Exterior Paint: Reviews

Updated July 2010

If you are going to go through the hassle and expense of painting the outside of your home, you want the paint you choose to last. Exterior paints are made by virtually every interior paint manufacturer and some perform better than others in professional tests. The pros say buy the top of the line and user reviews on internet forums back up that sentiment.

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Best exterior house paint

Sherwin-Williams Duration

*Est. $55 per gallon Learn More

When asked to identify the best exterior house paint, building and painting contractors name Sherwin-Williams Duration more than any other paint. It's also mentioned as a better alternative when pros are asked about other… expandpaints. The major drawback is a high price, but every expert source says expensive paints are a good value because they last much longer than economy paints. Duration house paint is guaranteed not to blister or peel for as long as you own your house. Experts say Duration applies and bonds better than other exterior paints and hides pre-existing paint or primer. Duration is marketed as a one-coat paint. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org editors conduct ongoing comprehensive testing of exterior paint, simulating wear after three, six and nine years.

Contractor Talk: On this message board thread for contractors, the consensus appears to be that Sherwin-Williams Duration is high-quality paint, but its thickness means there's a "learning curve" involved in using it.

PaintTalk.com: Two experienced painting contractors post here that they have used Sherwin-Williams Duration exterior paint almost exclusively -- one for six years and the other for 12 -- and they are very happy with it.

DIY Chatroom: Several users on this message board for do-it-yourselfers recommend Sherwin-Williams Duration if price is no object.

DIY Chatroom: Users on this message board thread compare Sherwin-Williams Duration and Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint.

PainterForum.com: Professional painters and members of associated trades discuss the best brands of exterior paint here.

JoePullaroInc.com: Joe Pullaro, a second-generation painting contractor in Florida, lists the best brands of exterior house paint here.

About.com: Bob Formisano, About.com's guide to home repair, provides an informational article, rather than a review.

iHomeline.com: This remodeling columnist highly recommends Sherwin-Williams Duration to a reader looking for the most durable house paint.

Best value exterior house paint

Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint

*Est. $40 per gallon Learn More

If Sherwin-Williams Duration paint is out of your price range, experts commonly recommend Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint. Professionals say a coat of SuperPaint both goes on and dries thinner than Duration, and you'll… expandprobably need two coats if you use SuperPaint. Although it's not the best paint you can buy, SuperPaint is a popular choice among experts, with long endurance and a 25-year warranty. Both Sherwin-Williams Duration and SuperPaint are available in flat, satin and gloss finishes, and SuperPaint also comes in high gloss. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

DIY Chatroom: Users on this do-it-yourself message board thread compare Sherwin-Williams Duration and Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint, with one saying that one good coat of Duration is equal to two coats of the less expensive SuperPaint.

PaintTalk.com: On this message board for professional house painters, several users recommend either Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint or Sherwin-Williams Duration for cold-weather painting.

Contractor Talk: Professional house painters on this forum say Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint is a good paint -- just not quite as good as Duration.

JoePullaroInc.com: Joe Pullaro, a second-generation painting contractor in Florida, lists the best brands of exterior house paint here.

About.com: Bob Formisano, About.com's guide to home repair, presents an introduction to paint, rather than a review of specific brands.

Budget exterior house paint

Behr Premium Plus

*Est. $13 to $19 per gallon Learn More

Behr Premium Plus is one of the best-performing exterior paints in simulated fade tests -- and one of the least expensive. Testers say it holds up well in accelerated-wear tests that mimic nine years of exposure to sun,… expandrain and snow. However, some professional house painters caution against using any budget-priced exterior paint, including Behr. They say more expensive paints such as Sherwin-Williams Duration or Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint do a better job. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Behr Premium Plus is included in ConsumerReports.org's evaluation of the best-performing exterior paints.

DIY Chatroom: This thread goes on for 23 pages, in which several professional painting contractors enumerate the many problems they encountered with Behr paints, while others say Behr's not really that bad.

PaintTalk.com: Here is a similar discussion -- nine pages this time -- started by a Canadian painting contractor who hates Behr paint.

About.com: Behr is one of the exterior paint brands recommended by Bob Formisano, About.com's guide to home repair, along with Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore, in this general guide to paint.

Behr Premium Plus at HomeDepot

Exterior house and deck stain

Sikkens Cetol SRD Semi-Transparent Stain

*Est. $40 per gallon Compare Prices

After the equivalent of three years of weather exposure, deck wood treated with Sikkens Cetol SRD Semi-Transparent Stain looks better than wood treated with semi-transparent stains from Olympic, Sherwin-Williams and… expandWolman in one professional test. Professional contractors also recommend this stain, which penetrates wood to preserve it and repel water without flaking or peeling like a solid stain or paint can -- especially on horizontal surfaces such as a deck (which suffer more weather abuse than siding or other vertical surfaces), or on rough wood such as cedar shakes. Still, on smooth, vertical surfaces, experts say most paint will outlast even the best stain. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Sikkens Cetol SRD Semi-Transparent Stain is included in this publication's most recent evaluation of exterior paints.

DIY Chatroom: Professional contractors and do-it-yourselfers who post on this forum often recommend Sikkens stains, including Sikkens Cetol SRD. In this thread, users discuss both Sikkens' semi-transparent Cetol and solid Rubbol stains.

PaintTalk.com: Here is another forum, frequented by professional house painters, where users recommend Sikkens stains.

AskTheBuilder.com: In this syndicated column, professional builder Tim Carter reports that Sikkens Cetol was one of the top five finishers in a 2000 college laboratory test of 30 wood sealants.

U.S. Forest Service: The U.S. Forest Service has been testing exterior wood finishes for decades.

Where to buy:

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Buy from
Amazon

for $59.95

Benjamin Moore (general) varies

3 picks by top review sites.

Benjamin Moore Aura *Est. $60 per gallon

2 picks by top review sites.