Paints and stains, exterior.(Home and Yard: Reap the Savings)(Buyers guide)

A fresh coat of paint or stain on the siding and trim adds more than just curb appeal. It also provides an important layer of protection against moisture, mildew, and the effects of the sun. Yet if you're among the roughly 85 percent of homeowners who use the same brand of house paint over and over again, you could be selling your home short.

Frequent reformulations of paints and stains mean that those that held up well the last time might not make the grade this time around. That's why we remove from our Ratings any product that has been reformulated and is not in stores, and begin testing again with the new version. Our Ratings are updated at www.ConsumerReports.org.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Major brands include Ace, Behr (sold at Home Depot), Benjamin Moore, Cabot, Dutch Boy, Glidden, Olympic, Sears, Sherwin-Williams, True Value, and Valspar (sold at Lowe's). Exterior paints include a variety of sheens. The dullest is flat, followed by low-luster (often called eggshell or satin), semigloss, and gloss. Flatter finishes are best for siding, with the lowest-sheen best for masking imperfections. Glossy paint is most often used for trim because it highlights the details of the woodwork and is easy to clean. Stains typically come in opaque and semitransparent. Price: $15 to $49 a gallon.

HOW TO CHOOSE