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Pick the Right Exterior Paint
A guide to buying the right type and amount of exterior paint for your home.
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Type |
Characteristics/Use |
Application |
| Latex | Easy cleanup, durability, and fast drying make latex the choice for amateurs; can be applied even over damp surfaces; naturally mildew-proof; may be incompatible with a previous oil-based finish. | Don't thin; apply with one stroke of the brush or roller; work it out too far and you'll get thin spots. |
| Acrylic | Actually a type of latex; a water-thinned paint that dries even faster than most and will cover just about any building material, including masonry and properly primed metal. | About the same as ordinary latex. |
| Alkyd | Solvent-thinned, synthetic-resin paint; has most of the same properties as oil-based types, but dries more rapidly; good over old oil- or alkyd-based coatings; excellent hiding power. | Thicker consistency makes alkyd more tiring to apply, but it levels better than latex. |
| Oil | Slow drying times (12 to 48 hours), strong odors, and messy cleanup; some professionals still swear by its durability. | Lengthy drying time makes bugs and rain real perils. |
| Primers | Seal new wood and metal with a recommended primer; generally, one coat of primer and one of finish is more durable than two finish coats; finish not to be used as primer or vice versa. | Priming usually is easier than finishing, but porous surfaces can soak up a lot of paint. |
| Stains | Solvent- or water-thinned types provide transparent, semitransparent, and solid finishes for natural wood siding and trim; some include preservatives or offer a weathered look. | Brush, roll, or spray on almost any way you like. |
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Specialty Coatings |
| Porch and deck | Choices include epoxy, alkyd, latex, polyurethane, and rubber-based; most work on wood or concrete floors and dry quickly; surface preparation varies; colors limited. | With most, you just pour on the floor, then work out with a long-handled roller or wax applicator. |
| Metal | Solvent- or water-thinned types in a wide variety of colors; include rust-resisting priming ingredients so you needn't worry about small bare spots; all-bare metal should be primed separately. | Brush, roll, or spray on for a broad range of finish effects. |
| Marine | Formulated for boats; provide a super-durable finish on wood and some metal trim; expensive, so not for big areas. | A gooey consistency makes them difficult to apply. |
| Masonry | Include latex, epoxy, Portland cement, rubber, and alkyd; some serve as own primers; seal masonry with clear silicone. | Latex is easy to apply; other types can be a lot of work. |
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