Tested & approved: Reformulated Dulux Trade Diamond Matt extending lifecycles and improving sustainability

Dulux Trade Diamond Matt has been reformulated in line with customer feedback to deliver durability and improved sustainability credentials, helping the industry move towards a more sustainable future. Available from June, architects and specifiers can be confident that Dulux Trade Diamond Matt meets key industry standards and will provide their clients with quality results for years to come.

The finish

Designed for high traffic areas, the new formula will help extend maintenance cycles further with walls that stay looking newer and cleaner for longer. Dulux Trade Diamond Matt delivers ultimate durability and is compliant with BS EN ISO 11998 Class 1 and BS 7719 Class C and can withstand 10,000 scrubs (the equivalent of five hours non-stop scrubbing). Dulux Trade Diamond Matt can therefore be repeatedly cleaned and scrubbed, ensuring that unwanted stains can be easily removed without damaging the paint film on the wall – making the professional finish last even longer.

Dulux Trade Diamond Matt also delivers great opacity and is now available in 150 additional extra deep colours, providing reassurance that it can achieve strong aesthetics that will last the test of time.

Sustainability

In a recent survey, 71% of professional decorators said their clients now regularly request sustainable paint options1. Dulux Trade Diamond Matt is 99.9% VOC (volatile organic compound) free*, so it has lower impact on indoor air quality and the overall carbon footprint of a project when compared with the previous formulation.

Innovative binder technology ensures that the water-based paint delivers quick drying times, helping professionals work quickly and efficiently. It forms a film even at very low temperatures and in conjunction with the low VOC content, it means that redecoration work can be completed quickly, minimising disruption to the customer.

For added reassurance that it delivers sustainability benefits, Dulux Trade Diamond Matt is also compliant with green building accreditations BREEAM**, LEED*** and WELL.

Peter Rhodes, National Sector Manager for Building Design at AkzoNobel, said:

“Our reformulated Dulux Trade Diamond Matt offers superior benefits that architects and specifiers can trust. The fact that Dulux Trade Diamond Matt is compliant with BREEAM, LEED and WELL environmental standards, is 99.9% VOC free and long-lasting means it’s the clear sustainable choice for a diverse range of projects. We’re confident these enhancements will reassure architects and specifiers that Diamond Matt should be the go-to durable, sustainable paint option that will provide winning results for their customers.”

‘Tested & Approved by Professional Decorators’

To demonstrate its commitment to delivering the best quality paints, Dulux Trade is introducing a seal of approval to showcase the rigorous testing that takes place to ensure that its products deliver every time (find out more about the process at www.duluxtrade.co.uk/testedandapproved). The ‘Tested and Approved by Professional Decorators’ process begins with laboratory testing under controlled conditions. Dulux Trade then asks professional decorators to review the product in three stages:

  1. Assessments by a member of the internal Dulux panel of professional decorators – which is a blind test
  2. Assessments by a panel of external professional decorators – which is also a blind test
  3. Field trials that put the product to the test under external conditions

Hannah Beeke, R&D Team Leader at AkzoNobel explains:

“Our ‘Tested & Approved’ process is designed to truly put products to the test and we do this by working closely with experienced professionals. Their opinions help to ensure we are delivering the highest quality products, and ultimately, the best results for the end user.

“With the new Dulux Trade Diamond Matt, we worked with our expert decorators to trial the product and we used their feedback to make further improvements to the formula. We then took the range into field trials where it was tested under external conditions – enabling us to see how it will perform for our wider customer base. This ongoing rigorous process means that we are confident the new Diamond Matt range is the best it can be and will genuinely deliver the durability and sustainability benefits architects and specifiers are looking for.”

For more information on Dulux Trade Diamond Matt, see here: www.duluxtrade.co.uk/diamondmatt.

1*Attest survey: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements ‘My clients request sustainable paint options?’ (n=150)