In this Guide
Whether you’re refreshing your beloved old home or want to stylize a brand new one, painting the exterior is an important first step. When you paint the exterior walls of your home, you’re basically changing – or updating – the entire look of the house. That’s why it’s very important to choose a paint that’s high-quality, durable and offers excellent coverage. But with so many options on the market, how do you know which one really is really the best exterior paint?
Well for that, we’ve got you covered. We’ve done the research and rounded up the best exterior paints that will hide all past imperfections and make your home look beautiful. Our top picks are affordable and high-quality because both your wallet and your house deserve the best.
Don’t leave this article without reading our handy buying guide at the end, where we go over the most important factors you should consider when choosing the best exterior paint for your unique needs and preferences!
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Best Exterior Paint Reviews
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Montage Signature Exterior Eco-Friendly Paint - EXTREMELY VERSATILE - Montage Signature is the #1 choice for all of your professional painting needs - interior/exterior, small residential spaces, large commercial buildings & everything in between!
- SUPERIOR COVERAGE & PROTECTION - All of our specialty finishes let you brush smoothly & evenly while delivering maximum coverage. Improved sealing technology allows for easy cleaning and protection from common water issues
- ECO FRIENDLY - We're committed to the highest quality environmentally-friendly & pollutant-free materials, and a rigorous engineering and testing process for each of our leading professional paints
- 10 YEAR WARRANTY - We can't wait to add you to our long list of loyal customers turning to Montage Signature for all of their painting needs. All paints are covered by our 10 Year Premium Warranty
- MADE IN USA - Montage Signature Paint believes in the power of a thriving American economy and the integrity of its people. 100% produced from Raw & Post Consumer latex paints right here in the USA
- EXTREMELY VERSATILE - Montage Signature is the #1 choice for all of your professional painting needs - interior/exterior, small residential spaces, large commercial buildings & everything in between!
- SUPERIOR COVERAGE & PROTECTION - All of our specialty finishes let you brush smoothly & evenly while delivering maximum coverage. Improved sealing technology allows for easy cleaning and protection from common water issues
- ECO FRIENDLY - We're committed to the highest quality environmentally-friendly & pollutant-free materials, and a rigorous engineering and testing process for each of our leading professional paints
- 10 YEAR WARRANTY - We can't wait to add you to our long list of loyal customers turning to Montage Signature for all of their painting needs. All paints are covered by our 10 Year Premium Warranty
- MADE IN USA - Montage Signature Paint believes in the power of a thriving American economy and the integrity of its people. 100% produced from Raw & Post Consumer latex paints right here in the USA
We recommend the Montage Signature Exterior Eco-Friendly Paint for most people since it combines excellent quality with an affordable price.
We recommend the Montage Signature Exterior Eco-Friendly Paint for most people since it combines excellent quality with an affordable price. This paint offers great coverage and is resistant to mildew and changing weather conditions, making it a safe choice for the exterior of your home. Plus, this paint is eco-friendly, so by buying it, you’d be reducing your carbon footprint!
Pros:
You’ll love how versatile the Montage Signature paint is. It’s offered in two sheens – eggshell (flat, low-gloss) and semi-gloss. If the walls of your house are more damaged, you can opt for a flat sheen. On the other hand, if they don’t have many imperfections, you can go for the semi-gloss. The paint comes in 20 beautiful color options so that you can choose the perfect color for your home.
This paint is also versatile as it’s suitable for both exterior and interior walls.
The Montage Signature offers great value for your money as it’s quite durable. This humidity and mildew-resistant paint can withstand any harsh weather conditions. Plus, as it’s a water-based, a.k.a. latex paint, it contracts and expands according to the heat and humidity, which allows it to last for years. If that’s not enough, this paint is backed by a 10-year warranty!
This humidity and mildew-resistant paint can withstand any harsh weather conditions.
In terms of quality, the Montage has excellent coverage. You can even apply it on darker walls without worrying that the previous paint will affect the color of the new coat.
This paint is easy to apply and maintain. It goes on quite well on walls, and sometimes a single coat is enough – although we always recommend two coats for exterior walls. Cleanup is really simple, too – you can scrub the walls with water and soap without damaging the finish.
Another thing that makes this paint our favorite is that it’s eco-friendly and low-impact. It’s made of recycled paint produced from raw and post-consumer latex paints.
Lastly, Montage offers great customer service. If there are any issues with your purchase, just contact the company for a replacement product or a refund.
Cons:
One possible drawback of this paint is that it has a slightly stronger scent than some other options. If you suffer from asthma, allergy flare-ups, or sensitive sinuses, this paint may not be the best choice for you – unless you aren’t the one who’ll be painting the house!
