Best Exterior Paint For Wood Siding

Having best exterior paint for wood siding is key, not only to ensure appearance, but lasting protection. Listing top external paints made for your all important, outside weathered wood sheathing.

Most types of wood siding accepts a full 100% solid acrylic latex emulsion paint. Just as these acrylic paints are by far the very best, it is essential to have either a primer built into these mixtures, or a separate primer on all bare outside wood.

Like latex paint is designed, being best choice for exterior wood, alkyd oil based paints caulk out, fading out too quickly, making it the worst choice.

Will give you exterior paint choices below, which will last many years without having to worry about your wood siding anytime in the near future.

If you haven't purchased exterior paints in quite a while, your in for a pleasant surprise. Exterior paint formulations and technology has come full circle, being much better than years past.

Best Paint For Exterior Wood Siding

When choosing best paint for exterior wood siding, two important questions you'll need to answer. Knowing what type of siding you're covering will dictate which sheen, or finish you should use. There is basically only 3 choices of exterior finishes, being Flat, Satin, or Gloss.

Also determining which exterior sheen you want, you'll need to figure out which exterior paint quality you're ready to pay for. Average prices for quality exterior paints range from $37.00 −to− top shelf $80.00 per gallon.

Besides choosing best paint sheen for your siding, picking one that will last outside the longest is key. Most durable, cream of the crop paints will keep it's original form the longest, exposed outside.

• Flat external paints are most common with Elastormeric Stucco paints
• Satin paints best used on exterior wood siding, trim, & doors
• Gloss exterior paint coatings found on front doors, bringing attention

Flat

Exterior flat paints found most with best Stucco paint called Elastormeric. Biggest reason why it's best using Elastomeric on Stucco is because it's flat. Putting on a shinier finish other than flat on Stucco would not look natural.

Biggest reason not putting flat paint sheen on wood siding, is because it tends to leave water marks after a rainstorm. Especially with dark deep base colors. Dark browns are notorious leaving water-marks, with flat paints on exterior wood.

Satin

Satin exterior paints are most common used on all exterior wood sidings, real or manufactured. 95% of all exteriors are painted with Satin paint finishes, because of it's uniform look, also weatherproofing properties.

Having a universal paint sheen looks best, than having contrasting sheens on different portions of an exterior. Not too glossy, nor flat, Satin exterior paints are the medium between with light reflection.

Being careful though, painting gutters with a high gloss paint would look out of place. In that gutters are best painted same paint & sheen as fascia boards, making gutters become almost invisible.

Don't know many who wishes to show off gutters, painting with a gloss. Going a step further, painting siding with a gloss paint would be like a spaceship or a lighted bill-board sign. Having one paint sheen outside, with any paint color scheme looks most uniform.

Mixing different paint colors, also sheens gets too busy, therefore highly recommend using only one exterior paint sheen.

Satin exterior paints most popular finish for all exterior surfaces, including wood siding.

Gloss

Gloss or Semi-gloss paint finishes are most used for exterior front doors, shutters, vents, or ornaments. Bringing attention to a certain area, a glossier finish will make this happen.

Yes, gloss paint repels water like a raincoat, but chances are great, most homes in your immediate area are painted with satin paint finishes.

Qualities Of Best Exterior Paints For Siding

Your elite exterior paint for most types of wood siding will be most durable & fade resistant. Keeping it's elasticity, elongation, and tensile strength the longest.

Those best paints retain it's original color longer than lesser valued paints. Staying most pliable, not drying out, as faded paint typically revels.

Today, with highest degree of research & development, major paint brands are going to extremes, making exterior paints lasting much longer.

• Exterior paint lasting the longest
• Color retention
• More fade resistant
• Primer included in paint
• Premium paint adhesion
• Higher paint elasticity, stretchy
• Longer exterior paint elongation
• Stronger paint coatings tensile strength
• Most pliable, keeping it's original properties

Comparing best exterior paints for wood siding, all have Lifetime or Limited Lifetime paint warranties. Most only require one thick coat, having primers built into it's mixture.

