Exterior paint recommendation, please.

[BakersDozen]

The dreaded task of painting the exterior of our house cannot be avoided any longer. We live in AZ - hot, sunny, dry. I've done research on-line for paint brands but always prefer recommendations from real-life people, not just companies promoting their product. Thanks!

[gstharr]

You can easily get away with cheap flat paint on interior walls, but exterior go high quality: Behr, Sherwin Williams, Dunn Edwards, etc, top level--not self priming.  But more important than the paint, is the preparation. Use  a painter that will sand,  prime, patch and repair before rolling and brushing.  Do not let any painter just spray.   Painting  over a crack  just results in a painted crack that shows. .  it is costly to go this way..  In my tract, i spent about 4 times  what my neighbors paid. But, I've gone almost 20 years without repainting, while my neighbors have had to repaint several times.

[prairiewindmomma]

Go high quality paint—Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. This is the one time I do splurge—otherwise I go for Behr at Home Depot. We repainted a year ago and went with Sherwin Williams this time.

I choose Satin rather than flat for exterior. That’s kinda controversial in design circles but a Satin finish is denser and thicker between paint particles.

For SW climates I would also choose a paint that is going to fade well (not blue or green) and that can handle dust storms (not white or yellow). There is a reason dirt colored paint is so popular in those locations. 🙂 

[prairiewindmomma]

ITA about prep work—powerwashing a few days beforehand and letting it dry thoroughly, making repairs beforehand, and spraying under the right conditions. You should be starting at 5:30-6:00 am and stopping my 11am. The paint has a limited temperature window to adhere well.