Exterior Paint Colors That Fade the Fastest | Southern Painting (2024)

December 09, 2021

Exterior Paint Colors That Fade the Fastest | Southern Painting (1)

If you’re thinking about painting the exterior of your home or building, it’s important to plan for the long term. While a fresh coat of paint will look great as soon as you put it on, certain exterior paint colors can fade faster than others. By opting for a more fade-resistant option for your home, you can ensure your exterior painting project will continue to look great for years to come. For homeowners throughout the southern United States, choosing a fade-resistant exterior paint color is especially important for holding up to the harsh exposure from the sun.

Which Exterior Colors Should I Avoid?

The color that’s most susceptible to fading in the sunlight is red. This is especially true of intense red colors, which may fade even faster. When driving around the neighborhood, you may have noticed that red is a rather uncommon color on the exterior for homes. Because it can quickly fade and turn to more of a pinkish color, it’s often avoided altogether on home exteriors.

What are the Most Fade-Resistant Colors?

Now that you know what to avoid, you may be wondering which colors are the most fade resistant. Typically, lighter earth tones such as beige and tan are the most stable for exterior applications. As a general rule of thumb, more vibrant colors are likely to fade faster while more neutral tones will hold their color the best.

Additional Considerations for Exterior Paint

In addition to considering different colors, investing in high-quality paint is important for ensuring lasting results. Choosing a durable painting material that’s specifically designed for outdoor applications is essential. At Southern Painting, we are The Interior and Exterior Painting Experts. If you’d like assistance finding the right exterior paint products and colors for your home, contact us today.

Exterior Paint Colors That Fade the Fastest | Southern Painting (2024)

FAQs

Exterior Paint Colors That Fade the Fastest | Southern Painting? ›

The color that's most susceptible to fading in the sunlight is red. This is especially true of intense red colors, which may fade even faster. When driving around the neighborhood, you may have noticed that red is a rather uncommon color on the exterior for homes.

What color exterior paint fades the fastest? ›

Choosing a bold, bright color can make your house stand out from the others on the block. However, it can also fade a lot quicker! Red paint specifically fades faster than other colors due to the interaction between its color pigment and UV rays.

What is the best exterior paint for Southern exposure? ›

A white paint with a hint of gray or blue will counterbalance the naturally amber cast of southern exposure. These white paint colors feature varying levels of cool tones, depending on the warmth of your south-facing light.

Which color fades the fastest? ›

Typically red paints fade the fastest, the more intense the red, the faster you'll notice a color shift.

What house color fades the least in sunlight? ›

TIPS FOR CHOOSING LONG-LASTING EXTERIOR PAINT COLORS

Earth- and neutral-toned colors such as cream, beige, and gray are more resistant to sun exposure and absorb less heat.

What is the best exterior paint to avoid fading? ›

The secret to fade-resistant exterior paint is high-quality 100% acrylic latex paint, which works great even on stucco. Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint dazzles with its renowned fade-resistant properties.

What color exterior house paint lasts longest? ›

Here are the colors that last the longest on exterior
  • Beige.
  • Tan.
  • Light brown.
  • Light blues.
  • White.
  • Light green.
Sep 4, 2022

What is the best color for exterior paint in sun exposure? ›

Best Exterior Paint Colors for High Sun Exposure

Opt for light colors like whites, creams, and soft grays to reflect more sunlight. These shades keep your home cooler and add a timeless, clean look to your exterior.

What exterior paint won't fade in the sun? ›

Fade Resistant Exterior Paint
  • Krylon. Satin COLORmaxx Black Enamel Latex Interior/Exterior Paint + Primer (1-quart)
  • Krylon. Flat COLORmaxx Black Enamel Latex Interior/Exterior Paint + Primer (1-quart)
  • Valspar. Pro Storm Coat White Latex Exterior Paint.

What is the popular exterior house color for 2024? ›

Amid the wave of blue hues, Behr added a pinch of contrast with its choice of "Cracked Pepper" as the 2024 Color of the Year. “Cracked Pepper perfectly aligns with the ongoing trend of moody and dramatic home exteriors that have been gaining momentum in recent years,” Mosher says.

What color paint fades the most? ›

Sunlight attacks the chromophores causing a change to their structure and making the pigment lose its color. Some pigments react with chemicals in the environment (oxygen, nitric acid, ozone) to cause fading. Yellow, orange, and red are the paint colors most susceptible to fading.

What color is least likely to fade? ›

More neutral colours like tan, beige, brown, and various shades of white fade the least over time.

Does dark exterior paint fade faster? ›

The Cons of Dark Paint for a House Exterior

In general, black and other deep hues tend to fade faster than lighter colors. Think about it—exteriors are exposed 24/7 to the sun and the elements.

What color is not recommended for exterior use? ›

Yellow makes the top of our list for a number of reasons! Primarily because it is so susceptible to fading. With the amount of sunshine we get here in Colorado, it's always wise to take that into consideration when choosing exterior paint colors. Due to the pigments used in yellow paints it tends to fade quite quickly.

Why are some colors not recommended for exterior? ›

Dark colors absorb light, and lighter colors reflect it. Because of this, darker colors tend to fade faster than lighter colors. Black exterior paint may look dark grey within a year, or hunter green may quickly fade to sage green.

What is the best long-lasting exterior paint? ›

Sherwin Williams Duration Exterior Acrylic Latex is our choice as the best overall exterior house paint for a few reasons. It is one of Sherwin Williams' top paint lines, and has been designed to be extremely durable and resist cracking, peeling, and blistering.

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