Self-priming all-in-one wood paints?

[MisterBoy]

I've used "Ronseal 10 Year Weatherproof Wood Paint - Gloss" a year back on my front door and so far so good, I've seen a few similar products like Zinsser AllCoat Exterior. They make bold claims "paint on anything" and generally I see positive reviews but people aren't generally going to be reviewing 3 years after painting.

Do they actually do anything special/different to regular paint?

 

[Wayners]

To get the best results the surface needs to be clean.
Also sanded sometimes.

Whats regular paint? So many different formulas and resins in paints with different properties.

 

[opps]

I have long wondered how they (manufacturers) access the longevity of paints. I know that many use the BBA to accredit their paints but how "real world" are those tests.

It is one thing to paint a single bit of wood and subject it to an accelerated weathering process but when looking at doors and windows, you have dynamic joints where tiny cracks open up. The true mark of paint might be it's ability to deal with such situations. That said, I guess ultimately, they are only assessing the resistance to UV light, rain and temperature swings.

I would expect the paint on a hardwood front door that only has a little direct sunlight and is sheltered form the rain to last much, much longer than the claims made by the manufacturer.

Additionally, they never seem to state any difference in paint colours in the same product range. A dark door in direct sunlight on a hot day is way hotter than a white one. That extra pigment in the paint causes the joins to expand and contract more, potentially leading to blistering around knots or water ingress at joints.

 

[MisterBoy]

These modern "all in one" paints strongly tout their flexibility properties - one reason I am drawn to them - but indeed I have no idea how well tested this is.
I suppose other than read reviews (ideally from people who know what they're talking about not Joe Public) all I can do is look at the brand reputation.

The royal blue "Ronseal 10 Year Weatherproof Wood Paint" I used on my front door is coming up on its 1st birthday this summer so it'll be interesting to see how it looks after 2 summers with direct sunlight part of the day.

I've bought the equivalent Zinsser product for my back doors as I saw a couple of good trade reviews, we'll see how that goes too

 

[opps]

These modern "all in one" paints strongly tout their flexibility properties - one reason I am drawn to them - but indeed I have no idea how well tested this is.
I suppose other than read reviews (ideally from people who know what they're talking about not Joe Public) all I can do is look at the brand reputation.

The royal blue "Ronseal 10 Year Weatherproof Wood Paint" I used on my front door is coming up on its 1st birthday this summer so it'll be interesting to see how it looks after 2 summers with direct sunlight part of the day.

I've bought the equivalent Zinsser product for my back doors as I saw a couple of good trade reviews, we'll see how that goes too

Please do remember to post back in X years. I tend to stick to the oil based exterior paints that I am familiar with, largely because I prefer the way that oil based paints flow (and lack of grain swelling). Real world reviews from people after a reasonable amount of time are potentially worth more than someone on Amazon giving 5 stars because they liked the colour.