Seeking Homebase substitute

What type of paint? I have had good results with Leyland Trade paints from Screwfix

Screwfix/Toolstation browse, order and pay on-line for collection and then go to the desk/till with your order number. If you have a mobile phone give them your number and you will get a text when your order is ready - usually within 10 minutes for in stock items and next day around mid-day for an ordered item delivered to the store overnight.

The store hold orders for 7 days.

Possibly avoid going to the store during white van man tradesmen times (before 9am and around 5-6pm). My local Screwfix is busy at those times.

With Screwfix you can download their app to phone and when entering the shop you can sign in which automatically notifies the staff you are there to pick up. You don't have to sign in as you can also just go to the counter with the order number (they usually only need the last four digits to identify the order)

In my local Toolstation I only have to give my name after informing them that I have ordered on-line for collection.

Although I have never been asked for proof of identity they do suggest that you bring some.

TS and SF will sell basic paint as long as white or magnolia are ok, but not much more than that.

Do you have any 'Decorator Centres' locally? There's at least Johnstone's DC and Dulux DC. They sell trade paint which is better quality than the stuff in the DIY sheds. There's also Brewers as another chain, and there may be an independent or small chain locally.

Price wise I think you get what you pay for. Trade paint isn't cheap but you use less of it and it saves a lot of time.

Theo

Do you have a "The Range" near you? They bought up a lot of Wilko stuff and you can still find it on sale there with the Wilko name on the product, but I've no idea if they do Wilko paint.

Good advice about trade paint outlets downthread but if you prefer to visit a shed which is quite like Homebase used to be, do you have a Wickes anywhere nearby?

Nick

Ours is now a B&Q

Some suggestions it was made by Crown

Nearest B&Q is 25 miles away (and

was owned by wickes - now de-merged

and a Screwfix in town

owned by B&Q

I often use Screwfix. Order on the web site for click and collect.

That's what's happened to the Altrincham one. Which is slightly odd, as B&Q closed down their one in the next road, some years ago.

Toolstation and Wickes are owned by Travis Perkins

In my local area there is a Toolstation outlet in the Wickes store albeit with two dedicated Toolstation outlets closer to where I live.

B and Q and Screwfix are both owned by Kingfisher with the former aimed more at the tradesman rather than the DIYer*. When both carry the same stock item the price is often cheaper in Screwfix.

Probably the best way to use both Toolstation and Screwfix.

As is common the two outlets tend to be close to one another it's worth checking the prices if both stock the same item.

Crown (owned by Hempel) made Homebase's own label paint.

Leyland/Johnstone's (both owned by PPG coatings) made Wilko's own label paint.

Clearly when sticking someone else's name on the tin, you can modify what goes into the tin, to adjust cost/quality, maybe try a few sample pots? I don't think I've ever bought Crown/Leyland/Johnstones ...

I've used Johnstones Trade, which was pretty good. I think Leyland is their more budget range - only premix, limited numbers of shades, only giant tubs, etc. Haven't used it much but seemed ok, only used it for touch ups so can't comment on opacity.

Wickes brand was hopelessly thin in comparison - needed 3 coats where 2 trade would have done it.

Also tried Benjamin Moore, good quality but can be pricey. (I see SF are dropshipping Lick Pro which is similar 'designer' prices)

Theo

Apparently a dispute over rent. In those days I think the Retail Park was owned by Crown Estates, I believe these days its St James Investment

Dave

It's not that unusual for a store to relocate possibly as a result of leases ending and cheaper rents elsewhere.

Where one company has purchased another resulting in having two premises in an area it's not unusual for the brand still operating to move to the premises of the purchased brand that is no longer operating.

Funnily enough this morning I saw this

Well these days any paint of any color is mixable.

I have a decent little builders merchant that will mix, and I have in the past ordered direct from Farrow and Ball.

Delivery is steep.

IIRC many big builders merchants will mix various brands like Dulux etc

Wickes maybe? Travis Perkins? Jewsons?

Time to get out your google hat

I would have said the exact opposite

'Trade' stuff is the good stuff where time is money and you're judged on results - pay more to get the job done better and faster. This is what pro decorators use.

'Contract' stuff is the minimum grade for builders building to a price. May be quick to install but not the best quality.

'Consumer' grade assumes the DIYer only cares about the price and their time is free.

Theo

well..depends on waht you mean by 'pro decorator'

That is the magnolia that only looks even when sprayed onto a fresh layer of finishing plaster

I know that as 'trade'

Well where do you put Farrow and Ball then. very expensive loaded with pigments and sold mainly to consumers

The Range here - a sort of pound shop/Wilko combo. At least they sell bicarb and citric acid.

People who paint houses for a living, rather than splashing a bit of paint on while doing something else. Time is money, and the performance of the paint is critical to getting the job done well and fast.

Yep, beloved of new builds because you can make the walls white with minimal cost. The buyer isn't going to not buy the house for a substandard paint finish and is probably going to repaint it afterwards anyway.

Based on the penny pinching, Mr Persimmon is chuckling all the way to the bank with his £110m bonus.

Very different.

F&B is advertised to consumers (the Mumsnet crowd and the aspiring wealthy), but they get a man in to do the dirty work of actually painting. If the customer wants to pay for it, who are they to complain? But I don't think decorators would pick F&B out of choice if you just asked them to paint a wall and choose their own paint.

Seems like Lick (from B&Q/Screwfix) is trying to be a F&B competitor, ie reassuringly expensive.

Theo

My local The Range currently has quite a lot of Wilco Branded stock, some of it discounted but most the same prices that Wilko would have charged.

I wouldn't compare it with pound shop* but more of the discounters such as B&M and Home Bargains and The Range carried much more of a different range of products than those two (home furnishing, garden furniture, pictures, large mirrors, arts and crafts, paint, china and glassware, small electrical appliances etc. etc.