I have often wondered what the terms "Trade" (as in "Trade Emulsion" for paint) and "Contract" mean (as in bathroom and electrical fittings) actually mean?

Do they mean "Cheap and Nasty" as in (some of) the "Value" offerings in supermarkets?

When should I use them. or should I avoid???

Trade is generally a lot better than DIY. It depends on the make also though. B&Q paints are cack and if they did a trade paint it would also be total cack. Leyland trade emulsion is not as good as Dulux trade.

Trade does not mean cheap and nasty.......go and buy 10 litres of Dulux trade matt emulsion and compare it to 10 Litres of Wickse emulsion. Then use both of them and see the difference that the extra money makes.

Dulux trade 3 coats from bare plaster to finish.......Gliddens is four coats.

It isn't trade or contract that you use at times and avoid at others. It is actual brand names that you avoid every time.

Contract is just others term for Trade. One of the same thing really. On the electrical side of life normally contract refers to bulk packs which save money. Not many DIY types going to buy 20 contract spotlights.

Thanks for the info.

So these terms can mean anything depending on the brand.

Howdy ROC!
I thought trade was, in essence, a concentrated version of retail? As I understand it, for paint manufacturers, I thought the difference is the pigment and opacity of the paint. Trade version has a higher density pigment can be thinned down more and thus goes further, thus more covering ability. I guess it’s handier for pros who like to thin the paint for their requirements. For Dulux, they claim that there is no difference in quality of the paint. See here

Fully agree with ROC, avoid the B&Q / homebase own brands, they look great when you open the tube but you soon see the difference when you start to paint and after 2 coats you can still see the old paint coming though o the same existing colour. They also look thick in the tub until you start mixing them.

I recently painted a bedroom with Homebase emulsion. Took 3 coats to cover the room with the same colour as existing and its easy to tell the difference between a roller and paint brush. Waste of money, ok for a rented accommodation. Also I guess its bad practice to have a nasty paint as a base for further layers in the future, dunno
PS: ROC is the pro not me!

One thing I *have* learnt over the years is to avoid cheap paint at all costs. It's the classic case of "buy cheap, buy twice"!

About 20-odd years ago I picked up some bargain magnolia emulsion at one of the sheds that was around at the time. Texas I think it was called.

It took SIX coats for the living room!!! Not only did it take three times the effort but also cost about twice as much. I will never forget THAT lesson.