By Room · Independent eco paint specialists, 25+ years
The Best Paint for Exterior Woodwork & Trim
Doors, windows, fascias, fences and gates. Durable, weather-resistant natural paints and stains that hold up outside, in eggshell, gloss or a grain-showing woodstain. Here is exactly what we would use.
The paints I'd actually use on exterior walls
Exterior walls cope with rain, frost and sun, and the biggest mistake I see is a plastic masonry paint that traps damp and then blisters. I only sell breathable ones that let the wall dry out.
For most walls, render and brick, my go-to is GCS Exterior, a breathable mineral silicate in white and colours. For the greenest, air-purifying option there is AmbientPro+, and for heritage or lime walls, Earthborn Silicate.
If you just want a traditional white on lime render, Auro 344 lime paint is a lovely, great-value choice.
Why us? We've run The Greenshop from here in the Cotswolds for over 25 years, and we're fiercely independent, a real shop, not a paint brand pushing its own tins. Every paint I sell I've tested and used in my own home first, because for us this is personal: cleaner indoor air genuinely matters to me. It's why I only stock finishes that are better for you and better for the planet, backed by proper certifications rather than green marketing. More than 500 customers have reviewed us at 4.8 out of 5.
What to use, surface by surface
Auro 517 Satin
A durable, weather-resistant eggshell for exterior wood and metal. A soft sheen in around 800 colours, tough enough for doors, windows and fences.
From £30 colours
Shop & choose colourAlternativePainting it white? Auro 517-90 white.
Auro 516 Gloss
A traditional high-gloss for exterior wood and metal. Hard-wearing and weatherproof, in around 800 colours for a classic, glossy finish.
From £30 colours
Shop & choose colourAlternativePainting it white? Auro 516-90 white.
Auro 560 Woodstain
A breathable woodstain that shows the grain rather than covering it, coloured or transparent. Lovely on fences, sheds and garden wood you want to keep looking like wood.
From £7.50 65 colours
Shop & choose colourAlternativeWant a traditional Scandi look? Swedish Red (Falu).
Why it matters outside
Exterior wood lives a hard life
Sun, rain and frost are hard on outdoor wood. A good exterior finish has to flex with the timber, shed water and keep its colour, without the solvents of conventional exterior paint. These natural eggshells, glosses and stains are built for the weather and kinder to your garden.
- Weather-resistant and durable
Flexes with the timber and sheds rain, so it lasts outside.
- Natural, low odour finishes
Eco eggshell, gloss or a grain-showing woodstain, your choice.
- Certified, not greenwashed
Our range includes paints that are VOC Class A+, Vegan, cruelty free, microplastic and formaldehyde free. Each product lists its own certs.
Before you buy
How to choose, in 60 seconds
Walls and ceilings look calm in a breathable matt. For woodwork and anything that gets touched, step up to eggshell so it wipes clean.
If scuffs and splashes are likely, our Grafclean Eggshell wipes clean and shrugs off the everyday knocks.
Order a peel and stick swatch or a tester and live with it for a day. Colours shift with your light. Get a swatch.
How much paint will I need?
Measure up in a minute and we will tell you how many tins to order, so you are not left short or over buying.
Open the paint calculatorLoved by real customers
Try before you commit
See the colour on your own woodwork
Order a peel and stick swatch or a tester and live with it for a day before you paint the whole room. Not sure which paint is right? We are a real, independent shop, so just ask us.
Independent eco paint specialists in the Cotswolds · 25+ years · 4.8/5 from 513 reviews
