Ronseal Reviews 

I used Ronseal Interior Varnish satin clear on hardwood internal doors and stair balustrades. What it does not say on the tin is that it should never be used on a wood surface that may be frequently touched by a human hand. My experience is that the natural oils in the hand are transferred to the water based varnish and over time it becomes darkened and sticky to the touch. It cannot be cleaned and is the source of much ongoing angst. Why do the company not point to this shortcoming in the advertising and on the tin. The areas around door furniture and staircase handrails in particular are a no go area. If you want to incur the cost and inconvenience of stripping and retreating your hardwood handrails with a more suitable oil or varnish after only one to two years, then this is a fine product, if not avoid it.

I purchased a tub of Ronseal Sage fence paint which when painted on came out blue! I sent photographic evidence to Ronseal who tell me that the colour is not blue it is sage green and that it is supposed to look like it does! Definition of sage is : Sage green is a muted, grey-green hue resembling dried sage leaves! What I got was duck egg blue, quite a contrast! But I am wrong they are right! I say don’t bother with Ronseal but another brand!! Maybe I shall quote the Sale of Goods Act to them: Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (and the current Consumer Rights Act 2015 for post-Sept 2015 purchases), paint must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and match its description. This means paint must not be defective, must adhere properly when applied correctly, and match the specified colour.

Customer service was excellent and very professional.

Ronseal one coat starting peeling after one coat one some of the drawers
Very dussspointed dont recommend at all

I used Ronseal Diamond Floor Varnish (Antique Pine- Matt) to varnish a floor of pine boards for a customer whose dining room I was renovating. I, along with a helper, sanded the floor thoroughly with hired machinery, the kit that professionals use). We left the floor raw and flat, waiting for a glorious coat of liquid gold to enhance its beauty and protect it for years to come. Tow coats of Ronseal later and the result was ghastly. Brush strokes and overlaps were clearly evident and the colour resembled no timber you’ve ever seen in your life- or would want to see. It looked like the job had been done by 6 year olds. Naturally, the customer was not happy. I re-did the entire floor, all at my expense. I then used Osmo Oil and it came up beautifully. Therefore I think that it Ronseal should change the catergory of the product from Varnish to Tarnish. Whilst at it they could change their catchline from “Does exactly what it says on the tin” to “You get what you pay for”.

☆☆☆
I am extremely disappointed with Ronseal Ultimate Protection Decking Stain in Dark Oak. I purchased 6 tins for £157.78 and applied them correctly in June 2025, following every preparation step.
Less than a year later, the "Ultimate Protection" has virtually all peeled off, leaving my decking in a complete mess. For a premium product marketed as their most durable option, this performance is a total failure.
The retailer has only offered a 20% refund, which is insulting given the cost of the product and the immense time and effort I spent applying it. I am now facing the back-breaking task of stripping this flakey finish before I can start again with a different brand.
I have full proof of purchase and photographic evidence of this failure. Avoid this product—it does not live up to its name or its price tag.
Date of experience

Absolute crap sprayed a thin stream all over my levis n boot and drive total dog shit product.does what it says on the tin not disgusting poor product I want my money back rip off merchants

Absolutely awful fence paint sprayer!
I manage about 1/5 of the fence panel before it stopped working. It is horrendous to clean out also. Complete waste of money!!

I bought a Ronseal Precision Fence Sprayer last week and found that the spray was not uniform coming out of the nozzle, and sprayed two strong streams one on other side of the 30° spray fan, with very little coverage between the two.

I took the sprayer back to my supplier here in Cork, Ireland, and was that a question,they immediately offered to replace it.

The replacement sprayer was very slightly better than the first one but still made it impossible to get even coverage.

I would respectfully suggest that Ronseal need to redesign the nozzle,and replace them with ones that do a proper job.

The other thing which was really annoying, is that you can’t actually pour paint into the tank as in the photograph,because the opening is too narrow, and you have to use a funnel to avoid getting paint everywhere.

A final complaint is that the 2-position spray settings knob seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

Having said all that, the sprayer IS almost perfect; when it's good, it's very very good. Ronseal should also send "Tips" with the product, such as warning people only to use FRESH Ronseal product in the machine.

Another is to stress the need to clean the machine THOROUGHLY after use, and to leave a litre of water in it during storage, to eliminate the possibility of any paint product drying out inside it.

