Interior Vs Exterior Paints: Can You Use Exterior Paints For Interior Painting?

One should not use exterior house paint for interior painting. Interior house paints are specifically formulated for indoor use and are designed to withstand typical indoor conditions. Exterior house paints, on the other hand, are formulated for outdoor use and may not provide the desired results indoors.      

Understanding The Difference Between Interior And Exterior Paints

The main difference between interior house paint and exterior house paints lies in their formulations and intended use. Interior paints are designed for indoor surfaces, while exterior house colour is formulated to withstand outdoor conditions and protect exterior surfaces from weather elements.

Explaining Interior Paints

Interior house paints are specifically formulated for use on indoor surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and trim. They are designed to provide a visually appealing finish while also offering durability and protection against typical indoor conditions like temperature changes and regular cleaning. Learn about interior house paint.

Specifically Formulated For Indoor Use

Interior house paints are specifically formulated for indoor use, taking into account the unique conditions found inside homes. They are designed to be low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and provide a safe and healthy environment while delivering excellent coverage and long-lasting results on interior surfaces.

Designed To Withstand Typical Indoor Conditions

Interior paints are designed to withstand the typical conditions found inside homes. They are formulated to resist issues such as cracking, peeling, and fading that can occur due to factors like temperature changes, humidity, and regular cleaning, ensuring long-lasting beauty and durability for interior surfaces.

Interior Paints Come In Various Finishes

Interior paints offer a wide range of finishes to suit different preferences and needs. These finishes include flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. Each finish has its own level of sheen, durability, and suitability for different areas of the home.

Interior and exterior paints have very distinct roles. Knowing the difference between exterior and interior paint is essential. Mixing them might result in solutions that are not strong and do not look good. 

Paint designed for indoors is called interior paint and it is used in bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms. They are made to ensure the surface is smooth, the air is odourless and the room is safe and enjoyable. Many current interior paints use water-based options. This allows them to dry rapidly and causes less pollution.

The main purpose of exterior paints is to resist and cope with difficult weather conditions. Paints come into contact with different weather conditions. This includes:

• Sun
• Rain
• Wind
• Dust
• Pollution

This is why they are added with different ingredients to protect them from sunlight and moisture. Grainy paints and those made from silicone give excellent protection against weather changes and bring a beautiful texture to outdoor walls. Formulation is essentially one of the key difference between outdoor and indoor paint. 

You can face a few issues if you paint your interior with exterior paint. They usually include more chemicals to help them hold up under outdoor conditions. If these chemicals stay indoors for long: 

• Air quality may go down
• Allergies can be triggered
• Unpleasant odours may appear 

Interior paint might also lose its colour quickly and crack or peel if used on the exterior. This is because it lacks UV and weather defences. These are the key aspects of interior paint vs exterior paint.

Pick a paint that is right for the surroundings where it will be used. For bathrooms and kitchens, look for finishes that are easy to clean and resist moisture, as these places are likely to get wet. Breathable paints are useful for making bedrooms and living rooms odour-free. These areas also need paints that do not fade quickly and resist any mould or mildew growth.

Using the wrong type of paint in your environment weakens the walls. It changes their look and may be harmful to your body. That’s why you need help from professionals to select the right paint type. 

Understanding Exterior House Paints:

This section of this guide on interior paint vs exterior paint will detail exterior paints. Exterior house paints are carefully made to shield your house from bad weather and other outside hazards. Outdoor paints deal with sunlight and rain along with wind and changes in temperature all the time, while interior ones do not. 

An important advantage of exterior wall paints is that they withstand outdoor weather very well. They use UV blockers to protect the colours from being affected by direct sunlight. Another difference between exterior and interior paint is that the former comes with antifungal properties. They are used to prevent mould and mildew from growing where there is humidity. Exterior paints are made with flexible binders, which allow the paint to move with changes in temperature and reduce the risk of cracks or blisters.

Most exterior paints are thicker than ordinary interior paints. Because of this, the texture holds well on uneven surfaces such as wood, brick, or stucco. The finish plays a big role as well. It is another major difference between interior vs exterior paint. You can buy exterior paints in flat satin or semi-gloss, which offer varying degrees of shine and toughness. Flats hide irregularities in the finish, whereas satin and semi-gloss make keeping clean and dirt-free easy in areas where dirt accumulates.

The following sections illustrate further indoor paint vs outdoor paint.

Specifically Formulated To Withstand Harsh Outdoor Conditions

Exterior house paints are specifically formulated to withstand harsh outdoor conditions. They are designed to resist fading, cracking, peeling, and other damage caused by exposure to sunlight, rain, wind, temperature fluctuations, and other environmental factors, ensuring long-lasting performance and protection for exterior surfaces. Read more about express painting.

Designed To Endure Sunlight, Rain, Wind, And Temperature Fluctuations

Exterior paints are specifically designed to endure the challenges posed by sunlight, rain, wind, and temperature fluctuations. Their formulation includes ingredients that provide resistance against fading, cracking, peeling, and other forms of damage caused by outdoor elements, ensuring a durable and long-lasting finish for exterior surfaces. Explore waterproofing solutions.