With primer built into paint, not only saves time, but ensures proper paint adhesion. This is the reason why major paint brands can warranty paints much longer. Knowing your getting their most stretchiest, and stickiest paints they offer.

Several choices include anti-mildew additives, as others may also include high hide properties. These are a great choice where paint is in moist conditions, and/or needing to cover sidings' discolored areas.

Windows

Let's face it, windows are one of the most expensive portions of a home. Wood windows are a key component in most homes having them, that need the very best money can buy.

This reminds me of several jobs we've completed, where the client wanted a quality grade paint for siding, upgrading paint quality for trim & windows. Customizing paint job, painting majority of exterior with Sherwin-Williams™ SuperPaint®, and Emerald® on corner boards, soffits, fascia, and windows frames.

Reasons Why Painting Windows With Best Paints

How windows are installed, you just don't replace exterior wood windows everyday. Not only are they expensive, but difficult replacing. That's more reason understanding exterior wood windows need best paint available.

You need a paint that will withstand all elements weather presents. Extreme range of temperatures, rain, intense sun's UV rays. Also a paint that once you apply, you can forget it many years, knowing they are protected. Those paints speaking of are in 2019, exterior lifetime paints.

These same lifetime 100% Acrylic latex emulsion paints adheres-bonds to many different cleaned, prepared surfaces properly.

• Superior primers

• Fade resistant

• More elasticity

• Higher elongation

• Stronger tensile strengths

 

Not only are windows expensive, hard to replace, may also require replacing trim around them.

Exterior Siding Needs Best Paint Practices First

Before painting siding, several steps in preparation applying your best paint will dramatically improve the overall performance, coverage, and durability.

Following best trade practices when painting exterior wood siding will increase the adhesion properties of exterior paint you intend using. Knowing what is recommended for paint adhesion and it's longevity of paint protection, being most critical.

Yes, there are shortcuts, but all mentioned paint preparations, not only saves you time & money, but exterior paint lasting it's longest time, through most extreme weather conditions.

Recommending exterior paint preparations include cleaning, scraping, filling, sanding, caulking, priming before any final exterior paint coatings applied.

• Pressure wash debris from siding
• Scrape old loose mils, failed paint
• Wood fillers, Exterior Spackle
• Sand walls, all rough areas
• Caulk wood joints
• Prime areas to seal, & bond

Pressure Wash, Preparing Home's Future Paint

Pressure wash house before painting is important preparing for paint. Cleaning off dust, dirt, & grime first, will allow proper paint adhesion. Not trapping the ever so common layer of contaminants underneath.

Allowing to properly dry, normally leaving further steps at least 24-48 hours. As you certainly do not want to seal moisture under wood cracks, as caulk or fillers would do, caulking too quickly.

Working from top down, just like washing a car. Allowing debris to fall to the ground.

Careful, not trying to peel paint by pressure washing. Only rinsing off foreign matter beforehand will ensure proper adhesion. Pressure washing will remove very top layer or mil of loose wood that would come off rubbing your hand over it.

Scrape Off All Paint

Do I scrape all paint off before painting is a common question. You really only need to remove all paint which has failed. Failed paint is those areas which is currently lifting up, cracking, peeling, blistering, or bubbling. Paint properly bonding to siding does not need scraping off, acting like a primer underneath.

Dry paint is much easier to scrap away when it is dry, than wet. So allowing your pressure washed surfaces to dry before scrapping is our best remedy for failed paint. Remembering not wanting to trap moisture too quickly either. Important you scrape off paint that is lifting up, or will lift up in next 6 months. "How do I know paint will lift up 6 months in the future"?

 

Several times, old paint doesn't necessarily need to be lifting, peeling up. If this coating has lifted up, still looking OK, having air pockets underneath.

Tapping on paint, like a dental hygienist does on teeth, hearing any hollow sounds, you'll be sure to find any/all inferior paint. Using edge of a 5-way painter's tool works best finding any hollow air pockets.

Yes, all this paint must be removed, scraping away before you put any quality paint on it, especially most expensive. Because let's face it. Paint is not smart. Paint is only as good as the substrate it is covering. Especially large areas sidings represent.

