The Best Paints for Exterior Brick and Rendered Walls

Exterior walls face pollution, graffiti, damaging UV light, rain and fluctuating temperatures. As with all other painting and decorating jobs, selecting the right materials and using the right techniques will help your project run smoothly, look great and be durable.

With over 20 years of experience as a painter & decorator, painting exterior walls is something I've learned through plenty of practice!

Here is my no-nonsense guide for achieving the most beautiful and long-lasting results when painting exterior walls.

Prep

For the best results, any exterior wall painting should begin with thorough surface preparation. A full no-nonsense guide for preparing exterior brick and rendered walls can be found here

Choosing Your Paint

There are a few different things to think about when choosing the best paint for an exterior wall. Breathability is the first concern. Followed by how well the product performs against the UK weather.

Paints suitable for masonry painting fall into one of three categories. Oil-based, water-based and multi-surface Paints.

Oil-Based Masonry Paints

Oil or pliolite-based masonry paint can be used in weather conditions which wouldn't suit water-based paint.

A good choice for garden walls and sandstone windowsills. My two favourite pliolite products are Johnstone's Stormshield and Wethertex PP77.

Water-Based Masonry Paint

A good choice for large surfaces. My two favourite water-based masonry paints are Emperor Paints and Wethertex AP77.

Emperor Paints

Best masonry paint available.

Hydrophobic technology for a very effective water repellent finish
Remains breathable to prevent trapping moisture inside your wall
Dirt will not stick to it and the wall will look cleaner for longer.
The excellent applied life span of 25 years plus.

Available online for over £20 per litre, Emperor Paint is priced higher than most others. I recommend this paint as the best option if your budget allows it. Once applied your exterior walls will only need to be painted every 25 years!

Full Emperor Paints Review Here

Wethertex AP77

This is the best of the standard trade masonry paint in my opinion. Very breathable, self-cleaning, easy to apply and looks great! It leaves a very flat finish, which is perfect because imperfections on your exterior wall will not be highlighted.

Full Wethertex AP77 Review here

Multi-Surface Paints

The beauty of multi-surface paint is it can be used on masonry, timber, and uPVC. This means you can stick with one product for all your exterior decorating.

I do like multi-surface paints on certain jobs, but I tend to stick with masonry paints when I can. The best multi-surface paints I've used are Wethertex MS11 and Zinsser AllCaot.

Final Task

Stand back, admire and bask in the glow of a job well done!