The Best Exterior Masonry Paint Brands UK
Whether you are looking for instant kerb appeal, to make a statement, or to give your home the finish it deserves, exterior masonry paint is the coating for the job. Masonry paint is an exterior wall paint solution suitable for masonry, bricks, stone and rendered surfaces which protects these surfaces from moisture, mould stains, and other detrimental effects of being exposed to the weather and everything the world can throw at it. This is especially important in the wet climate of the UK. In this article we do the work for you and let you know how to choose the best masonry paint for your property.
Your home deserves the best masonry paint available in the UK
Table of Contents
So, what is the best masonry paint in the UK? Ultimately you want two things from your chosen product – you want it to protect the walls of your home, and you want it to look good. A few of the things you should be looking for are:
- Breathability – The surface that is taking the paint needs to be able to ‘breathe’ to prevent moisture becoming trapped and causing problems like blistering.
- Flexibility and elasticity – Temperature fluctuation and the natural swelling and subsiding of the walls will lead to cracking and flaking if the paint cannot move and expand with it.
- Waterproofing – Water from the outside (rain, snow, etc) should not penetrate the paint.
- Guarantees – What kind of guarantee does the paint company offer for the product’s lifetime?
The Top 5 Masonry Paint Brands
Below is a quick look at the 5 best quality masonry paint brands and where to buy them, or you can head below for the complete guide including textured vs smooth options and how to know which one is right!
The #1 Choice with a Lifetime Guarantee – Dulux Weathershield
Dulux Weathershield Masonry Paint
The Dulux Weathershield line is a stalwart of the industry with so much trust that Dulux now offers the Weathershield promise – a lifetime guarantee. It uses high performance acrylic resins to provide a flawless finish that is easy to apply, fast-drying, and has great coverage. The paints are:
- UV resistant, rainproof, and resist flaking, peeling, and mould staining.
- A wide range of colours means you can find the shade you want
- Available in Smooth, Textured, and ‘Ultimate Protection’ options
The Greatest Range – Johnstone’s Stormshield
Johnstone’s Stormshield Smooth Masonry
Not content with just ‘smooth’ and ‘textured’ masonry paint options, Johnstone’s Stormshield also provides a nano-technology based self-cleaning masonry paint, a pliolite-based finish for low temperature application, a high build textured paint, and a silicone paint for breathable waterproofing. Whatever your particular need, they have it.
- Available in a range of colours
- Guaranteed for 10-15 years (depending on product)
- Suitable for cement, render, brick, masonry and concrete
Microseal Technology for Tougher Resistance – Sandtex Exterior Paints
Sandtex Ultra Smooth Masonry Paint
Sandtex is the exterior brand from Crown Paints, providing a range for masonry and exterior surfaces. Available in 27 colours from Brilliant White through Terracotta to Black, Sandtex ensures protection without sacrificing looks.
- 15 years of guaranteed protection
- Dirt resistant, breathable, and waterproof
- Available in Ultra Smooth and Fine Textured options
Low Cost, High Quality – HQC Paints
HQC Smooth Masonry Paint
HQC is a UK paint brand that markets itself as the low cost, high quality coating alternative. They produce a range of exterior and specialty products. HQC Paints masonry paint is available in Smooth or Insulating, and is:
- Weatherproof, environmentally friendly, and long-lasting
- HQC insulating masonry paint reduces heat loss through exterior walls
- Available in a wide range of colours
Trusted Trade Paint with a Huge Range – Leyland Truguard Granocryl
Granocryl by Leyland Smooth Masonry Paint
The Truguard masonry paint range includes products for smooth and durable masonry, products based on the Pliolite resin for excellent adhesion, products for masking imperfections, products to give a heavily textured finish, and primers for stabilising powdery masonry surfaces. Leyland Trade products are:
- High quality at an affordable price
- Mould resistant, dirt resistant, and elastic
- Best when used with a primer
Textured vs. Smooth – The right coating for painting exterior masonry
As seen above there are more than just two types of masonry paint but one of the things it comes down to is textured or smooth. The differences between the two can be summarised thus:
Textured masonry paint is a hard-wearing and rough finish.
- Smooth masonry paint – This option is available in a range of finishes (gloss, satin, matt), has good coverage, and leaves a finish similar to an interior finish. It is good for difficult surfaces like pebbledash or brick and is easy to clean.
- Textured masonry paint – Used for areas and surfaces where greater durability is required. This option covers fine cracks and blemishes with a fine texture. Harsh environments (like the seaside) benefit from a textured paint.
And of course, no matter the finish you must always follow the golden rule – preparation, preparation, preparation. The best result will always come from a wall that was properly cleaned and prepared.
