Choosing Exterior Paint, Varnishes and Oils
Whether you love bright colours or appreciate the aesthetics of healthy natural wood, your outdoor furniture should reflect the beauty and vitality of your garden. This guide will help you freshen up your exterior area and take care of it so it stays looking summer ready.
Intro
There are many products available to protect exterior surfaces against weathering, ageing and cracking. You can use exterior paints such as Dulux’s White Masonry Paint to compliment or contrast your garden's colour scheme, or perhaps you want to retain a natural look for your outdoor space by using a varnish or oil, like Ronseal’s Natural Oak Decking Oil. Whatever exterior care product you choose, all options provide an extra layer of defence against the wind, sun, animals and other things that can invade the architecture and penetrate walls, helping to preserve the life of your exterior walls.
So, whether you are considering painting brick, metal or wood, there is an exterior paint that will work well for you. Sometimes a more specialist paint may be necessary, or perhaps paint bypassed entirely and a more natural oil or varnish considered. Whatever you need, this guide will break down each option to help you find the best fit for the job at hand.
What is the Best Outdoor Paint?
Choosing what exterior paint to use is largely dependent on the type of surface you are painting on. Most names are self-explanatory, for example, masonry paint is best for masonry, wood paint is best for wood… and metal paint is best for metal. Whatever the job, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before proceeding to help ensure you make the best decision.
Surface Conditions To Consider When Painting
The condition of the surface that you are planning to work on is pretty vital when deciding the type of paint you may need and the kind of preparation and product you will need beforehand (you may not need to do any at all). If the surface you’ll be painting is on the older side, you’ll need to make sure it is as clean and as dry as possible and in good repair. You’ll also want to remove as much dust, mould, algae and moss as you can from surfaces like wood and brick. You can do this in a couple of ways:
- For algae on brick surfaces, you can use products such as our algae cleaner.
- For mould on wood surfaces, you can tackle it DIY-style. There are many helpful resources to guide you through this process online, including This Old House's. Regardless of the method, always ensure you’re wearing the correct protective gear!
- For dust, simply wipe down the surface with a barely damp microfibre cloth. If the surface is wood, make sure you quickly dry the area to prevent mould growth.
Picking The Right Paint Finish and Colour
Make sure you’re taking time to consider what you want the final result to look like, as picking out the correct external care product will be vital in achieving this goal.
Colour: You can opt for a bold shade to add some brightness to your outdoor space, or a softer, more muted choice that still adds a pop of colour, such as this delicate magnolia shade from Dulux. Perhaps you want something that can blend in with its surroundings seamlessly and expertly conceal the weathering of an older surface, such as Blackfriar’s tile red shade of masonry paint, perfect for use on bricks and tiles.
Surface: Of course, consider the surface you’ll be painting; if you want to enhance the natural look of a material, such as a wooden fence, simply staining it can help to bring out its natural features whilst still protecting it from the elements. Products such as Ronseal’s Satin Woodstain are perfect for this job, not only maintaining the look of the wood, but preventing the surface from cracking, blistering and peeling throughout its extended life span.
Finish: With exterior paints available in different styles and textures, it's worth having a think about what you want the final finish to be.
- Matt Finish: Paints such as this will produce a flat, non-reflective finish and help to disguise bumps and uneven surfaces.
- Satin Finish: Also known as silk, this kind of finish offers a low and refined sheen, offering a happy compromise between matt and gloss.
- Gloss Finish: Gloss finishes provide the highest level of sheen and are also the most durable choice on offer. Due to its longevity and hard-wearing characteristics, this paint is ideal for areas that will get bumped or scuffed regularly, such as external doors.
- Smooth Finish: This finish is only available for masonry paints. It gives the surface a velvety, smooth finish and is very quick and easy to apply.
- Textured Finish: Also known as fine-textured finish, this paint is used to give masonry long-lasting coverage that helps to conceal uneven surfaces and smaller cracks.
- Hammered Effect Finish: This paint is exclusively made for metal paints, with the aim of creating the effect of the surface looking distressed or textured. Some hammered effect metal paints can replicate the look of cast iron, or even galvanised metal, making it perfect for upcycling projects outside.
How much time is available to complete the project?
If you’re limited for time, do not worry! We offer a range of quick-drying options to ensure whatever job at hand gets completed as quickly as possible, like our Dulux Quick Dry Satin Paint that is touch-dry in just 1-2 hours.
| Surface Type | Roller Sleeve For Use With | Ideal For Painting These Surfaces | Roller Sizes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smooth | Water based paints |
Walls, ceilings, GIB-board, plaster, smooth wallpaper, hardboard | 75mm, 100mm, 180mm, 230mm, 270mm |
| 2 | Textured | Water based paints |
Imperfect walls & ceilings, textured plaster, embossed wallpaper, fences, rough sawn timber | 100mm, 180mm, 230mm |
| 3 | Rough | Water based paints |
Rough plaster, brickwork, stucco, trellis, blockwork | 100mm, 230mm, 270mm |
| 4 | Smooth | Acrylic enamel paints |
Doors & joinery | 100mm, 180mm, 230mm |
| 5 | Smooth | Oil based paints |
Walls, ceilings, floors, plaster, wood, GIB-board | 75mm, 100mm, 180mm, 230mm |
| 6 | Extra Smooth | Oil based paints |
Fine finishing on doors, cupboards, marine work, varnishes | 75mm, 100mm, 180mm, 230mm |
Types of Exterior Protection
As briefly mentioned before, there are three main types of material the products can be used for: masonry, metal and wood. Each paint has slightly different properties that work best with the surface in question, so it can pay off to remember your options:
- Metal exterior paint
- Masonry exterior paint
- Exterior woodcare, which can come in the form of (1) exterior wood paint (2) exterior wood oil (3) exterior wood stain and (4) exterior wood varnish.
