White masonry paint: what to settle before you buy a tin

Updated: October 2026

You have a greyed render or a tired pebbledash wall, and the tins in front of you all say brilliant white.

You have a greyed render or a tired pebbledash wall, and the tins in front of you all say brilliant white. High-street ranges often lead with a 10 litre smooth brilliant white, own-brand around £27 to £34 and Sandtex or Dulux above that, which is a pack size rather than a specification. White masonry paint in this set is a water-borne acrylic for sound exterior mineral walls, so settle the substrate, the film, the shade, and the litres first. Take that brief to the white masonry paint comparison when you compare amazon.co.uk listings. A dashed wall bought at the smooth-render rate will show once the first coat has dried.

Our top picks

Badge	Product	Finish	Shade	Pack size	Note	Price	Offer
Best overall	Leyland Leyland Granocryl white 2.5 litre	Smooth	White	2.5 litre	8.4	about £15.17	View offer
Best value	Leyland Leyland Granocryl brilliant white 5 litre	Smooth	Brilliant white	5 litre	8.8	about £20.95	View offer
Alternative	Dulux Dulux Weathershield white 7.5 litre	Smooth	White	7.5 litre	8.8	about £32.52	View offer

Best overall

Leyland Leyland Granocryl white 2.5 litre

8.4/10about £15.17

View offer

Best value

Leyland Leyland Granocryl brilliant white 5 litre

8.8/10about £20.95

View offer

Alternative

Dulux Dulux Weathershield white 7.5 litre

8.8/10about £32.52

View offer

On this page

1.What you are buying
2.Shade, film and litres
3.What the year-claim and the price do not prove
4.When the wall is not a DIY specification

What you are buying

White masonry paint here is a water-borne acrylic for cement render, concrete, roughcast, pebbledash, and brick that is normally painted. An interior emulsion is for indoor plaster, and a filler only fills a hole. Dulux describes Weathershield as a breathable film and still excludes lime render. SI 2012/1715 caps water-borne coatings for exterior mineral walls at 40 g/l of volatile organic compounds, and these listings do not print a measured grams-per-litre figure. BS EN 1062-1:2004 separates vapour transmission from liquid-water permeability, so waterproof on a listing is not that class. Keep the tin for a sound, dry wall. Dulux's Weathershield FAQ says a powdery wall needs Weathershield Stabilising Primer. Paint Check Plus warns against stabilising a sound surface that is not underbound.

Shade, film and litres

Brilliant white and pure brilliant white are the stark whites. Match the white already on the wall before you match the brand. Smooth and ultra smooth leave the existing texture alone, on flat cement render and on pebbledash that is already there. Fine textured paint is the heavier film for small irregularities, and it covers fewer square metres per litre. The smooth or textured masonry paint page sets out when that extra film is worth the litres, though buying it only because the wall is rough is the usual mistake. Dulux Trade's smooth sheet gives up to 16 m² per litre on smooth render and about 4 to 6 m² per litre on pebbledash, while Leyland Granocryl sits nearer 10 m² per litre on smooth surfaces. If any of the wall is dash, buy at the lower rate and read masonry paint for pebbledash.

Testsieger

Leyland Leyland Granocryl white 2.5 litre

8.4/10about £15.17

View offer

What the year-claim and the price do not prove

A 10-year or 15-year line depends on a sound, dry wall and the maker's instructions. It is not a live laboratory certificate and not a Which? rank. On amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026 the entry band was about £4.20 to £4.80 per litre: Leyland Granocryl brilliant white at £20.95 for 5 litres, Sandtex Microseal at £23.90 for 5 litres, and Dulux white at £32.52 for 7.5 litres. Each had around 4.6 stars from more than a thousand ratings. The DRW 7.5 litre tin at £27.99 had three ratings, which is too thin to treat as a Sandtex equivalent. The best white masonry paint page names a tin once the wall is a normal DIY surface.

When the wall is not a DIY specification

Below the damp-proof course, ground moisture has nowhere to go, and a white coat will not dry that band. Salts, loose render overhead, and work above a safe ladder are reasons to call a decorator. If the wall is sound, dry, and one of the surfaces above, follow the weather window on your tin. Dulux's consumer page asks for above 10°C and dry weather, Dulux Trade says not below 7°C and not above 80% relative humidity, and a Sandtex trade sheet says not below 8°C. Those windows differ, so use the one printed on your tin.

Common questions

What counts as white masonry paint, and what is a filler or an emulsion?

White masonry paint here is a water-borne exterior acrylic for sound cement render, concrete, pebbledash, roughcast, or suitable brick. An interior emulsion is for indoor plaster, and a filler only fills a hole. A tin that says white, without an exterior masonry use, is a different product.

Is Jasmine White the same as brilliant white?

Jasmine White is its own colour. Dulux Trade lists it at a light reflectance value of 88, colour code F2EFE5, beside pure brilliant white. It reads warmer on the wall than brilliant white. Match the shade already on the elevation, because a join of the two shows in dull weather.

How many litres do two coats need on dash compared with smooth render?

Use about 4 to 6 m² per litre on pebbledash and often about 10 to 16 m² per litre on smooth render, for each coat. A 20 m² dashed wall at 4 m² per litre needs about 10 litres for two coats. If any of the wall is dash, buy at that lower rate rather than the smooth-render figure.

Can this paint go on Fletton brick or lime render?

Dulux excludes Fletton brick, and these paints are not specified for common brick, engineering brick, or lime render. A film made for cement render can hold moisture in a lime wall. If you still want that surface coated, ask for a system the manufacturer names.

Does a 10-year or 15-year line mean the tin is certified?

The year is a stated life if the wall is sound and dry and you follow the instructions. It is not a live laboratory certificate or a Which? test. Dulux Trade's conditional 15-year line cites BBA certificate 97/3383, which NBS lists as withdrawn.

When does a powdery wall need stabilising solution?

Stabiliser is for a chalky or friable surface. Dulux's FAQ calls for Weathershield Stabilising Primer on powdery masonry, and Bostik's solution is aimed at that same problem. Paint Check Plus says to leave a sound surface alone if it is not underbound.

How to apply masonry paint