Pro Tips For Selecting the Best Outdoor Paint or Stain

Are you ready to put the finishing touches on a project but feeling stumped by the sheer variety of paints on the store shelf? You’re not alone. Whether you’re painting your whole house or simply touching up a fence, selecting the best exterior paint or stain for a job can be confusing. While interior paint selection often centers around color, the harsh exposure that exterior paint takes from the weather adds another level to consider.

I reached out to pro painter Chuck Reger of Five Star Painting, and he helped assemble a go-to guide for beginners who want to pick the best paint or stain for their project. But remember that certain materials or weather conditions may warrant different choices, especially when painting over old coatings. If in doubt, the best thing to do is to take a sample of what you’ll be painting to a local dedicated paint store.

One general tip that applies to almost any project is to avoid bargain paints that compete purely on the merit of their low price. High-quality paints have a higher volume and better quality of pigments, resulting in more thorough coverage and superior adhesion. The gap between bargain paints (sometimes called “apartment grade”) and mid-tier quality is dramatic, and the time and material saved when you don’t need to apply a third or fourth coat will more than make up for the price bump.

Bare Wood

When working with bare wood, you must first decide whether to paint or stain it. And much of that decision is based on whether you want to celebrate the unique characteristics of the wood grain.

“Stain enhances natural grain,” Reger says. Paint “offers more color options and protection.”

If you do opt for paint, you’ll need to prime first. Primers fill the pores and checks in wood and form a good adhesion base for regular paint to adhere to. You can tint a primer with your base coat color to help coverage, and many manufacturers now make combo paint and primer in the same can.

Painting cedar and redwood requires a little extra care. These species have tannins in their heartwood that will bleed through the topcoats, leaving dark, ugly stains. (These same tannins make the wood naturally weather-resistant.) Prime them with a stain-blocking primer. This will bind the tannins and keep them from marring your finished project. Don’t short-change yourself by opting for a regular primer. A few dollars more can save you many hours of aggravation.

If you decide to stain your wood, you’ll have a new set of options. In short, you’ll choose how much tint (coloration) you want in your stain. Stains are typically classified with terms like clear, transparent, semi-transparent, or solid. Less tint means a stain will stay closer to the wood’s natural color, but it will require resealing more often. Personally, I like semi-transparent as a middle ground, but you may want to take a look at a range of options to find the right match for you.

Fences

Wood fences can be smooth or rough-finished and made of bare or treated lumber. The same tips that apply to bare wood (above) apply to fences and other bare wood structures fully exposed to the weather, such as exterior railings, gazebos and arbors.

“Paint provides a solid, protective layer but may peel,” Reger says. He adds that the risk of peeling is especially high if the fence has not been properly cleaned and prepared for paint.

Finishes like paint and solid stains form a protective film over wood fencing. This means they last longer and have stronger colors, but when they eventually peel, they require more effort to renew. Semi-transparent stains won’t last as long but shouldn’t form a film, making them easier to recoat when they fade.

Many people don’t consider stains when dealing with treated lumber. But given a few months to weather, the top surface of the treated lumber will normally take stain just fine. I’ve stained treated lumber posts that supported cedar fencing, and while it may take a little experimenting with the number of coats to get the right shade, the finished product looks great.

House Siding Body Paint

It wasn’t that long ago that most houses were painted with oil-based paint. Many DIYers prefer the ease of clean-up that comes with water-based acrylic latex paints. In fact, many latex paints resist the corrosive effects of sunlight better than oil-based versions.

However, latex paints do lag behind oil-based paints in one area: temperature sensitivity. Unless the label says otherwise, avoid using latex paints in temperatures below 50 degrees F or in direct sunlight. Excessive sunlight can cause them to dry too fast (often called “flash drying”).

Most homeowners find themselves choosing between siding paint with a flat matte or semi-gloss finish. Flat paint can often feel more welcoming and is more forgiving of the chips, dents and other damage most home siding picks up over the years. Semi-gloss or gloss paints highlight that sort of damage, but they’re easier to clean. If your home is prone to road dirt or landscaping splash-back when it rains, it’s convenient to give it a quick spray down with a hose and be done with it.

