Paint Manufacturers in the UK

Finding a good paint manufacturer or industrial supplier in the UK

Paint manufacturers and industrial paint suppliers make and sell the coatings the trades and industry use: decorative trade paints for painters and decorators, sold through trade counters and decorators' merchants with tinting to any colour; industrial coatings for steel, machinery, plant and structures, from primers and two-pack epoxies and polyurethanes to powder coatings; protective and specialist coatings such as intumescent fire protection, anti-corrosion, floor and line-marking, anti-slip, chemical-resistant and marine antifouling; automotive refinish paints mixed to colour code for body shops and in aerosols; and wood finishes, stains and lacquers for joiners. Britain has manufacturers from global names to regional firms mixing to order, and their trade counters, distributors and technical reps serve local trades and industry.

The right paint is the one specified for the job and applied as the data sheet says: a supplier with a technical department will specify the system for the substrate, environment and durability required, provide the data and safety sheets, certification for fire and food-contact coatings, and colour matching to RAL, BS and brand references or from a physical sample, and a trade account brings pricing, delivery and the rep's advice. Look for manufacturers and suppliers with technical support and testing, ISO 9001 and the certifications your coating needs, tinting and matching on site, and stock of the primers and thinners that go with the paint; for anything structural or fire-rated, get the specification in writing and keep the batch numbers.

The listings here show each manufacturer's and supplier's ranges and brands, industrial and specialist coatings, colour matching and tinting, technical support and certification, trade accounts and delivery, and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who makes or stocks what the job needs, and where decorators, fabricators and body shops in your town buy their paint.

What paint manufacturers and suppliers provide

Trade decorative: emulsions, satins, glosses, primers and undercoats, masonry and exterior paints, tinted to any colour, in trade sizes with account pricing for decorators and contractors.

Industrial and protective: primers, alkyds, epoxies, polyurethanes and powder coatings for steel, machinery and plant, anti-corrosion systems, floor and line-marking paints, anti-slip, chemical-resistant and high-temperature coatings.

Fire and specialist: intumescent coatings for structural steel with certification to the required fire rating, fire-retardant paints, hygienic and food-safe coatings, road-marking and anti-graffiti.

Automotive and marine: refinish paints mixed to code, primers, clears and aerosols for body shops, and marine primers, topcoats and antifouling for boats and coastal steel.

Services: colour matching from samples and references, custom batches to specification, technical data and safety sheets, specification writing and site support, spray equipment and sundries, and delivery on account.

Before you buy industrial or specialist paint

• Give the supplier the substrate, the environment, the durability required and any certification needed; they will specify the system.
• Ask for the technical and safety data sheets and, for fire and food coatings, the certificate and the thickness required.
• Match colours from a physical chip or the reference number, and check the match in daylight before the batch is mixed.
• Buy the primer, thinner and topcoat as a system from the same maker; mixing brands voids the warranty.
• Ask about minimum batch sizes for custom colours and shelf life for two-pack products.
• Open a trade account for pricing, delivery and the rep's site visits.

What paint costs in the UK

As a rough guide, trade emulsion costs £25 to £60 for 10 litres on account, trade gloss and satin £20 to £45 for 2.5 litres, masonry paint £40 to £90 for 10 litres; industrial primers and topcoats £40 to £120 for 5 litres, two-pack epoxy floor paint £60 to £150 for 5 litres covering 20 to 30 square metres, intumescent coatings £80 to £200 for 5 litres with the certified thickness deciding the quantity, anti-slip and line-marking £30 to £80 for 5 litres, and powder coating £15 to £30 a square metre applied; automotive base coat mixed to code £30 to £60 a litre and an aerosol £12 to £25; and colour matching is free with a purchase or £10 to £30 for a small batch. Trade accounts pay 20 to 40 per cent below retail, and custom batches carry minimums of 5 to 20 litres.

A certified intumescent system at £180 a tin is the difference between a steel beam that holds for an hour in a fire and one the building inspector will not sign off.