Different things need different types of paint, and if you need paint that can withstand scrubbing, staining, and fading, exterior paint is needed. Walls, doors, outdoor furniture, and the like require this specific formula to assure that they can resist mildew over time.
However, with thousands of selections in the market, it is not enough just to know the kind of paint you need. You also need great guidance in choosing the best brand of exterior paint from the myriad of options out there.
With this, our team of construction and paint experts has chosen the best five exterior paints for you to choose from. They will certainly provide excellent protection for various surfaces and the pleasing aesthetic results you are looking for.
Once you are ready and have found the best choice, be sure to click the buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon! That said, here are five of the best options that we rounded up especially for you.
Best Exterior Paints Comparison & Rating
1. Rust-Oleum 2004 Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
Dimensions | 4.25 x 4.25 x 5 inches |
Weight | 2.15 pounds |
Color | White |
Finish | Matte |
This is one of the most fast-drying exterior paints you can find in the market. This makes applying three coats of paint a breeze. It works on walls, doors, and even fireplaces. The thickness is also perfect for countering absorbent surfaces. This saves you from the trouble of applying more than three coats of paint. This even works on furniture that you can get from IKEA as long as they are laminated.
2. KILZ Interior/Exterior Self-Priming Paint
Dimensions | 6.63 x 6.63 x 7.65 inches |
Weight | 11.38 pounds |
Color | Available in 4 Colors |
Finish | Flat |
This is quite the user-friendly paint option that even inexperienced DIY folks can work with. It’s easy to lather over flat, even, and clean surfaces. The paint will adhere easily to the surface and coat it evenly. While it might require a few coatings to truly get the results you want, this paint also dries quite fast. This means that you won’t need to wait too long to apply multiple coatings of paint.
3. Modern Masters 275266 Front Door Paint
Dimensions | 3.5 x 3.5 x 6 inches |
Weight | 2.25 pounds |
Color | Available in 21 Colors |
Finish | Satin |
This can give you one of the most beautiful coats of paint you could ask for. The color is so pure and aesthetically vivid that it makes your door stand out. Applying the paint is easy, as well, with the right brush. If you need to apply more than one coating, you don’t need to wait that long for the first to dry. Since this batch can cover a large area, it should be enough to coat a door or two.
4. Giani Wood Look Garage Door Paint
Dimensions | 12 x 4.5 x 12 inches |
Weight | 8.67 pounds |
Color | Available in 4 Colors |
Finish | Woodgrain |
When done right, this paint can provide one of the nicest faux wood finishes in the market. It’s an absolute joy to use and it cures in just three hours. It’s more than enough to cover up to 180 square feet of the surface. As long as you make sure that the surface is free of dirt and dust, this paint will have no trouble being applied. The black walnut is particularly stylish and mimics the appearance of old carriage doors. As for this kit, it contains two 16-ounce. Giani Black Walnut Wood Tone Base Coat, Two 16-ounce Giani Black Walnut Wood Grain Finish Coat, Giani Paint Mitt, two-inch brush, two plastic tarps, six-inch roller arm, and cover, and two stir sticks.
5. The ONE Paint Interior or Exterior
Dimensions | 9.33 x 6.73 x 6.65 inches |
Weight | 3.91 pounds |
Color | Available in 11 Colors |
Finish | Matte |
This paint is an absolute joy to work with when coating surfaces like doors or furniture. The finish is always crisp and beautiful to look at. You can use it for many types of surfaces, including wood, metal, plastic, UPVC, bricks, masonry, stone, and glass. With this product, there is no need to both with primers and you can just apply this directly. The full cure time is also only two hours, there’s no need to wait too long.
Best Exterior Paints - Buyer's Guide
There is literally an endless number of options with regard to the color of the paint that you can choose from. One shade of red is not the same as the other and can look very different when seen from an angle. This is why you need to make your choice carefully so that you don’t end up with blood-red instead of rust red.
The finish refers to the sheen of the paint once it dries. It’s what gives the paint its character other than the color because of the way light interacts with it. Shiny, matte, flat, glossy, neon, metallic, and more are just some of the options available to you. This can affect the impact that the color can have on your perception and appreciation of the coating.
You can typically choose between water-based and solvent-based paint when you are shopping. This will affect the quality of the coating and the process in which you will apply it. Solvent-based options have been around for longer. However, water-based paint has quickly overshadowed them due to the fact that it dries faster and doesn’t come with a strong odor.
The area you are living in will have a profound impact on how you will choose the exterior paint you will get. The brightness, the climate, the weather, and the humidity will all play a part in your decision. Those factors will impact the color, finish, texture, and type of paint that you will get.
The paint that you will use for a door, a wall, a roof, a bench, and a window is not necessarily the same. For anything metallic, for example, oil-based paints would perform better. For surfaces that require more durability like roof tiles, paint with enamel would be advised. For faster and safer painting jobs, water-based paint would be preferable.
Best Exterior Paints - FAQs
The difference is in their chemical makeup where exterior paints have softer resin compared to interior paint. This is to allow the paint to survive daily changes in temperature as the surface is exposed to sunlight, rain, snow, and so on. However, there are also mixtures where the paint can be used for both interiors and exteriors.
Paint primers are intended to protect the paint from being absorbed into the material that you will be painting on. By coating the surface with a layer beforehand, there is less of a need to add new layers in order to completely cover it with the paint. This will then lead to a cleaner, more presentable surface with the effects that you want.
If the outdoor leads to the outside, then it would be recommended that it is painted with exterior paint. This is to ensure that it won’t start running off when it gets when due to the rain, snow, or humidity. This applies to any door that is exposed to direct sunlight, as well, including garage doors and barn doors.
You technically can, but the results would not be as good. Furniture paint typically comes with a more refined and durable finish compared to paint used for walls. Different materials will also require different mixtures in order to achieve the best results. Wood furniture requires different mixtures compared to metallic furniture after all.
