Mold and mildew not only look bad on your walls, but they can become a serious health hazard that affects everyone in your home and costs you money in repairs over the long term. Also, nobody wants to buy a home with moldy walls.
Repairing the wall and killing the mold/mildew may work, but that doesn’t protect you. That’s why choosing mold-resistant paints for susceptible spaces is key. Let’s explore the five best mold-resistant paints so you can make the most informed decision for your next painting project.
What Is Mold Resistant Paint?
Mold-resistant paint is a particular type of paint that prevents mold and mildew growth on your walls. Mold-resistant paints contain fungicide agents that make it more complicated or impossible for moisture-seeking mold and mildew to grow and spread.
Homeowners typically use mold-resistant paints in areas with high humidity, such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements, and exteriors in moist climates.
Mold-resistant paints are often self-priming (eliminating the need for a separate primer), and you can find them in oil and water-based formulas. Manufacturers either add the fungicides during production or mix them into regular paints as additives.
Depending on where you live or the tendency of your home to develop mold and mildew, mold-resistant paints may be necessary.
The 5 Best Mold Resistant Paints
1. Benjamin Moore’s Aura Bath and Spa Paint (Best Overall)
Price per gallon: $104.78
In our experience, Benjamin Moore’s Aura Bath and Spa is the ultimate mold-resistant paint. It’s specifically formulated to handle the moisture and steam in bathrooms and spas.
It’s a premium-quality, water-based paint with a matte finish that is durable and mildew-resistant. It is ideal for maintaining a fresh look in high-humidity environments or climates.
In addition to preventing mold and mildew growth, Aura Bath and Spa has the following benefits:
- High coverage for fewer coats.
- Wide color selection.
- Low odor and zero VOCs.
- Color Lock technology gives it richer colors and more durability.
- You can use it in other high-humidity interior areas, like the kitchen.
In short, Aura Bath and Spa is everything you need for a mold-resistant paint job in a residential or commercial setting.
2. Benjamin Moore’s Waterborne Ceiling Paint
Price per gallon: $59.991
Waterborne Ceiling Paint is less of a “trailblazer” than Aura Bath and Spa because it can’t be used in nearly as many cases, but if you’re planning to paint a ceiling that has a history of mold growth, this is precisely what you’re looking for.
Waterborne is an acrylic latex interior paint that contains antimicrobial additives designed to inhibit mold and mildew growth on the paint’s surface.
This is great for ceilings that have had mold problems before, but it’s also just an excellent choice if you live in a humid climate and want to be extra sure.
It comes in a single finish, Ultra Flat, which is especially good at hiding surface imperfections because it absorbs so much light. Waterborne is available in over 3,500 colors to compensate for the limited finish options. That should be enough to find the right one for you.
If you still need another reason to choose Waterborne for your ceiling, it also has excellent coverage (400 – 450 sq. ft.) and zero VOCs, making it friendly to the environment and everyone in your home or office.
3. Benjamin Moore’s Kitchen & Bath Paint
Price per gallon: $69.99
This is a straightforward solution if you need a kitchen-bath project for your home. Kitchen & Bath is an acrylic latex paint with a Satin finish that resists mildew growth in kitchens and bathrooms due to its antimicrobial additives.
Kitchen & Bath Paint is self-priming on most surfaces, easy and smooth to apply, durable, and retains color very well over time, making it an overall great option for controlling mold growth on the surface of your paint, especially in humid climates.
It also has low VOC levels at 37 grams per liter. Overall, Kitchen & Bath works for any interior space needing extra protection from humidity and mold/mildew.
4. Benjamin Moore’s Element Guard Exterior Paint
Price per gallon: $76.99
Element Guard is an acrylic resin paint specially formulated to fight exterior moisture and wind-driven rain, so it’s the best mold-resistant exterior paint on this list.
So, if you live in a humid environment and your exterior walls take a lot of punishment from the elements, this is your best option to fight mold and mildew while ensuring general durability, adhesion, and protection from harsh conditions.
Another bonus is that you can apply Element Guard to temperatures as low as 35°F or as high as 100°F. Finally, it develops resistance to rain very quickly, being able to resist it after only 60 minutes of application. Plus, it comes in Flat, Low-Lustre, and Soft-Gloss finishes.
5. Benjamin Moore’s Scuff-X Interior Paint
Price per gallon: $92.99
This particular formulation is designed to protect interior commercial walls from scuffing. It also provides antimicrobial protection that inhibits mold and mildew growth on the paint film’s surface.
Scuff-X is ideal for high-traffic, non-residential areas that could be affected by mold growth, such as hospitals, schools, retail environments, corporate spaces, and hotels.
Additionally, Scuff-X is very durable, features low VOC levels, and is easy to clean. It’s available in Matte, Eggshell, Satin and Semi-Gloss. Scuff-X is also eligible for LEED v4 credit, meaning it’s certifiably friendly to the environment and the people using the spaces you use it on.
Benjamin Moore’s Scuff-X is not the “standard” choice if all you’re looking for is mold resistance, but it’s great for commercial painting projects that would benefit from the extra protection.
What to Look For In Mold-Resistant Paint?
Mold-resistant paints are great for preventing mold and mildew growth, but they come in different finishes, and some are better suited for specific jobs than others (outdoors vs. indoors, etc.).
Next time you need to look for mold-resistant paint, here’s what you should keep in mind before buying:
- It should be durable. Read up on the expected useful life of any paint you’re considering. The longest-lasting ones won’t be the cheapest, but they’ll be worth it.
- It should have low VOC levels. Various paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can cause health issues like headaches and dizziness. Choose low-VOC or VOC-free mold-resistant paints for better indoor air quality.
- It should meet your specific needs. This is a no-brainer but important to remember. If you need to paint an outdoor wall, get mold-resistant paint specially formulated for the outdoors. The same goes for indoor jobs, specific surface types, and other important factors.
If you keep these in mind, you’ll choose a mold-resistant paint that looks good, lasts, isn’t toxic, and provides the most protection for your walls.
Our Top Choice: Benjamin Moore’s Aura Bath and Spa Paint
Despite the price tag, our experience tells us that Benjamin Moore’s Aura Bath and Spa Paint is the best option for mold-resistant paint. It combines mold and mildew resistance, durability, coverage, and color richness and variety.
Aura Bath and Spa is our go-to if we paint a moist interior space. However, we may occasionally choose a different option depending on the specific material and whether it is an outdoor or indoor job.
But what if you need to know which mold-resistant paint you need? That’s when Precision Painting Plus comes in.
You don’t have to let something like that stop you from going through with the project because our expert painters know precisely how to approach a job involving moldy walls. Contact Precision Painting Plus today by calling 888.392.8484 or filling out our contact form for a consultation, where an expert will guide you on your best move forward based on your needs.
