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How should you read Valspar paint reviews?
Paint reviews are most useful when the reviewer used the same type of paint, on a similar surface, prepared in a similar way. This page does not rate Valspar or any other brand, but it explains what to look for in reviews and on the tin.
Last reviewed:What can paint reviews tell you?
Valspar is one of several paint brands sold in the UK, with ranges for walls, ceilings, wood and metal. People search for Valspar paint reviews before buying because paint is hard to judge in the tin.
Reviews can be useful for practical details: how a paint feels to apply, how it covers a dark colour, whether it marks easily, or how a colour looks in a real room. They are much less useful as an overall score. A paint praised for a bedroom ceiling might be a poor choice for a kitchen wall.
This page does not rate Valspar or any other brand. It explains how to read reviews well and what to check on the tin itself. Our guide to choosing paint explains matching paint to the surface.
QuoteZila starts in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach first, and anyone in the UK can post a decorating job.
Which reviews are worth reading?
Look for reviews that tell you:
- Which product. A brand usually has many ranges. A review of one emulsion says nothing about the brand's gloss or exterior paint.
- What surface. New plaster, old emulsion, wood, radiators and tiles all behave differently.
- What preparation. Was the surface cleaned, filled and primed? Poor preparation causes most paint problems.
- What colour change. Going from dark to light, or white to a strong colour, often needs more coats.
- How it was applied. Brush, roller or sprayer, and how many coats.
- How long ago. A review written the day after painting cannot say how the paint wears.
Photos help, especially in daylight. A review that only says "great" or "terrible" with no detail adds little.
Can you trust online reviews?
Most reviews are written in good faith, but not all. UK law now treats fake reviews seriously. CMA guidance says the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 lists fake reviews among commercial practices that are unfair in all circumstances [S1]. Banned practices include submitting or commissioning a fake consumer review, or one that hides the fact it was incentivised [S1].
Be wary of a run of very similar reviews posted close together, reviews that praise the brand but say nothing about the job, and reviews that mention free products without saying so clearly.
What should you check on the tin?
The label tells you more than most reviews:
- Product type. Matt, silk, eggshell, satin or gloss, and whether it is for walls, ceilings, wood, metal or outdoors.
- Suitable surfaces. Some paints need a primer on bare plaster or wood.
- Coverage. Usually given as square metres per litre per coat.
- Recoat time. How long to wait between coats.
- Washability. Some labels give a class or say how often it can be wiped.
- VOC content. UK regulations define VOC content as the mass of volatile organic compounds, in grams per litre, in the product ready to use [S2]. Labels often show it as a band or a figure.
- Safety information. HSE explains that hazard pictograms, shown as a diamond with a red border, alert us to a hazardous chemical that might cause harm [S3].
Compare these between brands for the room you are painting.
Does the brand matter more than the painter?
Usually the painter and the preparation matter more. Filling, sanding, cleaning, priming and cutting in neatly make the biggest difference to the finish. A decorator who knows a paint well can often get a better result from it than a better-reviewed paint used in a hurry.
If you are hiring a decorator, ask which paints they like for your rooms and why. Some prefer trade ranges, others are happy to use your choice. If you have a brand and colour in mind, say so in your job. Our painters and decorators page covers the trade, and our Johnstone's paint guide looks at another brand in the same practical way.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Living room and hallway to repaint. I have chosen colours in a Valspar emulsion. Please quote to prepare and paint, using my paint."
- "Kitchen walls marking easily. Please advise on a more wipeable paint and quote to repaint."
- "New plaster in a bedroom. Please quote to mist coat and paint, and say which paint you would use."
QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1]. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
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Questions about Valspar paint reviews
Is Valspar paint good?
This page does not rate brands. Any paint can give a good or poor finish depending on the product line, the surface, the preparation and how it is applied. Read reviews that match your job, and ask a decorator what they would use on your walls.
Why do reviews of the same paint disagree?
Reviewers paint different surfaces, in different colours, with different tools and preparation. A pale paint over a pale wall needs fewer coats than a bright colour over a dark one. Look for reviews with similar conditions to yours.
Are fake paint reviews illegal?
Under UK consumer law, fake reviews are a banned practice. CMA guidance says the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 lists fake reviews among practices that are unfair in all circumstances.
Does QuoteZila check decorators?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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- Wallpaper Designs: How to Choose One That Works. How to choose a wallpaper design for the room you have: pattern repeat, scale, colour, wall condition and what to ask a decorator before the first roll goes up.
- White Ceiling Paint: How to Choose the Right One. How to choose white ceiling paint: matt or silk, brilliant or soft white, stain-block and bathroom paints, VOC labels, textured ceilings and hiring a decorator.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Unfair commercial practices (CMA207), GOV.UK (Competition and Markets Authority). Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unfair-commercial-practices-cma207/unfair-commercial-practices
- S2: The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations 2012, regulation 2, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1715/regulation/2
- S3: Hazard pictograms (symbols), Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-11-02. https://www.hse.gov.uk/chemical-classification/labelling-packaging/hazard-symbols-hazard-pictograms.htm