Smooth vs. Textured Masonry Paint: What is the Difference?

While painting the outside of your home can seem a daunting project—especially if you’re living in a house with multiple stories—the right kind of paint for the job can make the ordeal much easier while ensuring a smoother and evener finish that will stand the test of time.

Masonry paint is typically acrylic-based exterior paint that can be used on a variety of surfaces. You can use them over a variety of substrates including concrete, brick, stone, stucco, wood, render, tiles, paving slabs, pebbledash/roughcast, decking, and more.

The main reason why this type of paint is mostly used on exteriors is its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. Unlike emulsion, masonry paints are highly weather-resistant and can last much longer when exposed externally.

Available in a range of different colors these can easily be applied to all types of properties, no matter whether you want to increase its value or want to get it protected from the negative impacts of weather conditions.

Types of Masonry Paint

When choosing masonry paints for your exteriors, the decision typically comes down to two options. These types vary in several important aspects, and understanding these differences will help you determine which one is best suited for your project.

Smooth vs. Textured Masonry Paint	Smooth Masonry Paint	Textured Masonry Paint
Ease of application	Easy to apply on small and larger surfaces	Can be difficult to apply and will require specialized tools
Finishing	Smooth and even-looking surface	Textured, rough, and coarse surface finish
Cleaning	Easy to clean and requires less maintenance	It does require more cleaning and maintenance
Ability to hide imperfections	Evenly coat without hiding blemishes	Good at hiding minor blemishes and cracks
Durability and cost	More durable and priced lower	Can be less durable and more expensive

Smooth Masonry Paint

Smooth masonry paint is exactly what it sounds like—smooth. It lacks the texture of textured masonry paint and instead creates a smooth, sleek finish for the outside of your home because of its rich creamy consistency.

In many ways, it’s difficult to distinguish smooth masonry paint from most types of interior paint in the home. But while you may not be able to see a difference, the chemical makeup of the two products differs greatly. That’s because, again, your outdoor paints will need to be able to withstand more extreme elements.

Also, you may think you’ll get the same finish—and it might even look similar—interior paint cannot replace smooth masonry paint when used outdoors. For this reason, you don’t want to use interior paint to decorate the outside of your home.

Have a pebbledash applied to the wall OR a brick façade you’re looking to cover? This great paint can do the trick. It’s great to use along already-textured walls and surfaces.

Keep in mind, however, that smooth masonry paint doesn’t cover blemishes all that well. If you know that you’re going to need to hide some imperfections in your outdoor walls, you may want to go with a more textured option.

Textured Masonry Paint

On the other hand, textured masonry paint isn’t smooth (rather it’s rough, granular, and thick), making it instantly distinguishable from the smooth paint variety.

This popular form of outside masonry paint comes in a surprisingly large number of options. To begin with, you’ll be able to choose just how much texture you want in your paint.

While most options are “light” in texture, you can find some that offer a bit more bulk to the paint. This makes them great for hiding larger blemishes (not of the structural variety) and gives you more flexibility in decorating your home.

Thanks to the texture it creates, this paint can also offer extra grip for climbing plants and vines, making it a popular choice for those aiming to enhance outdoor spaces with a green wall or vertical garden effect.

Note that no paint will hide structural deformities in your wall. Only minor blemishes can be hidden with any type of paint, so make sure that you understand your exterior wall and your needs before making your purchase.

Textured masonry paints can also be used on smooth surfaces to give the finished product a more rugged look. Keep in mind, however, that this can come with a downside, as the rough and granular nature of textured masonry paint makes it more susceptible to collecting and absorbing dirt.

The more texture your paint has, the more this will apply to you which means that you’ll likely need to clean the outside of your home more often if you choose to go with textured masonry paint.

The other downside of textured paint is it can be more expensive due to the specialized ingredients (like microfibers) and the application methods that require specific tools and techniques.

Choosing the Best Masonry Paint

When asking which masonry paint is the best, I would say that there’s no single product that suits all your needs.

You would rather need to check your budget, the environmental conditions you are living in, the surface on which you plan to apply the paint, the waterproofing qualities of the paint, and many other related factors before you pick the one.

I have listed down a few best-selling products on the market, read on for a simple guide that can help…

1- Dulux Weather Shield

Formulated with a unique high-performance acrylic resin (with advanced slow-release biocide technology) the Dulux Weather Shield ensures a flawless finish with long-term durability year after year. It’s in fact a versatile masonry paint that boasts good adhesion to surfaces for resisting harsh weather conditions.

