Top 10 Best Exterior Paints of 2022 – Reviews

Finding the best exterior paint isn’t always an easy proposition. That’s because while there’s a variety of high-quality paints on the market, the needs of every homeowner varies from individual to individual. People need paints in different colors, some people need it with a primer and some without, and some people need a solvent-based paint and others may need a water-based paint. There are just too many variables to consider.

Keeping that in mind, I’ve decided to go ahead and show you my list of the best exterior paint brands currently available. While they’re in a variety of different colors and styles, I think this is a good exterior paint roundup to get the average homeowner started on finding a paint for their home. All of these are good paints, and I’m started with number ten and working towards the number one paint.

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Best Exterior Paints – Top List

10. Valspar Latex Barn & Fence Paint 5-Gallon Red

This latex paint is a good choice for not only painting barns but painting sheds or even some houses. In fact, it can be used for a variety of different exterior surfaces including aluminum siding, wood, masonry and weathered steel. It goes on nice and smoothly and dries to a durable finish. It is also weather resistant and fade-resistant, so it protects the surface it is covering. While red is a color not many people think of when they are painting the outside of their home, this paint dries to a nice tint and provides a professional looking surface that would make any homeowner proud.

 

9. Diamond Brite Paint Oil-Based All Purpose Enamel White

Although this all-purpose paint can be used for both interior and exterior surfaces, it really excels when used as an outdoor paint. When applied, it provides a high-quality and very durable surface that’s designed to resist peeling, scuffs, cracking and even fading. Users can roll it on, use a brush to apply it or spray it on. This makes it an ideal paint for not only using on wood but also a number of other surfaces include metal, plaster, concrete, and hardboard. It is available in a variety of different colors, from white to black and is a good paint to use on the outside of a home, for a garage or for tool sheds.

 

8. Sikkens Cetol 23 Plus 1 Gallon Natura

Painters, homeowners, and individuals who want an exterior stain that provides a premium translucent topcoat may want to take a look at this product. It’s ideal for placing on log homes, siding or trim, garage doors or even entrance doors. In essence, any outdoor wood surface. While it’s highly transparent, it does provide a high-quality level of UV sun protection and is not only weather resistant but also water repellent. And although some people complain about its smell and it’s price, this paint is a high-quality product that will provide the quality coverage needed.

 

7. Anvil 1500-Series Acrylic Interior/Exterior Concrete Stain Brick Red 1 Gallon

One of the remarkable features of this exterior stain is that it is as easy to clean up as a water-based paint but is as durable as a urethane stain. When it’s applied to a surface which is prepared properly, this stain will provide a solid color satin finish that can then be sealed with a high-quality sealer. This stain is ideal for applying to unpainted concrete, garage doors, walkways, pool decks and even sidewalks. This in-flammable stain’s color penetrates deeply into concrete and is resistant to the effects of hot tires.

 

6. Prestige Greens & Aquas Ultra Premium Paint and Primer

Available in one of a wide variety of different colors which go by eccentric names such as Storm’s End, Grape Leaves or Deepest Evergreen, this product is both a premium paint and a primer all in one product. It not only goes on very smoothly but has a high-hide ability and covers surfaces very well. This 100% acrylic latex paint also has a low VOC, provides a mildew-resistant coating that is not only durable and washable and is easily cleaned up with soap and water. This all makes it an ideal product for just about any exterior surface.

 

5. Prestige Browns & Oranges Semi-Gloss 1-Gallon

This ultra-premium semi-gloss paint also has a primer built into it so that it’s easy-to-use. It goes right on really smoothly and is a high-hide formula that can cover up minor imperfections in the surface it’s covering. This product has a low VOC and is easy to clean up with soap and water. This product also comes in a number of different colors which include colors such as Owl Face, Spiced Cinnamon, and Indian Summer. This product is ideal for a variety of exterior surfaces including the outside of houses, garages, sheds or any other place where a quality long-lasting color is needed.

 

4. True Value HPX9-QT Premium Acrylic House Paint 1-Quart

This house paint is designed for homeowners who need a high-quality paint that not only looks good and provides good coverage but will also stand up to the elements. This fade-resistant paint is resistant to both mold and mildew and has high-hide capabilities, which allows it to cover minor imperfections in the painted surface. This paint comes in a 1-quart can, just enough for doing touch-ups on trim or around gutters but not big enough for covering significant portions of an exterior surface. This makes it a good paint for a number of different projects.

 

3. KILZ Siding, Fence & Barn Paint White 1-Gallon

With a coverage of approximately 200-square feet to 500-square feet a gallon, this brand of paint is more than significant for covering a variety of exterior surfaces including siding, fencing, and barns. It covers smoothly and once applied it dries within about 3-hours and once dry provides a mildew-resistant coating. This paint also resists blistering, cracking and peeling and holds up well to the elements. It’s a good paint to be used for outside painting applications and provides a coating that’s not only durable but also looks good as well.

 

2. Valspar White Latex Field Marking Paint 44-655P 5 Gallons

This paint is designed specifically for use on athletic fields to mark them and can be used on not only concrete but also natural grass, clay or turf. This product can be thinned 1:1 with water or can be tinted to another color using three ounces of universal colorant per gallon. Designed to be used by professional painters, this paint can be used for a variety of industrial, institutional, commercial and residential applications. And since it comes in a big 5-gallon container, it has enough coverage to handle a variety of large jobs.

