If your summer projects involve a fresh coat of paint in or around your home, the expert testers at Consumer Reports have you covered… pun intended! They’ve brushed and rolled on dozens of gallons from the top brands, revealing which ones give you the most bang for your buck, and brush.

Lilly Carrera from Consumer Reports explains CR’s testing process: “The amount of prep work that goes into it is a lot. We actually have to prep all the paint boards; we have to cut them to size and then we have to mark them off.” When the samples are ready, testers run exterior paints through a mildew resistance test. And of course, weathering — to see how well it stands up to the elements after years of exposure. These samples are left on CR’s roof for three years, which simulates nine years on a home. They’re tilted south to amplify the sun’s effects, then inspected for cracking, dirt collecting and fading every year.

If you’re planning an outdoor paint project, CR recommends Behr Ultra Exterior Home Depot ($52 per gallon) and Clark + Kensington Exterior from Ace ($47 per gallon.)

For staining, CR’s top-rated Behr Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Stain & Sealer from Home Depot ($50 per gallon) resists fading, cracking, dirt and mildew. Plus, it holds up even after three years in CR’s weathering tests.

For interior paints, testers look at how well each one can cover and resist oil and water-based stains. And, as any DIY painter knows, covering a dark color can be very difficult, so CR’s tests show how easy — or hard that is with any given paint.

If you’re looking to freshen up a room inside your home, Behr Marquee from Home Depot ($53 per gallon) provides excellent coverage and stain resistance. The same goes for the HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Showcase available at Lowes ($52 per gallon.)

If you’re tackling a bigger job that involves more than three gallons of paint, CR says you may want to consider a paint sprayer. A handheld sprayer can also come in handy for projects with hard-to-reach angles and nooks and crannies like on furniture or staircases.

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