The best masonry paint brands and what they offer
With our research and expertise with paint and coating we dare say that if the masonry paint didn’t make this list, it might not be the product you want to buy for your project. If you disagree with this, please use our contact form to tell us why. Head to our guide for a look at the best outdoor paint brands for any surface, or for our dedicated guide to wood protection.
Dulux Weathershield masonry paints
Dulux Weathershield is one of the best masonry paint brands available in the UK. Not only are the products durable, but they are also give a minimum of 10 years warranty. Dulux Weathershield offers the following products for consumers to paint their masonry.
All the below-mentioned products are water-based and easy-to-apply solutions available for consumers. If your masonry urgently requires painting but the temperature is too low for an effective water based application, Dulux Trade offers a solution: Weathershield All Seasons Masonry Paint. Solvent-borne paints are often more expensive than water-borne ones, however, this one is available at a price of £15.00(RRP) per litre.
| Product | Warranty | Coverage per litre | Price (RRP) per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dulux Weathershield Smooth Masonry Paint | 15 years | 15m² (on smooth surfaces) | £7.05 |
| Dulux Weathershield Textured Masonry Paint | 15 years | 3- 7 m² (depending on the substrate) | £7.05 |
| Dulux Weathershield Exterior Quick Dry for smooth masonry | 10 years | 18m² | £14.50 |
Sandtex masonry paint
Sandtex, a brand of Crown Paints, is dedicated to exterior paints, and offers masonry paint with different grades of smoothness. These paints are in general, slightly less expensive than Dulux products. The good thing to know about Sandtex masonry paint is that if you buy 10 litres instead of a litre, you may save a couple of pounds per litre.
| Product | Warranty | Coverage per litre | Price (RRP) per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandtex Ultra Smooth Masonry Paint | 15 years | 12- 16m² | £4.00 |
| Sandtex Smooth Masonry Paint | 1 year | 12- 16m² | £4.80 |
| Sandtex Fine Textured Masonry Paint | 1 year | 3 – 6.5m² | £4.00 |
Johnstone’s Stormshield and Dulux Armstead Trade based on Pliolite®
One of the newer innovations in the masonry paints sector is Pliolite® based products. Pliolite refers to a trademark of Eliokem, a speciality chemicals company, for acrylated rubber resins. They are solvent-based and in general more durable than other variations of exterior masonry finish.
The following two products have been developed for professional use, and rely on acrylated rubber resin technology.
- Dulux Trade Armstead, Pliolite®
- Johnstone’s Pliolite® based Masonry Finish
These paints can be applied in the winter, and they are also a good solution if the weather forecast does not look all too good. The lowest possible application temperature is -5°C and the coating is shower resistant for max. 30 minutes. Both of these products are BBA (British Board of Agreement) certified to provide protection on masonry and rendered surfaces for at least 15 years. This makes these two products probably the best outdoor masonry paint products on the market today.
Wickes Textured Masonry Paints
Textured Masonry is formulated to give long-lasting, 15 year all weather protection. It is flexible and is ideal for hiding minor imperfections. It is suitable for exterior application on roughcast, concrete, stock, facing bricks, sand/cement rendering, pebble-dash and similar emulsion based paints.
- Probably the cheapest option; you can buy the 10-litre can for ~ £30 to £40.
Valspar® 15 Year Masonry Paint
Its exceptional elasticity guarantees protection against cracking, flaking and peeling for up to 15 years. Great coverage paired with excellent flow and levelling ensures a perfectly smooth finish in half the time. Valspar has a handy calculator on the website if you want to know how many liters of masonry paint you need for your project.
Farrow & Ball offers one of the best masonry paint products in the UK.
Farrow & Ball Exterior Masonry Paint
A high performance finish specially formulated for external masonry surfaces, and comes in 107 colours. Extremely tough, hard-wearing and durable. This matt finish can also be used to add colour to garden walls, flower pots and garden ornaments.
- This product line is known for it’s ‘matt finish’.
KEIM Royalan / Lotexan Paint
Keim Royalan is a mineral silicate based paint system that has been developed to be able to withstand harsh climatic conditions. Keim Royalan is designed to be well suited for use in exposed locations and those subject to continual pollutants and contaminants.
- Especially suitable for Tropical and cold environments.
Kingfisher Waterflex Paint / Masonry Paint
Kingfisher’s premium grade breathable “Weatherflex” coatings have been protecting Lakeland homes in all seasons and all weathers for more than twenty years. I was originally developed as a flexible, waterproof coating, ans has later found its way to the list of top masonry paint products.
- Especially suitable for humid locations and extreme water resistant needs.
Coatings – Ireland
I’m trying. To find out which is the best value for money and why masionary paint brilliant white for: pebbledashed, live by the sea, mould resistant, good guarantee. Can u help?