Prestige Paints Exterior Paint and Primer In One - Prestige Paints has created a comparable color based on color specifications of the original color using industry leading technology.
- This Benjamin Moore paint color name is a trademark of Benjamin Moore. Prestige Paints is not associated or affiliated with Benjamin Moore in any way.
- High hiding formula for excellent coverage with smooth application
- 100% Acrylic latex paint for easy soap and water clean-up
- Low VOC: less than 50 gms/L 0.42 lbs/gal. prior to tinting
- Prestige Paints has created a comparable color based on color specifications of the original color using industry leading technology.
- This Benjamin Moore paint color name is a trademark of Benjamin Moore. Prestige Paints is not associated or affiliated with Benjamin Moore in any way.
- High hiding formula for excellent coverage with smooth application
- 100% Acrylic latex paint for easy soap and water clean-up
- Low VOC: less than 50 gms/L 0.42 lbs/gal. prior to tinting
It comes in a variety of sheen and color options for you to choose from.
The Prestige Paints Exterior Paint and Primer In One is our most versatile pick as can be applied on a variety of exterior surfaces and it’s a paint and primer in one. It comes in a variety of sheen and color options for you to choose from. Plus, this paint is low-VOC!
Pros:
The Prestige exterior paint will save you time and money, as it’s paint and primer in one. While you’ll still need to prep the surface before applying a coat of the Prestige, you won’t always need to use a primer first. For instance, you won’t need primer first if you’re painting over flat paint.
This paint is quite versatile as it goes well on wood, masonry, cement, vinyl, and aluminum exteriors. No matter what the exterior of your home is made of, you can paint it with Prestige.
The Prestige comes in three sheens and many, many color options. For the sheen, you can choose from flat, satin, and semi-gloss. While flat is matte and semi-gloss is shiny, satin is a nice in-between shade, which is somewhat glossy but has a nice, flat finish – great for hiding imperfections!
The Prestige exterior paint will save you time and money, as it’s paint and primer in one.
This paint features excellent quality which provides excellent coverage. Plus, its formula is low-VOC, which makes it a safe choice health-wise (in white – once the pigment is added, the VOC count unfortunately rises).
This latex paint is easy to apply and maintain. You can wash it using water and soap!
Lastly, the Prestige is quite durable. As it’s latex paint, like our other recommendations, it’s very resilient and adaptable to changing weather conditions. In fact, a lifetime limited warranty backs this paint!
Cons:
In some cases, the color that customers received was a tad lighter than the color they had in mind.
Also, while it’s affordable enough, this paint is the priciest option out of our recommendations.
KILZ Exterior Self-Priming Flat Paint - This high-quality, Acrylic latex water-base interior/exterior paint offers excellent hiding properties with great adhesion and water repellency on textured interior and exterior surfaces
- This self-priming paint offers a mildew resistant finish on properly prepared smooth, Rough and textured masonry, drywall, stucco, and brick surfaces
- It is alkali-resistant up to ph 12.0, easy to apply, and cleans up with soap and water
- This formula is designed to accentuate all textured surfaces while achieving a natural look
- This is a 1-Gallon can of KILZ interior/exterior concrete, brick, and tile paint in Gray with a flat finish. Covers 250-400 square feet per gallon depending on surface texture
- This high-quality, Acrylic latex water-base interior/exterior paint offers excellent hiding properties with great adhesion and water repellency on textured interior and exterior surfaces
- This self-priming paint offers a mildew resistant finish on properly prepared smooth, Rough and textured masonry, drywall, stucco, and brick surfaces
- It is alkali-resistant up to ph 12.0, easy to apply, and cleans up with soap and water
- This formula is designed to accentuate all textured surfaces while achieving a natural look
- This is a 1-Gallon can of KILZ interior/exterior concrete, brick, and tile paint in Gray with a flat finish. Covers 250-400 square feet per gallon depending on surface texture
The Kilz will save you time and money, as you won’t need to spend either on priming!
Kilz Exterior Self-Priming Flat Paint is both high-quality and budget-friendly, and who can stay away from that combination? The Kilz will save you time and money, as you won’t need to spend either on priming! This paint goes on really well on a variety of exterior wall surfaces and offers excellent coverage. We especially recommend this for people who need flat paint – be it for preference or to hide imperfections on the exterior walls of their home.
Pros:
The Kilz is the best option for exterior walls that have visible damages and imperfections. This water-based paint offers excellent coverage that will hide them, rather than enhancing them, thanks to its flat finish.