Wood Fillers, Exterior Spackle Important

Once all failed paint is scraped away, it's time for wood fillers & Spackle. Troweling on as smooth as you can, let dry. Fillers and Spackle must be sanded for a fine smooth finish. These fillers fill voids, makes everything nice a smooth, preparing wood siding and trim for the best exterior paint brand you've purchased.

Sand Walls Before Painting Exterior

Most exterior walls, wood siding, or Masonite® do not need sanded first, Only areas where fillers, Spackle, or rough edges are visible. For smaller areas, using a fine grit sandpaper like 80-100 grit, or sanding block works good.

Hopefully you don't have many areas to sand, but a good sand will smooth any rough areas before painting. New paint coating will smooth over imperfections, but making sure, best to run over with some abrasive material first.

Cannot stress enough, to sand over fillers and exterior Spackle. If you do not, you'll see underneath paint. If you do, you will not. Trick is you do not want to ever see these filled areas again.

Careful not gouging into wood surface with sanding technique, especially a powered sander. A good sanding machine, that will not dig into wood is the Warner™ Paint Eater®. The Paint Eater's® disk is a hard plastic wheel, that takes off paint, without harming wood. Working well sanding Cedar wood siding which is dire need of removal first.

Sanding exterior walls before painting to a smooth finish, will ensure your best exterior paint you've chosen will have the smoothest finish possible.

Caulk Exterior House

Caulk exterior home after scraping all loose paint from your home's exterior, it's time to start caulking. Like removing all loose paint, you need to remove all loose old caulk also. It is not recommended caulking joints where two pieces of horizontal siding, both meeting at butt ends.

No need to caulk wood siding where two horizontal pieces come together, such as butt joints. Reason is staggered joints allows any moisture to roll onto the next lower piece of siding, thereby no caulk needed for a much cleaner look.

Old caulk should be removed, administering, applying new siliconized acrylic painters caulk. Typically any 90 degree edge where siding meets trim should have a smooth bead of caulk. Reason for this is where siding meets trim, many times there is a direct opening to the underlayment. Sealing these cracks are very important.

Using a dripless caulking gun, squeezing trigger evenly, filling a uniform bead. Immediately wiping with either your index finger, or wet rag, wiping, smoothing, pressing caulk into these areas.

Prime All Bare Wood Before Painting

Either prime bare wood siding with an extreme bonding primer first, letting it dry overnight, or use a paint having primer included into it's mixture. If you are planning using an exterior paint without primer built-in, it is imperative to prime first.

Reason for this is many exterior paints without primers included do not bond to bare wood siding nearly as good as primers provide. These paints adhere to primers much better than to bare wood.

Not every type of wood siding accepts all types of exterior paint, but all bare wood requires a high bonding primer beforehand.

A good exterior primer is a painter's best friend. Sealing, covering, also allowing final paint film to properly bond. Good rule of thumb is, if you wonder if you should prime it, go ahead. Because you'll be that far ahead of the game.

Separate Exterior Primers

Exterior paints with primer included in it's mixture is why they last much longer, having a Limited Lifetime paint warranty. If you choose an exterior paint without a primer built in, you'll need to use one of these primers first, a separate primer for all bare wood surfaces first. Giving paints something better to grab to than bare wood.

Extreme Bond Primer

For surfaces that require a greater degree of adhesion than our standard primers can offer, Extreme Bond Interior/Exterior Primer is up to the challenge. Designed for coating hard, glossy surfaces like tile, glass panels and plastic piping with minimal surface preparation. Can be tinted and is compatible with a full range of finish coat products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zinsser® Exterior Wood Primer

Zinsser Exterior Wood Primer  is a water-base primer that is great for new and previously painted wood trim, siding, fencing and more.  This primer excels at blocking tannin stains from cedar, redwood and other bleeding woods.  It provides superior adhesion while still remaining flexible and can be applied in low temperature applications.