Weather Shield masonry paint by Dulux also offers you a quick drying time which means you can get a ready-to-touch waterproof surface in less than an hour.

2- Sandtex Ultra Smooth

Sandtex Ultra Smooth paint comes with excellent adhering qualities along with a Microseal technology which improves its breathability. The coating is designed to provide impressive coverage along with fungal protection, weather resistance, quick drying time, and much more on a variety of different surfaces.

If you are worried about all the flaking and peeling in your exteriors, this would not be an issue with this top-quality premium paint material.

3- Britannia Wallshield Eco 

The eco-friendly nature of this relatively new paint in the market makes it perfect for homeowners (as well as businesses) who want to paint their buildings without using any toxic elements.

Not only does this smooth masonry paint enhance the aesthetic appeal of the building but also it works to improve the insulation and overall protection.

4- Remmers Silicone Paint LA 

This is another great product for exteriors that offers unmatched breathability and protection to your outer surfaces. Primarily known for its water-resistant qualities, this paint is also effective enough in repelling fungi, filling cracks, improving insulation, etc.

No matter whether your building is built with stone or brick, this weather-resistant product can be your solution to get a great smooth finish. There is also a Remmers Concrete Acrylic textured alternative that can be a good option for concrete surfaces.

5- Hydron Nu-Guard AG

This is an energy-saving protective coating system designed for achieving maximum weather protection. The paint coating is also available with fire retardant and anti-graffiti properties making it ideal for building in high-traffic areas.

Due to its fantastic chemistry and composition, it is highly effective in resisting dirt, pollution, and water. Plus, it also comes with self-cleaning and energy-efficient properties that make it suitable for internal as well as external users.

6- Zinsser AllWeather Exterior Masonry Paint 

This versatile Zinsser smooth masonry paint is highly popular in the UK and many other European countries.

Like in name, it’s an all-weather application that can be coated very fast for offering a tough protective coating in winters and stormy conditions. You can apply this paint even at an extreme temperature of -5°C to make the surface dirt and water-resistant.

7- Rust-Oleum Mathys Murfill Waterproofing Coating 

This is one of the best smooth masonry paints that comes with exceptional breathability, waterproofing qualities, elasticity, colorfast, and cracks bridging ability which means it does not fade color or crack away by harsh UV sun rays.

Besides smooth masonry paints, Rust-Oleum also offers a textured version (Mathys Paracem Quartz) which is highly suitable for internal and external use. Then there is also a Mathys Murfill Quartz Anti-Pollution and Corrosion-proof paint that is one of the best choices for industrial environments.

How to Apply the Exterior Paint Correctly?

When it’s about applying the smooth or textured exterior-based masonry paint, preparation is the key. This means, that if there are any defects (like cracks, flaking, and dampness) on your exterior surface, make sure that you fix them by applying some cream before applying masonry paint.

A few other things you will need to remember also include:

• Do not paint in strong sunlight
• Do not paint in too humid conditions
• Choose the right masonry brush (3 or 4-inch) and trowel
• For areas at height consider using an extension pole and for larger surface areas use a roller with a medium or high pile sleeve

Remember if you prefer a smoother finish it is best to use a brush and trowel for applying the masonry paint. However, for getting a rugged finish with a textured look, using a textured roller sleeve would be more suitable.

Also keep in mind that if you happen to stop painting your walls in between, a ‘wet edge line’ on the surface will always be an eyesore for you.

So, figuring out how much masonry paint you will need to buy is important before you start with the project. Here are the steps you may follow to do this:

• Calculate the surface area you want to paint by simply multiplying the length and height of each wall (in meters)
• Calculate the surface areas that you do not want to paint (like doors and windows if there are any)
• Subtract the two calculations and you will get an estimation of the final surface area you will be painting.

Now when you buy the paint, check the tin of the product which should have a coverage rate in square meters per liter. This way you can easily calculate the number of tins you will be using.

Remember, based on the surface you intend to paint you may need to apply 2-3 coats for getting the right finish. So, the decision you make should be based on the number of coats you will be applying.

The Bottom Line

Masonry paint (both smooth and textured) provides a cheaper option that can give you a great-looking finish on your house. Just be aware of what kind of texture you need—if you need any at all—and what types of surfaces you will need to paint.

No matter how many blemishes you have or what the weather conditions are, a professional wall coating using masonry paint provides longer-lasting protection against the elements and will keep the exterior of your home looking newer and longer. This may prove especially beneficial if you live in an environment with extreme weather conditions.