Exterior house paint: pairing colours that look good and stand up to Thai sun and rain

With exterior paint, think about sun and rain before looks

Interior walls only face the air conditioning and the people at home. Exterior walls face 3 pm sun in April, pounding rain in September and humidity all year round. So exterior paint has to be one labelled for exterior use, not an interior paint you're trying your luck with.

Voqe Wall Paint is a 100% pure acrylic emulsion for interior and exterior use, with a stated lifespan of 15 years. It comes in Eggshell and Semi gloss, and is made by Dyno Paints at its Bang Phli factory, which has been making paint for around 40 years.

One more thing you can't forget is primer. Use Voqe Primer new concrete on new render, and Voqe Primer old concrete on an older house you're painting over. The right primer helps the topcoat adhere well.

Strong Thai sun: how to choose a shade for large walls

Light colours reflect more light than dark ones, so large walls in sun all day usually suit warm white, cream, beige or light grey, such as Ivory, Linen, Sand Dust and Soft Gray. The house looks clean, and isn't harsh on the eye when seen from the street.

Something people often forget: strong sun makes colour look much lighter than it does in the shade. A shade that looks just right on a sample card in an air-conditioned room may look washed out on a wall in full sun. If you're torn between two shades, choose the slightly darker one, and always paint a sample on the real wall on the sunny side first.

Frequent rain: use colour to keep the house looking clean for longer

In the Thai rainy season, water splashes up from the ground onto the lower walls, so dirt stains and algae usually start at knee height first. A trick old Thai houses have long used is to paint the lower wall or the base of the house in a colour darker than the main wall, such as Tornado Gray, Volcanic Rock or Coffee Bean, so stains don't show so easily.

For window frames, doors and fences that need wiping often, choose the glossier Semi gloss. A smooth surface is easier to wipe clean than a matt one. On large walls, Eggshell looks softer on the eye.

• Main walls: a light colour in Eggshell
• Base or lower walls: one to two steps darker
• Trims, doors and fences: Semi gloss, easy to wipe

4 exterior colour combinations

A good-looking house doesn't need lots of colours. Three are enough: the main wall, the trim or moulding, and the door or accent. It's like getting dressed: shirt, trousers and shoes, and you're ready for anything.

• Clean modern house: Snowflake walls, Volcanic Rock trim, natural wood door
• Warm, resort-style house: Sand Dust walls, Ivory trim, Coffee Bean door
• House in a garden: Linen walls, Ivory trim, Pine Green or Coastal Pine doors and windows
• Classic seaside house: Ivory walls, Soft Gray trim, Navy door
• For the feel of an old house: swap the door colour for Antique Brick, a brick red that goes with terracotta tiles

Working out exterior paint, and getting a painter to help

Voqe Wall Paint covers 35–40 square metres per gallon per coat. For a whole house, most people buy the larger cans: 9L at ฿2,500 and 18L at ฿3,990. Put your actual wall area into the paint calculator on our website before you order, and allow for two coats.

Exterior work involves scaffolding, high walls and surface preparation. If it's not convenient to do it yourself, use our Supply & Apply service and a team of trained painters will do it for you. To see the shades for real in natural light, visit Voqe Studio (Bang Phli), call 084-351-2707, or send a photo of your house to LINE @dynohomes for free help combining colours.