Finally, I'd advise Ronseal to include a spare nozzle, filter and washer with each sprayer. For £0.10 it would be a smart move, IMHO.

Ronseal have now replied, asking for unspecified further information about the review.

The only further thing that springs to mind is they don't really tell you how much to pump the thing up. Should you pump until the safety pressure release valve starts to hiss?

I just pumped mine up until the spray was "about right"; too much pressure, and you get a fine mist which goes everywhere except where it is supposed to; too little pressure, and the spray loses width. To keep the spray constant, I found it was best to spray 1 - 2 square yards of the job, then stop and pump about 8 - 10 times.

Having purchased Ronseal fence sprayer (@£28) & 2 tbs of ronseal fence spray (@£40) I find myself bemused that the filter on the end of the sprayer keeps blocking despite watering it down (recomended) have tried everything I can to resolve this problem to no avail, perhaps it's just a bad design ?? Would appreciate a response from the company ???

It’s magic in a can!
Since 2024 I have meant to praise Ronseal for their one coat white paint (for mold and dampness) that eradicated the sudden unexplained appearance of wet walls. Drip marks were actually visible.

It cost nearly USD $500 to import 3 quart size cans but only 2 were used for a 14ft wide x 10ft tall blank wall.
It’s now 2 years later without further issues.

This year we pulled the spare can out to treat another area affected by water penetration due to an exterior crack. We must do the repairs before reviewing the 2nd situation but based on The 1st use I highly recommend this product that does what it says!

Brought a Ronseal precision finish paint fence sprayer
This piece of kit is totalling unfit for purpose. I followed the instructions to the letter and after painting 1 panel the sprayer blocked continuously after just a couple of seconds.
I resorted to painting the panels by hand using Ronseal’s spray paint. A very expensive way of doing the job.
I would not recommend this product to anyone else.

Further to my last review of Jan 14th and before . I finally , after applying primer and undercoat , managed to apply a reasonable top coat of your ONE coat tile paint and thought I had cracked it . Fear not , it is now flaking off in places. I DESPAIR!

We bought their 5 year fence paint in warm stone , it took 5 coverings before it looked complete, then faded and washed off in less than 10 months, we contacted Ronseal who fobbed us off and insulted us by offering 2 free tins , I would strongly avoid using and stick to a better branded fence covering

Ronseal Stays White Satin 2 in 1 primer & paint. Followed the instructions but this product does not cover at all. Painted on an original white surface but had to put 4 FOUR! coats of paint on to make it look reasonable. I will never buy this again.

Payed alot of money for decking area, used Ronseal Decking Paint, followed instructions on tin,looked fantastic, 3 months later, brown stains all over decking. Contacted Customer service only to be told I used too much paint and hadn't given time to cure.
Painted decking on nice summer day, left to dry the correct time then applied second coat.
Product not fit for purpose, call centre waste of time, hung up on me twice.
Avoid using these products, dosent do what it says on the can.

Still no reply from their “customer service” after the standard response they send everyone that leaves a bad review, I think the best thing to do for all the ripped off customers is to report them to trading standards as there products are not fit for purpose! And form a collective group.

I am waiting for a complaint to be resolved with the company regarding the poor performance of their Fence Life Plus paint, which is advertised thus:
" This is our toughest and most versatile fence and shed treatment yet. It protects against rain, frost, snow and it won’t grey in the sun. It can be used on rough sawn and smooth planed sheds and fences and it lasts for up to five years."
However after two years the paint on the shed is in a terrible condition and needs to be rubbed down and re-painted. Customer services have been extremely unhelpful even though I have sent all the photos and proof requested and answered numerous questions. The paint has not done the job it was sold for, and I have had better results with cheaper own brand paint.

I can’t stipulate enough how rubbish Ronseal one coat black Tudor fence paint is. For a start it took four coats to cover a once red fence, and then after a few weeks it started to rub off. Now loads of it is washing off with the rain or snow. Ronseal please look at this product, it’s absolutely garbage

Wood filler colour misleading. I have been happy with Ronseal over the years so bought a wood filler for a project. The colour shown on the front is way off. Yes it dries à bit lighter (just a shade lighter) and ‘colour reproduction is approximate’ but they might as well not bother. £8.99 down the drain for me.