Non-Toxic Exterior Paints

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.

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.