Hi

I'm going to paint my outside terrace wall but how do I know a good quality paint to buy? Is price really an indicator or is there an ingredient in it that I should be looking for in it?

In the shop when you are faced with a whole wall full of different brand white outside paint it is hard to know which one to choose - any recommendations?

Oh god yes. Be careful and buy a good quality one. I bought one lot and binned it. Cheap is twice dear as they say.

I like having a plasticiser in it. I HATE decorating and painting, so I'd rather pay more and have it last longer.

As bil says, cheap can be expensive, make sure it say exterior as well as
plasticiser we paid E25.00 per tin for ours and it still looks good after three years.

I think mine was 28 euros. Comes in a green and white tin, or blue and white if it has anti fungus in it.

We Paid €28 for white, and the quality is good (15 lit).

We paid a lot more for coloured paint, €25 for 6 lit, but it covers first time and fills in the cracks a treat

One of the things I like is the rustic finish.

If I had to prepare the surface to a flat, perfect finish, it would be a month's work.

As it is, scrub off the loose, paint over the rest, and Hey Presto! a rustic finish.

You can buy a paint (two pots) around here that gives one of those scrubbed look finishes ..... really nice but a real pain to do and very expensive

No, not like that, I'm referring to a crap (sorry, rustic) finish, all irreglarities, lumps, depressions et al.

You don't say where you are!

If you are in the Mijas Costa area you can get Dulux Weathershield, it will cost you about 100 Euros for 10 lts but it is worth the money if you prepare the wall properly, another one nearly as good is from Seigneurie but if you are not trade then you find find it difficult to get, around 90 euros for 20 lts.

If you are not around Mijas Costa then 'Emucril 10' is a reasonably decent Spanish paint which is around 90 Euros for 25lts also 'T-Krome Supercarrara' is another decent Spanish paint.

Colours are generally dearer than white.

Your paint job will generally only last if the wall has been properly prepared, cleaned, all the loose paint removed, any powdery surface stabilized and cracks filled.

Good luck.