I Tested 8 Exterior Paints for 3 Years - The Winner Shocked Everyone

Three years ago, I got tired of not having a real answer when homeowners asked me, "What's the best exterior paint?" As a painting contractor in Colorado, I'd painted hundreds of homes but never had solid data to back up my recommendations.

So I did something crazy. I bought every major paint brand's top product, painted test boards, and left them exposed to Colorado's brutal weather for three full years. What I discovered will change how you think about paint forever.

Here's the ironic part: PPG Permanizer was the one paint I didn't want to win. Why? Because in all my years as a contractor, I'd never actually used it on a house. I'd used every other paint in this test, but never Permanizer.

Even more surprising? The second-place finisher was Behr Pro E600 - the absolute cheapest paint I tested. It costs 60% less than the premium options and nearly matched the winner in every category. We can help you choose the right paint for your budget.

Why Most Paint Tests Are Worthless

Here's what nobody tells you about those "lifetime warranty" paints: They don't actually cover the two things that matter most:

• Fading from sun exposure (the #1 reason people repaint)
• Flat horizontal surfaces like window sills and deck railings

Read the fine print. It's all excluded. That's why I specifically tested these conditions - because that's where paint actually fails.

The 3-Year Experiment

I tested eight different paints from the biggest manufacturers: Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, PPG, and Behr. Here's exactly what I did:

• Painted siding boards and 2x4s with each paint
• Tested both primed and unprimed surfaces
• Used red and blue colors (they faded fast)
• Applied different numbers of coats to test thickness impact
• Left everything on a flat, horizontal surface in full sun

These boards got sun from sunrise to sunset, every single day. In Colorado, that means 300+ days of intense UV exposure, temperature swings from -10°F to 100°F, hail, snow, and 60+ mph winds.

The Shocking Results

The Color Factor Nobody Talks About

Here's something paint stores won't tell you: The color you choose affects how long your paint lasts. In my test:

• All red paints shifted toward orange, except Behr Premium Plus which got darker
• Blue paints lightened, except Sherwin-Williams Emerald which darkened
• Red paint collected more dirt and dust than blue
• Multiple coats helped significantly with fading, especially on blue

This might explain why Consumer Reports' paint rankings seem so random - they're probably testing different colors than what you're using.

The Secret Additive That Disappeared

During my test, I discovered an additive called Lumen by Encore Coatings. It claimed to prevent fading forever with a transferable lifetime warranty. I mixed it into several test paints.

The results? Every single paint performed better with this additive. Better color retention, better sheen, less peeling. It was remarkable.

Then it vanished from the market.

The company claims "supply chain issues". I was able to speak with what I believe was the owner, and he explained that the company couldn’t get one of the key ingredients due to COVID-related supply chain issues. It was a huge bummer because I was genuinely excited to use it on future projects and offer it to our customers.

Primer: The Surprising Truth

Conventional wisdom says primer is essential. My test showed something different - though I should note, I used a mid-grade primer, and I plan to retest in the future with higher-grade options to see if the results change:

• On siding boards, primer made almost no difference in longevity
• On raw wood, primer actually performed WORSE in some cases
• Benjamin Moore Aura had more peeling on primed surfaces than unprimed
• The "paint and primer in one" claims might actually be legitimate

I'm not saying skip primer entirely, but these results made me question everything I thought I knew.

What This Means for Your Home

Based on 1,095 days of testing in Colorado's extreme weather, here's my advice:

1. For maximum longevity: Choose PPG Permanizer. Make sure you buy it from a PPG store or Home Depot.
2. For best value: Behr Pro E600 gives you 90% of the performance at 40% of the cost. Yes, it's harder to apply, but it lasts.
3. Apply multiple coats: My test proved that extra coats significantly reduce fading, especially with darker colors.
4. Color matters: If you're in a high-UV area like Colorado, consider how your color choice will fade. Blues tend to perform better than reds. Get a free estimate.

The Bottom Line

After three years invested in this experiment, the results are clear: You don't need to buy the most expensive paint to get the best results. In fact, you might be better off buying the cheapest option from Behr.

From my own testing, it’s hard to say if paying extra for the top-tier paints is always worth it. That said, all of the higher-priced paints in my test performed very well. PPG Permanizer came out on top, but only slightly ahead of a paint that costs less than half as much.

"I went into this expecting to confirm what I thought for years. Instead, my results showed that real-world performance can be different than many might think." - Paint Pals Testing Team

What's Next?

I'm not done testing. I'm starting a new round with:

• The latest "improved" formulas from each manufacturer
• Three colors instead of two (adding green)
• Different primer brands to test that surprising result
• More budget options since they performed so well

I'll also keep monitoring these boards to see how they perform at 5, 7, and 10 years.