The following eco-friendly paints are made for the exterior of the home. They are more durable than interior paints.
Exterior paints are always more potent in odor than interior paints – these are the top no-VOC and low-VOC options.
Exterior paints are used on wood, cement and vinyl siding, and concrete porches and decks.
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1. ECOS Paints
- ECOS has a general exterior paint.
- I tested their Exterior Vinyl Siding Paint and Exterior Porch and Floor as well (for concrete, not for wood porches/decks).
- All exterior paints are usually more potent in their odors compared to interior paints, and these ones definitely are when wet.
- Their Low Luster Paint, another exterior paint of theirs, is lower odor than their Gloss Interior Paint.
- It’s common for a glossy paint to be higher in odor (with ECOS I estimate it’s double the level of odor).
- Air Purifying Primer is just a little bit higher odor than the Low Luster Paint. These were compared when wet, not when cured.
2. AFM Safecoat
- AFM Safecoat exterior paint is a high-quality paint and multiple sources claim this is as durable over time as a conventional brand when used to paint siding.
- They also make an exterior paint for concrete patios.
3. Envirosafe
- Envirosafe makes an exterior latex paint.
4. Sherwin Williams
- In terms of conventional brands, Sherwin Williams Duration Exterior is not as “eco-friendly” as the above brands but most people find it does offgas quickly.
5. Romabio Masonry Paint
Romabio masonry paint is a breathable paint for exterior masonry like brick. It’s made with a silicate binder which chemically binds to masonry while keeping the surface permeable.
There is no specialty paint for repainting wood decks/porches. If it’s new wood, a wood sealer is best. If you really wanted the painted look you can use AFM paints with their EXT sealer on top.
Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
Susan says
Hi Corinne,
We bought a 110 yr old Cape Cod house. I am assuming the stucco, due to the age of the house, is portland cement Stucco. Therefore we are looking for a permeable exterior paint so as not to end up with mold in the house from trapped vapor.
Can you tell me what permeable scale I should be looking for? What paint would be best to use?
.
Corinne says
I just added Romabio which is a permeable silicate paint for brick and masonry.
Jean says
Hi Corinne,
Do you know if pre-painted steel (SMP and PVDF) used on metal roofing and exterior wall cladding off-gasses?
Thanks,
Jean
Katherine Marine says
What paint would work for stucco finish?