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When you’re planning on decorating your home, there’s endless thought to the interiors. From bedroom lights, tiling and kitchen cupboards to finishings such as rugs and throw cushions and the colours to splash onto the walls, there’s a lot to consider.
But the nest’s exterior can be just as crucial, making your home look more attractive and upping its curb appeal. Giving it a lick of paint is one of the first moves an estate agent may suggest to sellers when putting a property on the market. As they say, first impressions matter.
Painting the front of your home requires a different kind of paint than the emulsion you might use inside the place. What’s needed is a special formula called masonry paint.
Masonry refers to the exposed materials on the outside of a property. Brick, concrete, stone and render all fall under the masonry umbrella.
Colouring porous materials like the aforementioned requires a special sort of paint, one that can weather the typically damp British climate, and keep rain away from the interior to avoid damp issues. Paint that is breathable is also crucial to allow moisture to escape from the structure.
For exterior surfaces, get them as clean as possible by using a fungicidal cleaner or using a power washer to blitz off dirt, grime and grease. Create as a smooth surface as possible by filling in cracks with exterior filler. Check the weather forecast and wait for a few rain-free days before you get cracking. If you’re painting on virgin masonry that hasn’t been painted before, consider adding a primer before you do your coloured coat. This extra step means you’ll get a smoother patch-free finish as a result.
Within the heady world of masonry paint, there are a few formulas to choose from; acrylic, silicone, oil-based and old-school limewash. Acrylic and silicone masonry paints are the best options for British homes as they offer water repellency and come in a range of colours with a lifespan of up to 25 years. They’re also the most widely available from DIY retailers.
Oil-based masonry paints are only for use on surfaces exposed to low temperatures (5) and limewash is more of a heritage formula used for older buildings (think National Trust and listed properties).
We’ve rounded up the best masonry paints in the biz to help you give your home, garden fence, shed or any other sort of exterior surface a refresh.
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You can't go far wrong with a can of bright white exterior paint. Dulux's formula claims to go 15 years without cracking, flaking or peeling, whatever the weather. The breathable paint allows moisture and air to move freely between the film while blocking rainwater out, and it’s flexible too, so can cover hairline cracks if needed. This paint is also mould and algae-resistant, keeping unsightly stains at bay.
Best of all, it can dry in just 30mins, meaning you won't have to pray for long for the rain to hold off.
Durable, breathable and weatherproof Sandtex's paint offers the perfect finish with a variety of exterior surfaces: rendering, pebbledash, breeze block, concrete block, roughcast and facing bricks. The tough formula can also be used on outside wood like window ledges and masonry door surroundings. The calming olive green shade is a winner for both urban and rural homes, but if it's not quite you, there are 25 more colours to choose from.
In the elite clutch of aspirational paint brands, Farrow & Ball reigns supreme. The luxury paint is the top choice for most interior designers, and there's a collection made for doing up the outside of the house too. The colour wheel is subdued - nothing overly bold or garish - but there are some fun ones in there amongst the creams and greys. We like the dusky romance of Cinder Rose which offers a super matt and long-lasting finish for up to 15 years. A primer is recommended to apply first.
From pebble dash to brickwork, turn your home into the chicest place on the block with Wickes’ Masonry paint for textured surfaces in deepest, darkest black. The formula is flexible with enough give to paint over minor imperfections while giving long-lasting protection against the elements for as long as 15 years. An easy way to sharpen up fading brickwork.
The transformative effect of a fresh lick of paint works wonders outside as well as in. If you’re looking to do a small job, focusing your efforts solely on window sills and trim masonry is a great way to get maximum impact for a relatively low level of effort. It’s water resistant even with standing water on top and is rainproof just three hours after application.
Fed up with the sight of ugly discolourations on your home? Paint over them and enjoy the brand-new feeling with Johnstone’s masonry paint. Offered in neutral hues, the acrylic paint works best on smooth masonry and is weather-resistant once dry, so no need to worry about rummaging for the tin after every big downpour. Expect a decade’s worth of protection with this 5L tin.
Exterior Brick Texture Paint Offered in more than 30 colours and with Prime delivery for members, this water-based paint offers excellent opacity and low odour. Once fully dry, the HQC paint will stop water from seeping into exterior walls while simultaneously allowing vapour to pass - it’s this breathability that will keep the walls of your home healthy.