Best Mold and Mildew Resistant Paints
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
Moisture creates a breeding ground for unhealthy mold and mildew. Here are the best mold- and mildew-resistant paints to use in and around your home.
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What to Know About Painting Over Mold and Mildew
Musty ground-floor apartments, poorly ventilated bathrooms and dank basement laundry rooms are all potential petri dishes for growing ugly and unhealthy mold and mildew. Interior and exterior paints or primers containing antimicrobial properties can help keep mold under control.
Mold, a form of fungus that produces spores that float through the air, thrives in moist, warm environments. Mold and mildew produce allergens that, when inhaled or touched, can cause allergic reactions and trigger attacks in asthma sufferers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “The best way to control mold growth is to control moisture.”
Here are some useful steps for dealing with mold in and around your home:
- Find the source of the moisture. Don’t forget to look for hidden leaks in walls and under kitchen cabinets.
- Clean infested areas with detergent and water.
- After cleanup, let surfaces dry completely (allow 24 to 48 hours).
- Repaint the area with a mold-resistant product.
Prevention
- Install fans in bathrooms, leave windows open whenever possible, use an exhaust fan when cooking and run dehumidifiers to reduce indoor humidity.
- Add insulation to windows, pipes and walls to prevent condensation.
- Maintain gutters and downspouts.
Once you’ve taken care of the moisture problem and cleaned the area, here are some top-rated paints and primers to help keep the mold and mildew from returning.
KILZ Interior/Exterior Basement and Masonry Waterproofing Paint
Porous surfaces like brick, concrete and stucco are susceptible to moisture issues. KILZ Interior/Exterior Basement and Masonry Waterproofing Paint is specially formulated for these surfaces.
Safe to use indoors or out, it’s not only mildew-resistant but forms a barrier to stop water infiltration. This helps ward off future mold problems. Apply with a brush, roller or airless sprayer. The paint dries to the touch in one hour and can be re-coated in four.
Rust-Oleum Zinsser PermaWhite Exterior Paint
Rust-Oleum Zinsser PermaWhite Exterior Paint makes preventing mold and mildew growth a no-brainer. It requires no sanding, resists dirt and moisture and cleans up with soap and water.
As one Amazon reviewer wrote, “We had some exterior wall areas that had some mildew and moss. Most of this we washed during prep and scraped, but even so, areas remained discolored. One coat of this paint applied by brush completely covered these areas, and even a few spots that weren’t prepped. Excellent paint and primer in one.”
Valspar Duramax Exterior Paint and Primer
Duramax Exterior Paint & Primer comes as a tint base that can be custom mixed from a generous palette of colors. And the paint’s beauty isn’t only skin deep. It provides top-notch protection against wet-weather producing mold, mildew and algae, and shields your home’s facade from damaging UV rays.
Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa Paint
If someone in your household is seriously obsessed with taking long, steamy showers, Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa Paint is the one to choose. Intended for use in high-moisture environments, the paint effectively repels steam droplets to keep mildew at bay.
Fiberlock Aftershock Fungicidal Coating
Registered with the EPA as a fungicidal coating, Fiberlock Aftershock stalks any rogue mold and mildew organisms that may linger after cleaning and snuffs them out. It also inhibits future growth and spread.
This easy-to-apply, low-VOC, low-odor formula is recommended for lots of interior surfaces, including drywall, galvanized metal, wallboard, wood and more.
Zinsser Mold-Killing Primer
In some cases, the best remedy for serious mold problems combines a fungicidal primer layer with a topcoat of antimicrobial paint. This two-step process is especially warranted after severe water damage (like from a flood) or when mold has gone unaddressed for some time.
Applying the ready-to-use Zinsser Mold Killing Primer delivers an outstanding protective undercoating on non-porous surfaces. For small projects, use Zinsser Mold Blocking Primer spray.
Originally Published: February 25, 2021
