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For anyone with an exterior, rendered wall, or an outside brick wall that needs a lick of paint, knowing which type of exterior paints to choose can be an issue. Some have used an interior grade emulsion such as an eggshell or matt finish paint, but to truly get the best results, your choice should be a product with specialist paint finishes.
If you are thinking of taking on a do-it-yourself painting project and painting the side of the house, a rendered wall, or just adding colour to dilapidated garden walls, or masonry garden furniture, then choosing the right masonry paint for an outside wall is essential.
The Difference Between Render And Brickwork
Most houses here in the UK will be made from brick and concrete building blocks. The choices of bricks and their colours and shades are enormous, but for most of us, the good old red brick will be the most predominant in our homes.
The raw materials used in brick production vary from manufacturer, but the main ingredient is clay, hence the red shades we see in most bricks.
A rendered wall is one that has been covered in a layer of rendered plaster, popular in Victorian times and used in coastal areas like Brighton and Whitstable, as the layer of concrete render provides effective protection to the bricks underneath from the ravages of Mother Nature.
Preparation
The mantra of us here at The Big Idea is that with any painting work, you must ensure that the surfaces are cleaned and debris-free before you start.
With brick and rendered walls, this is a moderately easy task as you will need a stiff brush or broom and give the surface a good sweep to remove any loose paint material that may clog your paint brushes and rollers later on.
If you rendered walls are particularly dirty you can use a garden hose or even a pressure washer to clean them down as the more dirt and grime you remove the better the quality of finish you will achieve.
If you have any fine cracks in the wall, they must be filled with an exterior grade filler or a sand and cement mortar mix. This is easy to mix together with sharp sand, cement, and water until quite wet. Apply to the cracks or holes and smooth to the same finish or texture you have on the existing wall.
Wait for this to completely dry before applying any exterior masonry paint.
Which Paint Do I Need?
As we mentioned earlier, you need to use the correct paint for any exterior work that you undertake, and for walls and surfaces outside, you will need exterior masonry paint.
This breathable paint is specially formulated to adhere to brick and cement render surfaces, and as they are acrylic water-based paints, they will have less odour when applied.
The materials used to make these very specific paints are acrylic resins which are far more robust and durable than your average water-based paints like matt, eggshell, chalk paint and emulsions. The nature of masonry paints means they offer UV protection and are hard-wearing and more moisture-resistant than most other paints.
Manufacturers generally give a 15-year guarantee on them; however, you should always read the label as some paints may be more or less effective depending on the environmental conditions.
Coastal residents should always ask advice from the store or paint merchants as salt water and carbon dioxide levels may affect the durability of the paint.
Which Masonry Paint Finishes Are Available?
As with any paint, there is a choice of finishes for all customers. The difference for exterior grade paints is that there are fortunately fewer than the interior emulsions available on the market these days.
You have four finishes to choose from when you are buying masonry paints, and they are the following:
Matt
Matt’s paint finish is the same as for interior walls and ceilings. The matt finish is a non reflective finish, relatively flat and, in some cases, dull. As the paint in an exterior masonry paint can is slightly thicker than an emulsion, it is harder to apply and covers less area than for a smooth plastered wall, so buying it in large quantities will save you time and money too.
Satin
As the name suggests, satin paint has a finish with more sheen than that or matt paint finish. This gives satin paint more shine and reflectiveness. Some say it also provides a more durable finish than a matt paint, but both are effective when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
One clear advantage of the satin finish is that it is easier to clean as the sheen makes it more wipeable than matt. Both paint finishes are considered to be moisture, mould and algae resistant.
Smooth
As it suggests, the other finishes you can have are easy to explain. Like most paints, a smooth masonry paint, whether water or oil-based, has a smooth texture when dry. The smooth paint does come in both a matt finish and a satin finish.
The smooth finish is fantastic for freshly rendered walls and floors as it will give you the flat or sheen finish required. If you have many imperfections, a smooth finish may accentuate these so that you may be better with a textured finish paint.
Textured
Masonry paint is one of the few paint types out there that have a textured version, and by textured, we mean it could be smoother.
Textured paint has small particles. Usually, silica sand is added to it to create a rougher feel, ideal for older walls with many imperfections. If you want to create a more aged look for your exterior surfaces, this is the paint finish for you. It is excellent for old buildings, pebble-dashed walls and open brickwork too.
As with all exterior masonry paints, a fungicide is added to textured paint to reduce mould and algae build-up.
Top Tip: Water based masonry paint is considered to be moisture resistant, mould resistant and algae resistant, but this does not mean they are completely waterproof!
In Conclusion
You have some choices as to the final finish of your exterior walls and floors, and with the array of colour options now available, you can have a brand-new-looking house, garage, and garden wall.
All exterior masonry paint has a guarantee, but that may differ depending on the location of your house and weather conditions. If you live by the sea, applying multiple coats of paint (two coats minimum) as possible will offer slightly more protection from the elements but living in a city will make your walls dirtier, and therefore, you may need an easier clean option.
Older homes with more blemishes would suit a textured finish, but a fresh render will look better with a smooth one. The choice is entirely yours when painting exterior walls, but remember to ask advice from the store where you buy the paint and always try a tester pot before going for the larger ones!