• Great for new, weathered or previously painted wood trim, siding, fencing and more
• Blocks tannin stains from all woods
• Superior adhesion
• Fast dry
• Low temperature application
• Topcoat in 1 hour

Zinsser Exterior Wood primer is not recommended for surfaces subject to immersion or prolonged contact with water. Not recommended for composite or engineered wood. For decks, use Rust-Oleum Deck Start Wood Primer.

Best Exterior Paints Have Primers Built In

Your top shelf exterior paints having primers built in, saves time & money, not needing to prime first, also only needing one good thick coat, instead of two. It is a bit more expensive buying best paint for exterior siding, but well worth it in the long run.

High bonding primers range in price just like exterior paints. No one has ever said, but would bet most expensive exterior lifetime paints have paint brand's best primers included in it's base.

As a painter, can tell you better exterior paints are much harder to wash off your hands. More difficult cleaning brushes than lesser value paints w/o primers. If a paint can wash off your hands easier, you can bet it will not last near as good as those paints harder to wash off using same techniques.

Best Paint For Outdoor Wood Siding Near You

Having a full 100% solid, acrylic latex emulsion paint, best for outdoor sidings sold at these following locations. I'm sure there is a store within minutes of you. Professional contractors tend to patronize individual stand alone paint stores. Reason is their staff does not rotate in and out that quickly, and know their business.

• Walmart™
• Ace Hardware™
• Target™
• Lowe's™
• Home Depot™
• Sherwin-Williams™
• Benjamin-Moore™
• PPG™

Emerald® Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint

Revolutionary technology with best-in-class overall performance. Our finest exterior paint, Emerald Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint is self priming with a smooth beautiful finish and provides exceptional hide. Backed by a lifetime limited warranty, Emerald offers exceptional durability, a mildew-resistant coating and delivers extreme resistance to blistering, peeling and color fade.

BEHR MARQUEE^® Exterior Satin Enamel

 

For the ultimate in durability and beauty on virtually any Exterior surface, choose BEHR MARQUEE Exterior Satin Enamel paint. This luxurious sheen creates a pearl-like appearance that also resists dirt, so it's ideal for your home's siding as well as doors, windows, trim and outdoor furniture. It's also great for challenging surfaces like shutters, railings and wrought iron.

Now comes with the new SIMPLE POUR Lid.  Read about how this innovative lid helps you and get our best tips for using it.

Finish

A satin sheen creates a  pearl-like finish that’s durable and dirt-resistant. It will also resist moisture, fading and stains.

Best for use in

Virtually all Exterior surfaces. Do not use on floors.

Valspar^® Duramax^®

Features

TIMELESS^® Exterior Paint + Primer

Product Details

TIMELESS^® Exterior Paint + Primer is formulated with our newest innovations and technology providing complete one coat* hide, coverage and durability. With PPG TIMELESS^® UV-Protect Technology, you get one coat* coverage in 1,000 colors and the best resistance to extreme weather.** The tough finish provides exceptional resistance to chipping, flaking and cracking and provides a mold, mildew and algae resistant coating.

Features:

• Complete One Coat Hide & Coverage*
• Exceptional Resistance to Chipping, Flaking & Cracking
• Excellent Fade Resistance

*One coat coverage only when tinted to colors specified for PPG Timeless Interior Paints.

Summary

Your best exterior paint for wood siding is worth the money. Saving you several thousand dollars, not having to repaint many additional years. Not only that, but protecting your valuable siding, saving thousands from having to replace deteriorated manufactured or real wood sheathing.

Several choices, each paint brand has their premier paint for exterior wood siding. Most if not all include a high grade primer built into it's formulation. Using these paints ensures you're properly applying primer at the same time.

Obtaining very best exterior paint is only half the job. Other half of this matter is preparing siding for proper paint adhesion. Properly sealing previous old paint, by first cleaning, scraping, filling, caulking, also priming.

These paints listed are paint industries top shelf, being the most fade resistant money can buy. Your outside siding will be happy obtaining these quality paints for many years to come.

If needing experienced team of pro painters in Denver, applying these high quality paint coatings, look no further. Painting exterior sidings is our expertise. Owner having well over 40 years in the paint industry. Contacting us today for a free, no obligation quote.

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