We Found 61% Of Masonry Paints Claim To Be Breathable. But How Many Can Actually Prove It?

Masonry Paint Claims & Testing Report 2026/27

Many masonry paint brands claim to be breathable, water resistant and durable. Even though these claims can help homeowners compare products, the evidence available to support these claims does vary.

When choosing a masonry paint, you’ll come across a wide range of performance claims. With so many paints promising similar things, it can be difficult to understand what really sets  one apart from another.

At Emperor Paint, we think it’s important to look beyond the claim itself. After all, masonry paints have an important job to do, protecting your home from the elements year after year.

Independent testing, measurable results and industry standards are there to give homeowners some proof how a masonry paint performs, so they can make informed decisions for their home.

Our Masonry Paint Claims & Testing Report 2026 reviewed 23 masonry paint products available in the UK, including Emperor Masonry Paint. This review focused on three key areas of masonry paint performance: breathability, water resistance and durability, where we examined the performance claims being made and the evidence there is to support them.

Key findings:

• Only 9 of 56 performance claims we found are supported by a measured performance value from independent testing or a recognised test method.
• 61% of products claim to be breathable, only half of those claims are supported by published performance data or recognised test standards.
• The masonry paint industry makes 6 performance claims for every 1 claim supported by easily accessible, independently tested, measured evidence.

This research looked beyond the wording used on product labels and websites and looked into whether these products had measurable performance figures, recognised testing standards, testing methods or publicly available technical evidence to back up their claims.

The findings highlighted a significant gap between the number of performance claims being made and the amount of measurable evidence available. This report also examines the testing and data provided by Emperor Masonry Paint, including a 0.03 SD value for vapour permeability, a 96.3% reduction in water absorption and 25 years of accelerated weathering. Out of the 23 products reviewed, Emperor Masonry Paint was the only masonry paint brand to provide measurable performance data or recognised testing across all three areas.

The table below summarises the findings from the research, showing the percentage of products that had claims in each area alongside the percentage that provided evidence of testing or supporting data. This shows the difference between simply making a performance claim and providing evidence to show it.