Best Anti Mould Paint

What is the best anti mould paint? If you live in a home that’s prone to condensation and damp, this is a question you’re probably asking.

Prevention is always better and not to mention cheaper than cleaning or repairing your walls/ceilings so having the best mould resistant paint on your walls and ceiling is a no brainer.

But how do you know which paint to choose? After all, there’s plenty of paints on the market CLAIMING to prevent mould but we know as well as anyone that that’s not always the case.

Fortunately, we’ve used our experience applying these paints and coupled that up with real client feedback to come up with the definitive guide to anti mould paint. Keep reading to find out which ones we’d recommend.

Best Anti Mould Paint Overall: Ronseal Anti Mould Paint

When it comes to overall quality and value for money, anti mould paints don’t get much better than Ronseal.

This paint has a nice and thick consistency, is easy to apply with minimal runs and most importantly gives you 6 years of protection from mould growth on walls and ceilings. Whilst formulated for use on walls and ceilings, you’ll find that it works just as well on other areas of your home such as doors and windows although be careful not to apply it in high traffic areas.

Being incredibly thick, it does a great job of insulating, especially if applied liberally. As you might know, condensation (and therefore mould) builds up on colder surfaces and during tests we could feel the difference in temperature between the treated area of our wall and the untreated section. That should give you an idea as to how well it works!

In terms of aesthetics, this anti condensation paint has a clean, white matt finish which in itself is a look worth keeping.

Pros

• Is durable and can be cleaned
• Can save you thousands of pounds by preventing mould and damp
• It’s easy to apply and easy to clean
• Dries fairly quickly allowing you to finish painting during a morning/afternoon

Cons

• None

Best Mould Resistant Paint for Bathrooms: Dulux

Whilst not specifically labeled as anti mould, Dulux’s Easy Care Bathroom paint works much in the same way as some other paints on this list.

The Easy Care Bathroom paint is an incredibly tough and durable soft sheen emulsion that has the ability to exceptionally resist moisture and steam. It’s for this reason, when painting bathrooms we always recommend using this particular product.

Dulux use mould resistant technology which should provide you with mould free paint for at least 5 years. Of course, this has the drawback of having to repaint again after it stops working but considering the length of time as well as the ease at which you can slap this paint on, I wouldn’t worry too much.

Unlike most other paints on our list, Dulux has the advantage of providing a lovely soft sheen finish that doesn’t need to be painted over once set. The cool neutral range of colours means you can choose any colour from White Mist to Slate Grey, leaving your bathroom with a modern chic look.

Pros

• Easy to apply, even for first time painters
• Provides a lasting soft sheen finish
• Mould resistant for around 5 years
• Works well in high steam and moisture areas such as bathrooms

Cons

• Needs to be repainted every 5 years

Trusted by Professionals: Zinsser

Whilst the majority of paints on this list are perfect for the average DIYer due to their ease of application and value for money, sometimes there’s nothing quite like using the best product that’s trusted by professionals.

So if you really want the best gear possible, then Zinsser Perma White mould resistant paint will be a part of your solution. Here’s a quick run down of making sure you get the best results:

1. Treat areas that have mould growth with a mould killer
2. Use a good quality stain blocker to ensure the mould doesn’t grow back
3. Apply 2-3 coats of Perma White

Now, I would say that the opacity of this paint isn’t fantastic but 3 coats would do the trick. I know you’re thinking “3 coats?! How much of this stuff do I need to buy?!” Well, trade paint is mostly always superior to retail paint so you’ll find the coverage of Perma White is so much better than typical paint.

So what can you use this paint on? Pretty much anywhere! I’ve used this stuff personally on bathrooms, kitchens, en suites and even pool houses. It’s incredible at dealing with high moisture areas.

Pros

• Trusted by professionals in the UK
• Has superior coverage
• Can be used in even the highest moisture rooms

Cons

• Opacity is a bit weak so you’ll need to put more coats on

Best Anti Mould Additive: Dryzone

Now onto something a little bit different. Having the best anti mould additive to hand gives you so many decorative options and for this category we would go with Dryzone’s Anti Mould Additive.

This particular additive comes in a 100ml bottle which is enough to mix with around 5L of paint. And speaking of mixing with paint, you can use this stuff with anything including emulsions, vinyl and if you’re brave enough, silk (sorry silk, but you’re terrible to work with). This of course means you have the freedom to choose your own paint and colour and still get mould resistance.

We’ve used this additive a number of times for clients who didn’t want to be stuck with a particular colour and the feedback has always been great. Whilst we can’t definitively say that Dryzone’s claim of 5 year protection from mould is entirely accurate, our clients haven’t had an issue with it.

So why isn’t everyone using anti mould additive? Simply put, the effectiveness of the additive is essentially your responsibility. You need to make sure you mix it properly and at the right quantity otherwise you’re not going to be getting the results you would from an anti-mould specific paint. You may also find that the paint becomes a bit sticky which makes applying it that bit harder.

Pros

• Allows you to choose any paint you want
• Simple process of adding and mixing
• Provides 5 year mould resistance
• Cheap solution

Cons

• Can make certain paints stickier

Best Mould Resistant Paint in Magnolia: Dryzone

When it comes to damp proof products, Dryzone are one of the first brands to come to mind for us so any list about anti mould paint is naturally going to warrant a double inclusion. This time, we’re talking about their magnolia paint.

This particular paint is professional strength (but lower odour) and is one of the most effective paints when it comes to preventing damp and mould even against the most persistent condensation.

The fast drying formula leaves an easily washable surface and is thus perfect for use on any interior walls or ceilings that receive moderate traffic as it can withstand frequent washes (especially handy if you’ve got mucky children running around!)

It’s very easy to apply and once fully set leaves a soft sheen finish in magnolia resulting in a look that is sophistic yet simple.

Pros

• Very easy to apply
• Excellent value for money
• Proven to work well in terms of its mould and damp resistance
• Leaves a simple soft sheen magnolia finish
• Suitable for use on any interior wall/ceiling around the home

Cons

• It looks lighter than traditional magnolia but still the best you’ll get

Does Anti Mould Paint Work?

Yes, anti mould paint does a good job at inhibiting mould growth in areas where moisture and condensation is a problem as the biocides contained within the paint damage the cell membranes and essentially kills it before it has the chance to grow.

Of course, it makes a lot of sense to look at the environmental factors within your home to see if there are things you can do to stop mould in the first place.

For example, if your bathroom suffers from condensation, you could look into installing a proper ventilation system. These might be expensive to install but mould resistant paint is only really going to work for a few years before you’ll need to paint it again.

Can You Paint Over Mould With Anti Mould Paint?

Anti mould paint is more an inhibitor than a straight up fungicide so if you were thinking about painting over mould with anti mould paint, we’d advise against it.

Instead, invest in a good mould killer. A concentrated fungicide will be much more effective at dealing with mould and so would be a good place to start. After this, a stain blocker and a couple of coats of mould resistant paint should ensure you’re mould-free for years to come.

Budget Anti Mould Paints – Are They Worth It?

In my professional opinion I would avoid purchasing budget anti mould paints. Adding biocides which will ultimately protect your surfaces from mould growth isn’t cheap. So chances are, a budget anti mould paint isn’t going to have a high content of biocides.

If the paint ultimately doesn’t work then you’ve wasted your time, effort and money.

Summary

Whilst we went for Ronseal’s anti mould paint as our number one choice for DIYers, all the paints/additives we’ve included will do a good job at inhibiting mould growth.

If you want a truly professional finish, we’d recommend 2 or 3 coats of Zinsser Perma White preceded by a clean and stain blocker.

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