a paint roller instead of a brush.
- Give your brushes a good clean and wait for the primer to dry before lightly sanding the surface with some fine sandpaper. This will remove any brush marks from the priming process to give you a perfectly flat and smooth surface to paint on. Clean up the dust with a vacuum cleaner and microfibre cloth.
- Next, paint using your gloss paint in the same way you painted on the primer.
Gloss paint inspiration and ideas
As mentioned already, most gloss paint is used on wooden features such as skirting boards but it can also be used to paint dining chairs, shelves, front doors and in some cases, even walls. If you're thinking, how can I style a room with gloss paint? Why not take some inspiration from the ideas below for your home?
Gloss paint ideas
Gloss paint ideas
1 of 8Gloss paint wall
2 of 8Navy gloss walls
3 of 8Feature wall with gloss
4 of 8Gloss drawer
5 of 8Gloss dining chairs
6 of 8Gloss chest of drawers
7 of 8Gloss painted bathroom
8 of 8Yellow gloss feature wall
Does gloss paint get dirty?
Like with any shiny surface, a glossy finish is more likely to show up dirt, especially finger prints, so don't expect it to always look perfect. In terms of cleaning, the higher the gloss, the more durable the paint and most mild cleaners are safe to use to clean gloss paint.
The best gloss paints
To help you find the right gloss paint colour for you, we've rounded up some of the best on the market for you to try.
Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections.
www.wickes.co.uk
Ideal for painting on wooden surfaces, this white gloss paint from Wickes is suitable for both interior and exterior use. Suitable for: Wood & Metal Drying Time: 16-24 hrs Colour: Pure Brilliant White One reviewer said: 'Wow this little tin of magic made it so easy to decorate our daughter's bedroom at pace. We needed to get it all finished in one weekend so she could move back in. Glossed the doors and skirting with no hassle at all. Quick drying and lovely coverage. I will not use anything other gloss now.'
Pros
- Ideal for all interior and exterior wood and metal surfaces
- Durable finish
- Drying time: 16-24 hrs
- Washable
- Covers in one coat
Cons
- Can appear patchy and streaky on some surfaces
- Can have a creamy/yellow tint on some surfaces
- Can require more than one coat
www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk
Another popular white gloss option is Dulux's high gloss which gives a tough and durable finish. Suitable for: Metal, Skirting boards, Window frames, Door frames, Radiators, Wood, Doors Drying time: 16-24 hours Colour: Pure brilliant white One reviewer said: 'Absolutely great, I wanted a hard gloss finish on some kitchen doors after some years after having applied a water based paint.'
Pros
- Durable
- Good flow
- Coverage up to 18m² per litre
Cons
- Can run as the formula is quite thin
- Colour can fade overtime
Perfect if you're looking to give your front door a makeover, this weatherproof gloss paint is designed to be durable all year round. Suitable for: Suitable for wooden doors, windows and frames. Drying time: Weatherproof in just 1 hour Colour: Grey One reviewer said: 'Thick paint, good quality. Used to repaint over white gate, went on well and good coverage. Looks really smart.'
Pros
- Weatherproof in just 1 hour
- Perfect for doors
- For exterior use
Cons
- Can peel off some surfaces
Add a pop of colour to your home with this fun orange gloss from Dulux. We think it would look good on a staircase or even to make a feature out of an old set of drawers. Suitable for: wood and metal Drying time: 6 hours Colour: Orange **One reviewer says: '**This is a really useful colour that goes well with lots of colours - a kind of timeless but interesting u2018neutralu2019 without overpowering. (Was a Dulux u2018colour of the yearu2019, a few years ago) Needed to complete some decorating. Arrived very quickly by courier, well packed and in perfect condition. Great value and convenient (much better than a time wasting retail park visit). Highly recommended.'
Pros
- For interior or exterior wood and metal
- Quick drying
- No undercoat required
Cons
- Can require quite a few coats
- Quite a watery formula
Perfect for smaller jobs or touching up any chips. These come in a huge variety of colours so if you first want to try with something smaller like a wooden fruit bowl or small table, this is ideal. Suitable for: Wood and metal Drying time: 2 hours Colour: Pink One reviewer said: 'Bought this paint in several colours to paint a mud kitchen we made for a friendu2019s daughter as we wanted a project in lockdown! Although itu2019s nowhere near as pink as the tin, once dry and next to the white paint it is definitely pink and I think sheu2019ll love it. Yes the pink was thinner than the white but it dried really quick so I was able to start second coating the bits that needed it by the time Iu2019d finished a first coat. This was on a lovely sunny day though and the wood had been well sanded down beforehand.'
Pros
- Great for small projects
- Covers approximately 3.25 Sq. metres
Cons
- Needs a few coats
- Isn't easy to remove from hands
www.wickes.co.uk
With a 10-year guarantee satisfaction, this tough exterior use paint is designed for long-term use on things like window frames, and doors. Suitable for: Wood, metal, PVCu Drying time: 6 hours Colour: Oxford blue One reviewer said: 'This was a bit runny and I had to apply two coats to stop the primer showing through. However, I was pleased how it went on with a roller.'
Pros
- Ideal for exterior use
Cons
- Requires a few coats
- Formula is slightly runny
www.wickes.co.uk
If you're worried about making a mess, go for a non drip option like this Dulux choice. It's also hardwearing and wipeable and suitable for both interior and exterior use. Suitable for: Interior and exterior wood and metal Drying time: 16 hrs Colour: Natural Slate One reviewer says: 'Very good quality, took a reasonable amount of time to dry and very happy with the colour too. Overall happy with the product. May seem a bit pricey but it's worth the money and a little goes a long way with this product.'
Pros
- Non drip formula
- Applies with roller or brushes
Cons
- Can drip sometimes
Worried about drying time? This quick dry option from Crown is perfect. It also has a non-yellowing formula so it retains its bright white finish for longer. Suitable for: interior and exterior wood and metal Drying time: 1 hour Colour: pure brilliant white One reviewer said: 'Easy to apply and doesn't smell very strongly as some gloss paints do. Dries very quickly, so it's a little hard to smooth out brush marks or overpaint areas. Easy to clean out brushes etc, as water based. Dries to a PVC like coating, but the big downside is it isn't very glossy at all. I would put it more at the 'silk finish' end of the spectrum.' If you want an easy to apply paint that dries quickly and you don't care about the lack of gloss this is great, if you want a smooth high gloss finish this is no good at all.'
Pros
- Doesn't drip
- Durable
- Dries quickly
Cons
- Needs a number of coats
- Not as glossy as other gloss paints
www.wickes.co.uk
This one coat gloss is super easy to use, giving a thick layer of paint with just one coat. Suitable for: Interior Use Drying time: 16 hours Colour: black **One reviewer said: '**Toyed with buying Wickes own brand but I'm pleased with my choice. Did need two coats because I didn't prime the wood. Very pleased with my purchase and easy to wash out the brush.'
Pros
- Easy to wash
- Short drying time
Cons
- Needs a few coats