The best exterior wood paints to freshen up your home

Everbuild's Quick Drying Professional stain is the best exterior wood treatment for anyone after a more natural solution. The 750ml natural oak product can touch dry in literally 30 minutes and an overcoat can be applied just four hours later (which is highly recommended for full coverage). Providing long-term protection, this exterior wood stain is perfect for smooth planed wood and can last up to five years. It's not only water-repellent and withstands UV radiation, but resists cracking and peeling. Available in a range of other colours, it's a high-quality, affordable solution and safe to use in poorly ventilated spaces. Make sure you stir the product properly before use and careful not to drip it all over the place!

PAINTPEOPLE also has a fantastic Firmtreat Anti Slip Deck Coating. The 2.5-litre oil-based liquid tint is one of the best exterior wood solutions for its high performance and beautiful natural wood aesthetic. With nine colours ranging from slate to silver birch, it's the perfect finish for any lucky garden decking or wooden frame. All these colours have been made with fine particles which means it only really needs two coats for great coverage. It also means the product brings out and doesn't compromise that beautiful natural grain. Firmtreat is quick drying, where in just two to four hours you are free to do what you want with your finished product. It's easy, anti-slip and affordable.

Johnstone's Woodworks shed and fence quick-dry wood stain in dark oak is another favourite and the best treatment for anyone on a budget. It not only keeps its colour well but provides weather protection. This is because it has been formulated to repel water and resist fading. Suitable for above ground rough sawn timber, it can be easily applied with a brush. It also covers 6-10 squared metres per litre – bargain!

Our final recommendation for the best wood stain is by Sadolin - the Superdec Opaque Wood Protection. Designed for all exterior wood, this product comes in a range of available colours and sizes. It has super-easy preparation and maintenance, exceptional durability and resists blistering and flaking. If you have a run-down bit of wood that needs weathering or maybe just want to completely change up your colour, this would be a great solution.

This Ronseal Super Flexible Primer and Undercoat in grey has been included just in case you're after a high-quality base coat. It's formulated to dry to a flexible film that resists peeling and cracking. This resin is that clever it even boosts the durability of the topcoat. Guaranteed to have a longer lasting topcoat finish, the exterior treatment is compatible with a variety of wood paints and wood types (including bare wood). The 750ml product also does well at hiding strong colours and dark marks. The Ronseal primer uses a unique stain locking technology that acts as an additional protective barrier, stopping wood tannins from compromising your paintwork. Easily applicable, you can have this non-toxic undercoat done and dry in a matter of two hours, but it does require two coats.

The Dulux Weather Shield Exterior High Gloss Paint is the best exterior wood paint for many reasons. It not only comes in a variety of stylish colours but provides 10 years of guaranteed protection. Great for all exterior woods and metals, this 750ml product is very easy to apply, mould-resistant and rainproof. With hundreds of high ratings, the solvent based flexible paint film has a beautiful high gloss finish – perfect for all garden exteriors.

In addition to the Super Flexible Primer and Undercoat, Ronseal provides an exceptional waterproof wood paint in grey satin. Providing 10 years of guaranteed protection, no primer is required for this product. The 750ml product has a satin finish and can cover eight squared metres per litre. It's also weatherproofed in just one hour, making it super quick and easy to apply. A user that has tried this exterior wood paint says, "thick paint, good quality. Used to repaint over white gate, went on well and good coverage. Looks really smart."

This Cuprinol 5-litre garden shades treatment is the best exterior wood paint for anyone wanting to give a garden shed or fence a new bit of character. The willow matt shade is divine as it enhances the grain of the natural wood. Not only does this solution have a guaranteed six-year protection, it is also very easy to apply with either a brush or as a spray. It's suitable for a variety of surfaces (wood, terracotta, brick, and stone) and textures (smooth wood and rough sawn wood). It does recommend applying two coats though.

If you're after an extensive high-quality range of exterior wood spray paints, Rust-Oleum is certainly the answer. The first product we recommend in their range is this 400ml Painters' Touch Spray Paint. With over 11,000 ratings, it's been listed as Amazon's Choice for white spray paint. This product, however, comes in a million and one colours (well almost, 42) such as Espresso, Green Apple, and Satin Black just to name a few. It's also is available in a range of gloss, satin, and matt finishes which are all smooth and durable. The high quality 400 millilitre bottle contains a fast-drying formulation making it great for both interior and exterior use. The blend of ingredients brings out the natural features of the wood and prevents it from cracking, peeling, and blistering.

Another great exterior wood spray paint by Rust-Oleum that we highly recommend is the Garden Furniture Paint. Coming in eight colours ranging from anthracite to powder blue, the 400-millilitre treatment has a modern, smooth, and matt finish. Super durable, easy to clean and water-resistant, the product doesn't require any priming or sanding prior to application. The paint can also be directly applied to any wood (painted or bare), as well as stone, plaster, brick, plastic, and metal. It does, however, take 16 hours to fully cure.

The final best exterior wood spray treatment by Rust-Oleum is the Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Paint and Primer. Easy to apply and fast drying, it only needs 20 minutes to touch dry and covers up to 12 squared feet per can. The oil-based formula is not only low odour, but resists chipping, fading, and provides long-lasting protection. Ideal for both indoors and outdoors, this paint in Gloss Sage Green is aesthetically very appealing. It too can be applied on a variety of surfaces which include wood, plastic, plaster, metal, masonry, and unglazed ceramic. Made with a very durable formula, it really can provide that fresh, new look to surfaces.