“Eggshell” paint has also become popular as a middle-of-the-road choice. It has a flat appearance but a smoother, easier-to-clean surface.

Smooth trim

Trim is an area where high-gloss paint really shines. The source of that shiny, glossy finish is the higher percentage of resins in gloss paint. These same resins make the finished coating more durable than flat latex. And because the trim covers a relatively small area, the shine isn’t so prominent as to be distracting.

On both body and trim siding, if the old coat is oil-based, you can paint latex over it. You’ll just need to sand the old surface to ensure good adhesion. If the old coat is latex, you’ll generally want to stick with latex for the new coat; because latex expands and contracts more than dried oil-based paint, the end result will be cracks running through the top coat.

Porch Paint for Floors and Stair Treads

Exterior flooring takes a beating from sun, rain, and foot traffic in equal measure. Foot traffic wears away the finish. The simple fact that paint slows the drying process once the wood gets wet will compound the problem by encouraging rot. All paint or stain solutions for flooring will require a fair amount of maintenance.

Select a paint that’s labeled as being specifically made for exterior floors or porches. If you try to paint stairs or flooring with wall paint, it won’t last very long. (I’ve had clients insist on trying this in order to cut down on material costs, and it never works out well.) Floor paints usually contain harder resins to withstand abrasion. They’re often marketed as enamel paints, meaning they have a higher-than-normal resin content.

Enamel floor paints are glossy and can be slippery when wet. To reduce this, consider a grit additive or non-slip/anti-skid paint (which has the additive added in the factory). You can also add non-slip adhesive strips later.

Five Star Painting’s Reger suggests stains for DIYers who like a natural look and durable surface and paint for those who value uniform color and protection. Generally speaking, a stain will last longer, but paint creates a solid barrier. If you want less maintenance, go with a stain, but if you want more protection for the floor or stair treads, go with paint.

Hardboard or Cement board

Cement board has a factory-applied finish, and each brand has specific painting instructions. Always check with the manufacturer for guidance when selecting a paint. That said, a typical solution is a primer coat followed by two coats of latex body paint.

Prime any cut ends and nail heads driven through the surface. Hardboard can deteriorate where the raw fiber is exposed.

Rough siding

Semi-transparent stains are often the best for rough siding. They soak into the fibers and protect the wood from weathering, but they don’t form a surface film and, therefore, won’t peel.

Expect the stain to last around three to six years, depending on the amount of sun exposure. (It’s not unusual for the southern-facing side of a home to fade much quicker than areas with shade.)

You can paint rough surfaces, but plan on spending more time on it than you would with smoother surfaces. You’ll need to work the paint into all the uneven surfaces, and the rough wood surface is often “thirsty,” meaning that it absorbs paint quickly and may need additional coats.

Decks

Decks are typically stained rather than painted. Reger recommends a stain to showcase the natural wood character. “Solid, horizontal surface-rated stains work better on decks for durability,” he says.

If you want to slow rot and deterioration with the least effort, simply apply a water-repellent preservative every year or two.

For a more attractive appearance, apply a semi-transparent stain. Lighter stains are typically a better choice for deck boards unless you have a strong color preference. Darker stains show wear faster and are more difficult to renew.

Concrete, Concrete Block, Stucco and Brick walls

Concrete, stucco and masonry all accept paint well. But once painted, restoring them to their natural state will be a hassle.

Acrylic paints often work well on vertical masonry surfaces. These paints “breathe,” meaning low levels of moisture in the masonry can evaporate without lifting the paint. Avoid oil-based paint because surfaces that contain cement typically are strongly alkaline and may cause the paint to bubble.

If the wall has numerous small cracks, consider elastomeric paint. These paints go on thicker and are more flexible than regular acrylic paints. But they cost more and have a lower coverage rate.

Concrete stain is usually the best choice for horizontal masonry surfaces. It’s more rugged than paint and easier to renew.

About the Expert

• Chuck Reger is a painting professional with Five Star Painting, a residential and commercial painting company with over 225 locations across North America, each one locally owned and operated by experienced professionals.

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