This paint is durable and resilient and will make your home look good for years to come. Like our other recommendations, the Kilz, too, is latex paint. It’s water-repellent and mildew-resistant, making it a great choice for places with a humid climate.
The paint is designed to accentuate the texture of the base, making it look natural, and hide all the small imperfections at the same time.
The Kilz is quite versatile, as it can be applied on a number of exterior wall surfaces, including rough and textured masonry, drywall, stucco, and brick. The paint is designed to accentuate the texture of the base, making it look natural, and hide all the small imperfections at the same time.
You’ll love how easy it is to apply and maintain the Kilz. You can roll it, brush it, or spray it on, without needing to prime the wall first. As is the case with our other recommendations, you can wash the walls using soap and water without damaging the finish.
Cons:
This paint is a bit thick, which may call for more cans to cover more square footage.
Conclusion
Our favorite exterior paint for most people is the Montage Signature paint, as it’s affordable, durable, and offers great coverage. This paint comes in some really nice sheen and color options, that will have your house looking warm and lovely, even from the outside, for years to come. Plus, this paint is eco-friendly – your home-beautifying project won’t produce more environmental waste!
Our most versatile pick is the Prestige exterior paint, as it goes very well on a number of exterior wall surfaces, and is also offered in most color options. Since this paint also includes a primer, it can help you save time and money. If you’ve got sensitive sinuses, you’ll love the low-VOC formula of the Prestige paint – but that’s if you get it in white (without tints).
The best budget-friendly exterior paint on the market is the Prestige exterior paint Kilz. Like the Prestige, this is also a priming paint – so there’s another way in which it will help you cut spendings. The Kilz’s thicker formula adds to its durability and resilience to changing weather conditions, making it a great choice for places with warm summers and cold winters – the Kilz can take it! You’ll also love how this paint will naturally accentuate different surface textures while hiding their imperfections at the same time.
Choosing The Best Exterior Paint For Your Home
Now that you’ve read over our favorite exterior paints, you may still be wondering which option is best for your house. To get a better idea of what you want, read on to our essential buying advice, where we discuss the most important factors you should keep in mind when choosing!
Oil Or Latex?
Because for a few reasons we recommend only latex (water-based) paints. First, latex is easier to apply and has a faster drying time. Second, latex expands in warm weather and contracts in cold weather. This adaptability makes it a resilient and durable choice for places with changing climates.
Latex is easier to apply and has a faster drying time.
However, the one time that you should certainly go for oil rather than latex is if you’re painting over a wall that’s already been painted with oil-based paint. Latex will peel if you use it to paint over oil.
Sheen
The sheen is the level of gloss, or the finish, of a certain paint. Flat sheens have a matte finish, and gloss finishes have a shiny finish. Which sort of sheen you choose depends on your preference and on the surface that you’re painting over.
If you’re painting over a smooth surface, you can go for a glossy option, such as semi-gloss. However, if you’re painting over a surface that has some imperfections, it’d be much better to go for paint with a flat finish, like satin, eggshell (which is itself quite close to satin), or matte. While flat finishes will hide the imperfections, gloss finishes will accentuate them.
If you’re painting over a smooth surface, you can go for a glossy option, such as semi-gloss.
Another thing to keep in mind is that gloss finishes are the easiest to clean. Flat finishes, on the other hand, are easier to touch up. Satin is a great in-between sheen option, as it’s both easy to clean and has a moderate sheen that can still hide imperfections well thanks to its flat finish.
Lastly, while gloss sheens are great for masonry, the flat sheen is better for vinyl or aluminum sidings.
FAQ
Q: Does exterior paint need primer?
A: Exterior paint does need a primer in general. You should apply a primer coat and then two coats of paint if the exterior surface is unpainted. However, if you’re painting over a painted surface, and your paint includes primer, you won’t need to prime first.
Q: Can you use latex paint outdoors?
A: You can use latex paint outdoors. In fact, it’s a great choice for a home’s exterior! Latex can handle humidity, climate changes, and various temperatures.
Q: How many coats of paint do I need on the exterior house?
A: You need two coats of paint for the exterior of your house to get the best results. This will ensure the durability of your new coat of paint, and keep it from looking thin in places (1).
What’s Next?
Hopefully, you found our reviews and buying guide of the best exterior paints on the market use, and your home will soon be looking fresh with beautiful new paint! If you need some interior paint jump to this article. Follow the title links to get more information about the products, including their prices and customer reviews.
And in the meanwhile, you can see the best interior paint options here for your home revamping projects!