 

1. Rust-Oleum 3131 Mildew-Proof Paint

This paint has a number of characteristics which make it great for painting exterior surfaces. It’s a high-hiding paint that can stick to all surfaces and is self-priming. It’s designed to withstand the elements and to protect the surface painted from mildew, which makes it ideal for wet environments. It also is a water-based formula that can be easily applied with a sprayer, a roller or a brush and doesn’t have a strong odor like comparable paints do. This product is made from a trusted manufacturer of paints and is manufactured in the U.S.

 

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Exterior Paints Guide

It can cost thousands of dollars to have a professional painter come out an paint your home. That’s why more and more people are painting the exterior of the home themselves. For a mere fraction of the price tag of hiring a professional painter to do the job, a person can have a beautifully painted house and can relish the satisfaction they receive from doing it themselves. There’s simply no finer feeling than painting your own home and then stepping back and admiring the job you’ve just finished.

Of course, before you can undertake the process of painting your own home, you not only need the proper supplies but you need the proper exterior paint. These paints come in a variety of different styles and brands, so it’s important to choose the one that suits your home the best. If you’re not exactly sure what that entails, then you’ve come to the right place, because we do have the information that you need. In the following guide, we’ll what to consider when buying an exterior paint and then we’ll explore some helpful tips that will enable you to use that very paint to get the best results possible.

The Types Of Exterior Paints

Before we begin, it’s important to know that exterior paints come in one of three different styles. There are Acrylic Latex Paints, Oil-Based Paints, and Exterior Stains. Each of these different types has its pros and cons that have to be considered before they’re used. Let’s examine each type in detail and see what each type of job each is suited to doing.

Acrylic Latex Paints

These paints are some of the easiest to work with and produce a very nice result. They’re also extremely to easy up using just soap and water. After these paints dry, they don’t stiffen up like other sorts of paint do, so they’re able to “breathe” with each change in season. This allows them to weather the heat of summer and the cold of winter without cracking. These paints have also been known to not crack while houses are settling. And because they’re a relatively flexible type of paint, then they can be used on a variety of surfaces including aluminum, brick, metal, wood and even vinyl.

However, they’re not without their drawbacks. Most of them produce annoying fumes caused by VOCs, otherwise known as Volatile Organic Compounds. These chemicals not only contribute to air pollution but are toxic to animals and birds in high concentrations. Another problem that can be found with acrylic latex paint is that it won’t bond with previous coats of paint. That means that the homeowner is going to have to remove all of the old paint off of the home and start with a completely clean surface.

Oil-Based Exterior Paints

Once upon a time, oil-based paints were the type of exterior paint that most people would use for their home. However, that has changed quite a bit over the past few years as more and more people have begun to use latex exterior paints. Although latex paints are more popular than oil-based, it doesn’t mean that these types of paints don’t have their benefits. And one of the main benefits of using them is they becoming extremely hard when they dry and will continue to keep on hardening as time passes. This makes them a good paint for using on areas of the home that get a lot of use or traffic. Many people use oil-based paints to paint their porches, handrails, steps or other surfaces that have to withstand heavy use.

Unfortunately, oil-based paints also have their drawbacks. Since oil-based paints can only harden so much before they become brittle, over time they develop a cracked, weathered look to them that’s very unappealing. And oil-based paints won’t bond well with latex ones, so it may be necessary to completely strip the surface. However, most of the time it’s okay to put oil-based paint over an older coat of oil-based paint without suffering any problems whatsoever.

Exterior Stains

When a home has an exterior that’s adorned with beautiful types of wood, people naturally don’t want to cover it up with a paint–regardless of whether it’s acrylic or oil-based paint. In those instances, painters often use a stain to paint the exterior of the home. Exterior stains are great for painting woods such as rosewood, redwood, and cedar, and they help to preserve the unique grain of these woods all while protecting them from weathering. Although stains aren’t as protective as paint, they will still protect the wood against rot and moisture.

However, it should be noted that UV light from the sun will still pass through the stain and that will cause the wood to discolor. Some stain manufacturers hope to inhibit this process by adding a UV blocker to their paints, which they’ll indicate that they have added to the stain right on the label.

Most exterior stains come in one of three different finishes: Clear Coat, Semi-Transparent and Opaque. As is the case with other types of paint, each of these finishes have their unique benefits. For example, clear stains allow the full grain of the wood to show throw, but they only last about 3-years before they need to be reapplied. Semi-transparent stains slight color the wood but still allows the grain patterns to show through. As a result, they last longer than clear coat paints and only need to be reapplied approximately every 5 years or so. Opaque stains are formulated like paint, so they fully cover the color of the wood, but the grain can still be seen through it. Because it’s thicker, it will protect the wood better and will only need to be reapplied once a decade.

Exterior Painting Tips

Okay, now that we’ve finished describing what type of paint should be purchased, it’s time to follow up with some tips for getting good results with that exterior paint. Below are a few suggestions that should help the painting process go faster, make cleanup easier, and ensure a better-looking outcome.

  • Wash The Home’s Exterior
  • Remove Loose Paint
  • Sand Remaining Rough Areas
  • Repair Any Structural Damage
  • Apply A Suitable Primer
  • Caulk Joints
  • Apply A Good Base Coats
  • Apply Additional Coats As Necessary
  • Repaint The Exterior As Needed

If you follow all of the above suggestions and take your time painting the exterior of your home, then your home can easily become the envy of the neighborhood. And all it took was the best exterior paint, a little bit of patience and a whole lot of elbow grease.

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