I’ve been a decorator for 19 years and spend most of my time during the warmer months painting the exterior of properties. I’m also a massive paint geek, opting to use a wide range of brands and products.
I thought I’d take a little bit of time to talk you through the products I believe are the best exterior paints for your home. I hope you find it useful.
The Best Gloss for Exterior Timber
Exterior timber such as doors, windows, soffits and fascia boards take a battering!! Not just because of the damp, heat and UV rays, but also because timber tends to contract or expand every time the weather changes. Your paint products need to be up to the task and there are very few brands I have absolute faith in. I’m quite old-school when it comes to exterior products and think oil-based will always outlast water.
The gloss paint I tend to go for when painting exterior timber is Dulux Trade Weathershield. Easy to apply, great opacity, can be tinted into just about any colour and will last for years!! No colour fading over time, and it offers great protection for the surface underneath. The sheen level of this gloss is bang on too!! The overall finish is brilliant!!
Dulux Weathershield can be a bit pricey, particularly if you don’t qualify for a trade discount at Dulux Decorating Centre. It is often cheaper to buy Weathershield online by clicking here.
Best Exterior Eggshell for Exterior Timber
The best exterior eggshell is Sandtex X-Tra !! This stuff is amazing!! Opacity and finish are awesome!! It can take a little bit of time to apply and it is slow drying, but it will outlast any other paint of its type!! The colours are rich and deep too, leaving a luxurious and contemporary finish, perfect for exterior windows and doors. You can buy this product from Crown Decorating Centre or online by clicking here.
The Best Masonry Paint for Exterior Walls and Stone
There are two contenders for the best masonry paint, and it all comes down to budget. Emperor Paints Masonry paint is a level above anything else you’ll find on the market. Available online by clicking here. It isn’t exactly cheap, but it uses something called hydrophobic technology to make a finished surface very water repellent. It is also breathable, self-cleaning and heat retaining!! So, if you use this paint on your external render walls, your house will cost less to heat!! Oh, and you’ll only need to repaint every 25 years!!! Full review here.
The other option is Wethertex AP77. The finish is just as good, opacity and ease of use are fantastic. This is also completely breathable, meaning you can use it on all types of masonry. This is probably the best standard/affordable masonry paint. Available online by clicking here.
The Best Exterior Woodstain
The best exterior woodstain is not a straightforward choice. There are a couple of different things you should consider.
If your timber is old, battered and chipped, then you may want to look at Dulux Ultimate. The opacity of this woodstain is fantastic, which means it covers a multitude of sins. It is an oil-based product, but you’ll find it fast-drying, durable and it will last for years. The only downside is the brush marks. Dulux Ultimate Woodstain doesn’t seem to level off very well, so large, flat surfaces such as doors can look a little, erm, naff. It’s great for battered windows, or fascia boards. Available online by clicking here.
Something that does settle down brilliantly is Sadolin Extra. The opacity isn’t as good as Dulux Ultimate, and it is slow drying, but the finish is spectacular!
You should first coat bare timber with a coat of Sadolin Classic, followed by the Extra. I love this wood stain! Available online by clicking here.
Best Aerosol Spray Paint
Aerosols are something I’ve been using a lot of lately. I like using them for smaller bits of exterior trim such as hanging basket brackets, garden furniture, door knockers, planters and various other bits. I have used many brands over the years, but the best by miles is Maston 2K.
Available online by clicking here, this is the only multi-use 2K product of its type. It does come with a primer, but to be honest, the “topcoat” bonds to pretty much any surface unaided. Being a 2K product, Maston is perfect to use outside the home. The finish is not only flawless, but it’s also resilient to toxins such as petrol and oil.
We do have a full review, which you can see here.
Best Fillers for outside
I told you I’m a geek, well I like to use ALL the best materials when painting the exterior of someone’s home, that includes fillers.
The absolute best filler for woodwork is Oxera. You will find it remains flexible and expands or contracts with the timber around it. You can even twist a screw into it, and it holds just as it would in timber!! I’d recommend this exterior wood filler to anyone. Click here for info.
Most of the time I would use car body filler which I buy from Halfords. It isn’t suitable for larger holes as the repair doesn’t seem to last, but it’s fine for most cosmetic filling.
The best masonry filler is Toupret!! Either murex or skimcoat, depending on the type of repair. These products will set solid, are easy to use, easy to shape and last an age!! Available online by clicking here.
Sundries
I won’t spend too long on each of these.
The best exterior caulk I’ve ever used is Onetime from Ciret. Not because of the application or the aesthetics, but because I know it will not fail over time as other products will.
The best masking film I have used is Indasa Coverall. This is a blue plastic film with masking tape at the top. You simply roll it out over a window, door, or whatever else you want to cover, cut it to length and unfold the plastic. Electrostatic will cause the film to drop flush to the surface long enough for you to tape around it.
FAQs
What is the best brand of exterior paint?
If I had to stick to one brand of exterior paint, then it would be Dulux Trade. It’s quite an expensive range, but I don’t think Dulux Trade has a single bad exterior product.
Is expensive exterior paint worth it?
As a Professional Decorator, I’d always advise using good quality trade paint, especially with exterior paint. I know it’s more expensive, but you need to consider the level of protection it gives a property, and the longevity of the paint finish.
If you opt for cheap paint, you will probably need to repaint after a few years. Colour will fade, paint will flake, and it’s likely to let moisture in.
What exterior paint lasts 10 years?
If you’re looking for a masonry paint that will stand the test of time, then you should look at Emperor Paints. It’s made from superior resins and it’s fully breathable, so its lifespan is approximately 25 years! If you do go for Emperor, use code Forum5 at the checkout.
What time of year is best to paint the exterior of house?
Painting outside in winter is possible, but not ideal. There are different factors to consider, otherwise your paint finish might fail. As a Decorator, I carry out my exterior work between 1st April and 1st October.
Final Thoughts
The above blog is insight into what I believe are the very best exterior paints on the market. It is important to use quality products when painting outside, for longevity if nothing else. Whatever you use, it needs to look good when you’ve finished, but it also needs to look good for the years to follow. There is no point in trying to save a few quid on paint, only to have to re-decorate the outside of your home again a couple of years later.
i have used Sandtex once. yeah it was good. in this article many good products covered and i really like your article.thank you for this amazing article.
I only use Isle of Skye Masonry Paint, ok I live up here and other brands just don’t last the extreme weather, not even Sandtex. They dont seem to advertise this product anywhere, but its bloody great.
Would you recommend Osmo for exterior larch wood?
have used the sandtex eggshell once its not as good as johnstones stromshield satin in fact i think johnstones stormshield does the best exterior primer undercoat satin and gloss application wise but im sure they all last a similar amount of time.it funny cause johnstones interior oil based products aint that great they yellow fast and their gloss is the worst ive ever used dulux and armstead have the best flow and much easier to apply.
Hi, any specific advice for painting a house near the sea. The front elevation gets a lot of wind and rain and at the moment is unpainted pebble dash. The pebble dash is being repaired and will be painted afterwards and I want a weatherproof long last paint.
Have you ever tried kingfisher weatherflex? I’ve been told it’s the best masonry paint by some people.
For pre-painted render I like to use Pliolite. Pliolite is an oil based masonry and it lasts much longer in my opinion than water based masonry paints. You have to thin a bit with white spirit to get the paint on the surface and doesn’t go as far as water based in terms of coverage, but for me the finish is superb
Thanks for your blog, its October 2023 and I want to get my exterior windows repainted, preferably with an oil based satin finish. What paint do you recommend? And, should I wait until spring 2024?