Best Exterior House Paint

Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore are tops

A surprising number of professionals don't have a strong brand preference. For example, a member of a DIY forum says, "Just like some folks here prefer Sherwin, others swear by Ben Moore, yet others go for Muralo, California, Porter, or any one of a zillion different regional brands. Almost all of them make good (usually expensive) paint, and almost all of them also sell low-end paint. (Behr, however, is almost universally regarded here as a waste of perfectly good paint pails.)" A California contractor chimes in, "We use a lot of paint from a lot of manufacturers, and the differences are not detectable to most painters."

Consumer Reports believes brand differences are significant, but admits it hasn't identified consistently top-performing brands. Some veteran painting contractors and homebuilders have strong favorites based on their experience, which in the most helpful cases includes using several brands. Insiders say that builders are notorious for using cheap materials in construction whenever possible. This belief even applies to expensive houses, skeptics say. With regard to the forums we looked at, however, we expect that builders and after-market house painters who go to the trouble of recommending paints are more likely to be dedicated to using what they believe are the best exterior paints.

In these forums, Sherwin-Williams paints are preferred in almost a third of recommendations. Along with its self-named brand, Sherwin-Williams also makes Dutch Boy, Pratt & Lambert, Thompson's WaterSeal and other brands. These brands rate highly in tests and earn recommendations. Professional Builder, a trade journal, surveyed builders about what products they used when building their own homes. In the "Paints/Stains" category, two builders used Sherwin-Williams, one used Pratt & Lambert and one used ICI.

The Sherwin-Williams flagship exterior house paint, Sherwin-Williams Duration (*est. $50 per gallon) is easily the most recommended paint in forums. Duration is available in flat, satin and gloss finishes. It is guaranteed for as long as you own your house. Sherwin-Williams also claims that the paint is self-priming and only requires one coat. Pros say that's an inflated claim, but it doesn't deter their enthusiasm for the relative quality of Duration.

The DoItYourself.com Painting Moderator says Sherwin-Williams "is not overpriced nor overrated." He adds, "With all the hoopla on this site about Behr and others, I tested a couple gallons of different big-box [store] paints at my own house. I will never use any of them ever again." We found many similar comments.

Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint (*est. $42 per gallon) was the company's top paint prior to the introduction of Duration. Arch Painting answers consumer questions on its website and consistently recommends SuperPaint as a solution to reader questions. In general, SuperPaint does not receive the accolades that Duration house paint does. Reviews are favorable, but more mixed. One painter says, "SuperPaint is not my favorite to work with, but it is a good paint. Duration is excellent." SuperPaint has a 25-year warranty. It's available in flat, satin and gloss finishes.

Benjamin Moore earns about one-fifth of recommendations for the best house paint, which is easily the second highest total. Like Sherwin-Williams, the company dates to the 1800s. Most of the recommendations for Benjamin Moore are for the brand in general rather than for a specific formula. Several of its top paints are mentioned. Benjamin Moore's premium formulation has different names for each of its three luster levels. Benjamin Moore MoorGlo (*est. $45 per gallon) has a "soft gloss finish," and MoorLife (*est. $40 per gallon) is a flat paint. MoorGard 100% Acrylic Low Lustre Latex House Paint (*est. $42 per gallon) falls between the two in luster and price. These paints carry a lifetime warranty. A forum member inquired about the best exterior paint for intense sun. One respondent says that Benjamin Moore MoorGard has held up well in his northern California location. Consumer Reports isn't currently conducting tests on any Sherwin-Williams house paint, but it is including the three Benjamin Moore premium paints in ongoing tests (three years worth of simulated testing has been completed).

Many experienced painters are content to paint with either Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore house paints. Yet, we were able to discern a small, but clear preference for Sherwin-Williams. For example, one painter says in a forum, "I was a big Ben Moore fan until S/W Duration. It is the best product going."

