Consumer Reports Shop Smart: Spruce up your home and deck

Your grill (and whats on it) may be the star of your next barbecue, but your house and deck could get less-than-rave reviews if their finishes have faded, notes Consumer Reports.

More manufacturers are promising greater longevity with long warranties that cover the cracking and dirt most homeowners gripe about. Paints that brush on without priming first and a stain you can roll over wet wood are time-savers, whether you hire a pro or do the job yourself. Roughly 25 percent of homeowners paint their own house, and 75 percent do the deck.

Ace Hardwares Royal Exteriors now rivals Home Depots Behr and Lowes Valspar, two of Consumer Reports top satin and semigloss paints. As with the Behr and Valspar, both Ace paints have a lifetime warranty and endured the equivalent of nine years outdoors without cracks. And at less than $30 per gallon, they cost up to $11 less. But the home center brands proved to be better at fending off dirt and mildew.

Home Depot is also facing tougher competition among the solid color deck stains that last longest and sell best at stores. Benjamin Moores Arborcoat Solid Deck and Siding, $46, looked better than Behrs Solid Color Waterproofing Wood Stain after two years of tests, and it fared just as well after three. But the Behr still wins in the war against dirt and mildew, and it costs almost $20 less.

But if you think youre fully covered by lifetime and other paint and stain warranties, think again. Outdoor testing shows that some paints and stains with similar warranties perform very differently.

Pick a paint based on your project. Flat and satin are what most people choose for siding, and semigloss adds sheen and contrast for trim. Among stains, solids hide the beauty of the grain in exchange for longer life; clear finishes show it all, but usually last no longer than a year. A smart compromise: Semitransparent stains, which show some of the grain and can still look good after two years.

Heres what else to keep in mind as you're shopping:

Consider the store. Most of the best paints and stains that Consumer Reports tested still come from Behr, making Home Depot your one-stop shopping destination if youre doing your house and deck. Its tests also found that the Glidden Premium Satin sold at Home Depot is generally a better bet than the Glidden Endurance Plus at Wal-Mart, though the Wal-Mart product is self-priming.

Plan around promos and sales. Youll also save year-round by buying 5-gallon containers instead of the usual gallon cans.

Protect yourself. For houses built before 1978, any painter you hire must be trained in lead-safe practices and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. If your deck was built before 2004, it could have been made with chromated copper arsenate, which contains arsenic. Hire a pro who can safely contain and remove flaking finishes and potentially harmful sanding dust.

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Consumer Reports Shop Smart: Spruce up your home and deck