How Do I Find the Best Exterior Paint for My House?

With the upcoming season of painting nearly upon us, you might be looking for an update for your home’s exterior. This might have you asking, “how do I find the best exterior paint for my house?”

An exterior painting job for your house is a big undertaking; surely not one you should take lightly. Making the right choices in paint and colors can set your home up to look beautiful and stand up to the elements for the next decade or longer.

For the most part, latex-based paints are the best choice for outdoor painting projects. This paint dries quickly and imperfections from the painting process are easy to clean. The paint also expands and contracts well with seasonal temperature changes. These paints are not fool-proof. If you are applying latex paint over a previously applied oil-based paint, you could end up with bubbling and peeling. Be sure to match the form of paint that is on the walls, when all else fails.

The other big choice you will run into is the finish you’d like. Finishes come in glossy to matte and each offers its own style and maintenance benefits. Glossy and semi-gloss finishes are perfect for high touch areas like door and window frames and trim. Semi-gloss works well for exterior doors and bricks. Eggshell, also called satin, is perfect for vinyl, wooden, or fiber cement siding. Flat paints are mostly less popular these days since they are not easily cleaned and can show stains fairly easily.

Here are the best exterior paint for houses, according to our painting color consultants and professionals.

The best exterior paint overall

Behr

Behr Premium Plus Ultra Exterior Paint and Primer in One has lasting power for your exterior and includes a limited lifetime guarantee. This brand touts their paint can stand up to the harshest conditions for a decade or better. While also being rated excellent for its durability, this paint is versatile as well. It can be used on wood, vinyl, trim, doors, and even outdoor furniture. The paint can be used on damaged surfaces, hiding flaws well. By painting, rolling, or spraying this paint, you will end up with a solid and protective coating for years to come.

Pros: Excellent durability, works on myriad surfaces, resists cracking
Cons: Expensive, about $43 per gallon.

The best exterior paint for siding

KILZ

Covering siding requires a specific formula of paint. When you have hundreds of square feet to paint, price matters as much as quality. KILZ Exterior Siding is great for not only siding on homes, but also for fences, barns, outbuildings, and other places you need exterior paint protection. This brand features great color retention while also showing mildew resistance and fade protection.

Pros: Great low price ($25 to $33 per gallon), good coverage area, dries quickly
Cons: May be stained by leaves and debris that stick to the surface

The best exterior paint for wood

Rust Oleum

With added protection against moisture and mildew, Rust-Oleum can protect your house or wooden attributes from mildew, mold, and rot. It creates a solid barrier against moisture intrusion that is perfect for wooden skiing, shutters, trim, rainings, doors, and more. Rust-Oleum stands by its product with a 5-year warranty against any moisture-related issues, and longer for peeling, blistering, and cracking.

Pros: Resists mold and mildew, protects wood from rot, backed by solid guarantees
Cons: Expensive at $21.58 per gallon.

The best exterior paint for brick

Glidden Premium Semi-Gloss Latex Exterior Paint

Bricks can turn old and dingy quickly. This paint allows you to update the color while retaining the breathable aspects of porous bricks, stucco, or stones. After application, this coating is fade and chip resistant. The coatings dry quickly, in under an hour and allow a breathable finish that will also prevent mold growth. There are potential issues of colors showing through, so proper application and priming is required.

Pros: Breathable paint ideal for brick, resists mold and mildew, easy even coverage, $24.48 per gallon
Cons: Bold colors show through coats

The best porch and patio paint

RTG Deck, Porch, & Patio Anti-Slip Paint

This line of RTG Paint provides good coverage while also creating a traction coating to make the floor safe. The paint works equally well on wood, concrete, asphalt, and other exterior surfaces. Heavy foot traffic won’t diminish the traction properties of this paint. It’s also made to stand up to precipitation, temperature fluctuations, and lots of feet.

Pros: Provides excellent traction, quick drying time, weather-resistant
Cons: Limited colors and quite pricey, $30 per quart