Most paints also require a layer of undercoat or primer before application to ensure the paint goes on smoothly.
Let’s look into each option in more detail…
Exterior Wood Paint
Exterior Wood Paints are a great way to add a strong splash of colour to your outdoor living space, offering a range of colours the other options can’t! These paints are designed to survive the elements and are a great way to bring back tired-looking decking or fences. They are also great for smoothing out rough surfaces, filling cracks and locking down splinters.
Appearance: Opaque colour of your choice, e.g. ‘slate’.
Tip: Removing paint from wood will require extensive scraping.
Exterior Wood Stain
Whereas wood paints coat the top of the wood, stains make use of the surfaces’ porous properties to penetrate it deeper. This gives it further protection and helps preserve your wood's beauty. Stains also gradually wear away naturally, so although you don’t have to worry about scrapping it off, ensure to periodically recoat it.
Appearance: Opaque natural colour, e.g. ‘oak’, ‘mahogany’ or ‘walnut’.
Tip: The more opaque the stain, the more protection you will have.
Exterior Wood Oil
Wood oils are another product that penetrates the wood itself, nourishing the wood and replacing its natural oils. Due to this, they usually have to be applied to bare, natural (or sometimes stained) wood. Exterior wood oil is super effective at preventing timber from splitting and cracking due to its non-flaking and water-repellency qualities and is great for high foot-traffic areas, like decking. However, applying oil to your wood is often considered a more laborious and time-consuming process than that of other protection products (like paint or varnish), so if you need a fast finish, consider choosing one of the other options, like Dulux’s ‘quick dry’ exterior protection.
Appearance: Most oils are transparent, however, some colour options are available, e.g. ‘cedar’ or ‘oak’.
Tip: Cloths used to apply oils carry a risk of spontaneous combustion if left in a pile, so allow them to dry flat or soak in water before disposing of them.
Exterior Wood Varnish
arnishes give a hard coating to wood and aren’t able to penetrate the surface. Due to this, they can offer protective treatment to exterior wood, defending it from mould, fungus and mildew. Unlike oils which have to be applied to bare, untreated wood, varnishes can be applied onto previously painted, stained or varnished surfaces (after a little sanding).
Appearance: The vast majority of oils are clear, however, a few natural colours are also available.
Tip: Wood varnish can often be applied over certain wood oils for extra protection.
Exterior Masonry Paint
Exterior masonry paint can be used as both a protective and decorative paint, ideal for brick, pebbledash (roughcast), stucco, cement, concrete, stone and more. There are four broad types of masonry paint on the market today: acrylic, silicone, limewash and oil-based. Deciding what paint to use is all dependent on what you want to achieve, but acrylic paint is generally the easiest and cheapest option to complete the job. For more specific information on masonry paint and the different types, check out this helpful guide created by experts at Painters World.
Appearance: Opaque colour of your choice, e.g. ‘eggshell white’, ‘magnolia’ or ‘brick red’.
Tip: A smooth masonry paint is generally better than a textured one for rougher surfaces such as pebbledash.
Exterior Metal Paint
Exterior metal paint is highly durable, and suitable for metal railings, garden gates, sheds, garden furniture, garage storage and even drain pipes.
Rust-ridden surfaces can become a real eyesore, but luckily exterior metal paint can help to breathe new life into your tired–looking garage door or metal fence. Not only are metal paints durable, but they’re designed to provide protection from corrosion and rust, whilst providing a good, clean finish at the same time.
There are two types of metal paint to consider:
- Direct-to-galvanised metal paint: This is the best choice for non-rusting metal surfaces such as galvanised steel, aluminium, copper and brass. It’s formulated to be directly applied to any of these surfaces without the need for a primer and is available with a built-in topcoat, too.
- Direct-to-rust paint: This is ideal for use on metal surfaces without the need to remove the rust entirely. You won’t always need a primer, but do remember to clean and sand down the rusty area before you get started - and always check the paint instructions!
Appearance: Opaque colour of your choice - often monochrome e.g. ‘black’, ‘white’, ‘grey’ or ‘silver'. Also available in different finishes, e.g. matt or hammered-effect.
Tip: Power-wash or scrap off old flaking paint, dirt and grease to ensure a good, smooth paint finish.
Undercoats & Primers
Primers are not necessary for every painting project, but most of the time choosing the correct bonding primer for your application will make you far more likely to get great adhesion of your finish coat to the surface. For most projects where you’re just going over a previously-painted surface, you won’t need to use primer. In many cases, all you’ll need to do is spot-prime any bare areas before applying your finish. For more in-depth advice on what primer to use for each material, take a look through Image Works’ guide on primer.
Appearance: Primer is usually white but can be other neutral colours. This is to provide a neutral surface to ensure that the paint colour shows true.
Tip: Before you grab a multipurpose primer off the shelf, check that it specifically states on the label that it can be used for your intended purpose.