The best exterior satinwood and eggshell

I’ve been a decorator for the best part of 20 years, 11 years of which were spent self-employed. I’m a little bit of a paint geek too, opting to use a range of products from different brands.

I thought I’d put pen to paper and explain a little bit about what I think are the best exterior satinwood and eggshell products on the British market. I’m going to do both eggshell and satinwood on one blog as I see them as similar products (eggshell has a sheen level of around 10%, whereas satinwood is closer to 40%). I hope you find this useful.

Sandtex Trade Eggshell X-Tra

This is an amazing product and probably the best eggshell finish for any exterior timber or metal work. Touch dry in approximately 2 – 4 hours and recoat after 16. This product is available in white, black, or any one of 2,500 tinted colours. You can buy it online by clicking here, or any Crown Decorating Centre. It is important to use the Sandtex Trade Flexible Primer Undercoat when coating bare timber or metalwork.

Dulux Ultimate Opaque

This is a solvent based, self-undercoating paint from Dulux Trade. Available online or any DDC, you can buy this product in white, black and many tints from Dulux’s vast range. I’d say the sheen level puts it in the eggshell bracket.

This is another great product which I really like, especially in colours. Opacity is fantastic in any tint, as is ease of use. The overall finish is nice too. Dulux Trade Opaque is probably my second favorite exterior eggshell product. You can buy it online, or any Dulux Decorating Centre.

8/10 – click here to see latest prices.

Johnstone’s Stormshield Satin

The first satinwood on my list of best products is Johnstone’s Stormshield. Again, this is an oil-based product available in white, black, or about a million other colours. I love this product because of the opacity the Stormshield primer has. You can paint any dark colour white by applying one coat of primer, followed by one topcoat, which is unheard of really. The downside of this product are the brush marks. No issues using it on fascia boards, but not so great on lower windows and doors.

7/10 – Click here to see latest prices.

Sikkens Satura

This is an outstanding exterior oil-based satinwood and I’d have to say it gives a better finish than anything else out there. Sikkens Satura is only available in white, grey and black. The sheen level is a little on the high side for a product of this type, but the finish is unbelievable!! It goes on so easily, opacity is spot on.  This has to be my favourite satin product as the finish is gorgeous!! Head over to your closest Dulux Decorating Centre, or click here to see online prices.

Zinsser Allcoat Satin

Zinsser Allcoat satin is the first water-based product on the list. It is available online and from many stockists in white, black, or any tinted colour. The finish is good, as is longevity. You can see brush marks if you’re not careful on application, however with a bit of care, you can achieve a nice flat finish. Zinsser Allcoat’s superpower is it’s versatility!! You can paint masonry, cladding, timber, metalwork or even uPVC. This satinwood is self-undercoating and the adhesion properties are excellent.  You can re-coat after an hour which is another bonus, however it does take around a week to fully cure and become durable. Click here to see latest prices.

Water-Based Opaques

Water-based opaques, or “barn paints” are products I don’t tend to have a lot of faith in, simply because the longevity of a lot of these products aren’t comparable to the longevity of their oil-based counterparts. That said, there are a couple of products out there which I do have faith in. The first one is Bedec which is very easy to apply, offers a great finish and will last for years.

The other product worth talking about is Valtti Opaque from Tikkurila. This is an awesome product which I’d put in the “eggshell” bracket due to it’s low sheen level. Very easy to apply, great adhesion, nice finish and will last for years and years.

I’d say this is probably up there as the best opaque paints on the market if I’m honest. Oh, it’s available in white, black, or a range of colours directly from Tikkurila online by clicking here.

FAQs

What is the best paint for an exterior wood door?

It depends on the door and the setting. I quite like high gloss on a front door, because it looks sharp and makes a real feature. However, satinwood and eggshell look far more traditional. We have a full guide on the best paint for a front door, which you can read here.

Can I use Dulux Once Satinwood outside?

Dulux Once Satinwood can be used outside as well as inside, but I’d be very cautious about using a cheap retail paint outside. The colour will start to fade and it may peel after a short period.

Which Dulux paint is best for exterior?

Dulux Trade Weathershield paint is best for exterior. Weathershield is a full range, so just choose the paint that best suits the surface you wish to paint.

What is the best primer when using exterior satinwood?

We always recommend using whatever primer the manufacturer recommends. So when buying an exterior satinwood or eggshell, just read the label and go from there.

Final Thoughts

Satinwood and eggshell finishes are much more contemporary than the old-fashioned gloss alternatives. Choosing the correct product for your home is half the battle. An exterior paint needs to have certain qualities for me, including finish, longevity, and durability.

Oil-based paints are always going to be more durable than water-based, but I do use both types of products. Providing you carry out your prep correctly and use one of the paints on this list, you can’t go wrong.