What Is the Advisable Paint For an Exterior Wall?

Wood Siding

• Wood siding is porous substrate that can hold moisture, expand and contract with the temperature, and provide a natural breeding ground for mold. A 100 percent acrylic latex paint is the best antidote for all of those problems. It serves as a flexible moisture barrier that is mold resistant and fade resistant, yet it allows moisture within the wood to be safely released. These same paints are also the best choice for fiber cement siding.

Stucco

• While a conventional acrylic latex paint is a very good option for stucco walls, an acrylic latex masonry paint is an even better choice. Stucco is far more porous than wood, and a masonry paint and primer combination will penetrate deep within those pores to form a superior, longer lasting moisture barrier protection than most conventional paints.

Concrete Walls

• Concrete may look tough, but it's vulnerable to developing small cracks from seismic shifts, slow decay from salt spray, surface spalling and moisture related problems from simple daily exposure to the elements. These problems are more apparent in coastal areas subject to recurring hurricanes and in regions subject to small earthquakes. An elastomeric paint will not only expand to conceal small surface cracks as they develop, it will provide long-term protection from rain, snow, ice, salt water and chlorine exposure.

Adobe Walls

• Adobe and earth-wall homes were once a staple in the American southwest, and the environmental movement has spurred a revival in this form of construction. Lime paints have been the traditional choice for earthen walls because they firm up the surface and they prevent mold from developing. A typical lime paint is made from slaked lime, chalk, and natural pigments.