Only two other brands receive more than a couple of testimonials. A forum user asks for opinions about Valspar Duramax , and it receives several recommendations, but several readers suggest Duration instead. One reader points out that the comparison is unfair because of the price difference, and another says price is the only difference. However, Duramax is sold by Lowe's, and that causes a professional to chime in with a plea to avoid the brands sold by the big-box chains. A couple of readers also recommend California Paints.

Duramax has been tested by Consumer Reports for two years (simulating six years of exposure). Valspar says Duramax is self-priming, and a gallon will cover 300 to 400 square feet. It's available in flat and satin finishes and comes with a lifetime warranty. Another Valspar paint, Valspar Ultra Premium (*Est. $25 per gallon), has undergone three years of testing at Consumer Reports -- that's nine simulated years. Valspar Ultra Premium could represent a viable alternative for those on a budget.

Glidden is another brand that receives testimonials, but other than Behr, it is also the only brand with any significant number of unhappy users. Professionals are not too impressed with Glidden compared to Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore. Glidden is sold by The Home Depot and independent retailers.

Last year, Glidden dominated performance tests by Consumer Reports, but the company has since altered its formula and has been dropped from the magazine's rankings. Some of its formulations had been the same, but with different luster levels. Glidden exterior paints include Glidden Endurance (*Est. $30 to $35 per gallon), depending on luster and Glidden Spred Dura (*Est. $20 to $30 per gallon), depending on luster). Glidden recommends the Endurance line for a variety of types of wood, but says the Spred Dura paints also work well on other materials, such as vinyl siding.

Glidden hasn't been tested against comparable paints from Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams, and now with a new formula, its quality is uncertain. Nevertheless, these Glidden paints may still be reliable budget alternatives. Glidden has a vague, indefinite limited warranty. We found no evaluative information, but Glidden says that ICI Paints Dulux is a comparable product. ICI Paints is the parent company of Glidden and operates its own paint stores.

California Paints is a regional brand based in Massachusetts. In spite of the name, the paint is not sold in California. California 2010 (flat, *est $38 per gallon) is the company's top performer in comparative tests. It still looks good after nine simulated years, as did the company's satin and Eggshell formulas (*est. $42 and $40 per gallon, respectively). All comments we found elsewhere about California Paints are favorable, but we found very few comments overall, and no specifics.

California's Fresh Coat Velvet (*est. $35 per gallon) has shown promise after three simulated years of testing. California says Fresh Coat is mildew, water and alkali resistant. The paint works on every type of material. It adheres and endures well, according to the manufacturer. The preliminary tests confirm some of those claims. If you live east of the Mississippi, California Fresh Coat is worth considering, especially in a northern state with brutal winters. The price is very competitive. California Paints are sold by independent retailers. A California Paints representative says, "We do not have a written warranty but stand behind our products."

Pratt & Lambert Accolade (*Est. $40 to $50 per gallon), depending on luster receives a few favorable comments. Pratt & Lambert paints are sold by independent retailers and some Ace Hardware stores. Pratt & Lambert was acquired by Sherwin-Williams in the mid-1990s, but the company operates independently. Their paint has a lifetime warranty.

We found no more than one recommendation for any other brands. Ace Hardware sells its own brand of paint. The small number of people who report using it say that it's very good. Ace's competitor, True Value, has its own brand as well, but comments on its merits have been mixed.

Sears' own house-paint brand has held up fairly well in some simulated testing, but professionals have ventured few opinions about it. Pittsburgh exterior paint has received a number of positive comments but hasn't found its way into any head-to-head tests. Several other well-known brands -- Olympic Premium, Kelly-Moore Acry-Shield Semigloss, M.A.B Sea Shore and Kilz Casual Colors -- are currently being tested by Consumer Reports, but they get little attention in reviews or forums. Other well-known brands, such as Rodda, Muralo, Dutch Boy and PPG, have received little attention in either reviews or tests.