Additional Features Like UV Resistance, Water Resistance, And Durability To Protect Against Weather Elements

Exterior paints often include features such as UV resistance, water resistance, and enhanced durability. These properties provide extra protection against weather elements, ensuring long-term color retention and surface integrity.

Using Exterior Paints For Interior Painting
Recommended Exterior Paint Products 

Besides knowing interior paint vs exterior paint differences, choosing the right colour is also important. The right exterior paint will shield your home from dust, rain and strong sunlight. WeatherCoat from Berger Paints India is a premium exterior paint that resists different weather in India and makes your walls look great. Here’s a look at the entire range: 

1. WeatherCoat Anti Dust

The multilayer coating gives a high shine, a long 6-year guarantee and effective resistance to dust and water. It also bounces sunlight, which allows your walls to stay cooler if you live in a dusty or hot area. This solution stops mould and staining by killing algae and fungi on the walls.

2. WeatherCoat Anti Dust

This paint delivers a Hi Sheen finish, comes with a 6-year warranty and makes sure your walls are shielded from water and dust. Being anti-algal and fungal means that it is great for use in humid or coastal areas.

3. WeatherCoat Glow

When you want your finish to be extremely shiny, WeatherCoat Glow gets the job done well. Your walls are covered by an anti-fungal coat, are safe from moisture and dust, and have a 6-year warranty. This is in addition to their attractive sheen.

4. WeatherCoat Champ

If you want strong protection and a long warranty for your money, WeatherCoat Champ is a good choice. It shields the plant from dust, moisture, algae and fungus, making it suitable for places in the city or the suburbs.

All WeatherCoat products are water-based, are safe for the environment and are formulated to avoid cracking, fading and peeling. They are very easy to maintain. Washing them occasionally with a mild dishwashing liquid keeps them clean over the years. 

Paint Formulation: Breaking It Down

Though they both look alike, interior and exterior wall paints have very different chemical compositions. Be it normal paints or exterior vs interior latex paint, resins, pigments, binders and additives that are chosen for each make them suited for their designated purpose. Here’s a closer look at the differences and why they are important.

1. VOC Levels

One of the main interior paint vs exterior paintdifferences is seen in the amount of volatile organic compounds or VOCs. Interior paints are made with little or no volatile organic compounds to protect indoor air quality. Exterior paints are more likely to have a higher amount of VOC in them. The fact they’re coatings for the outdoors means the risk of harm is less, and a higher amount of VOCs helps with both durability and overall performance.

2. Use of Resins and Binders

For those wondering, what is the difference between exterior and interior paint? Binders and resins are two elements that set them apart. Binders keep the pigment particles joined and help the paint stick to surfaces. Many interior paints are made with vinyl acrylic resins. These types have a strong grip and high levels of scrub and scuff resistance, which makes them great for use in living rooms, bedrooms and hallways.

Soft and flexible resins like 100% acrylic are found in exterior paints to let the paint move with the changes caused by temperature. Paint that contains a binder stops cracking, peeling and chalking in outside environments.

3. Additives

Different additives are part of paints, and their roles are not all the same. They also help point out interior paint vs exterior paint differences. Scrub resistance, blocking stains and easy spreading are major points covered by interior paint additives. They are used to keep interiors looking neat and clean in controlled conditions. Special protective additives in exterior paints are added to repel water, inhibit sun rays and stop mildew growth.

4. Pigments and Colour

Another major interior paint vs exterior paint difference is that interior paints typically offer a wider colour range and more finish options. This is because indoor walls are part of the decor. Exterior paints tend to use pigments that are more fade-resistant. This is because constant exposure to sunlight can bleach colours quickly.

Using Exterior Paints for Interior Painting

Many people often ask if they can use exterior paints for interiors when searching for how to paint a wall for garages, basement floors or utility rooms. These areas are exposed to humidity, temperature changes and constant use, which is what tough exterior paint is designed for. While it might look reasonable, putting exterior paint inside your house can be dangerous. 

A quick understanding of interior paint vs exterior paint reveals that most exterior formulas are loaded with VOCs and mildewcides that can make the air inside your house unsafe. Since some people think that exterior paint lasts longer indoors in under-ventilated rooms, you should first check if the benefits outweigh the health hazards.

Potential Benefits of Exterior Paint Indoors (Rare Cases)

It isn’t best to use exterior paint indoors based on the interior paint vs exterior paint differences. However, exterior paint has some benefits for certain rooms. 

• It is a good choice for places like utility rooms and bathrooms. They may be used for basements since they tend to be very damp.
• Certain formulas protect against mould and mildew. They can be used where humidity is high.
• Because exterior paints are strong and resist stains, they are a good pick for places that see a lot of foot traffic.
• Their UV resistance lets them keep their colour for longer in places with lots of sunshine.

Nevertheless, because their fumes and harsh nature make them unsuitable, exterior paints must not be used in bedrooms, lounges or living spaces.

Downsides To Using Exterior Paint Indoors

Using exterior paint indoors can have several downsides. Exterior paint may contain higher levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can contribute to poor indoor air quality.

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that can be found in paints and other products, which can evaporate and contribute to air pollution and potential health risks.

Odour

Using exterior paint indoors can result in unpleasant odours due to the different formulations and potentially higher levels of VOCs present in the paint.

Safety And Compliance

Using exterior paint indoors may not comply with safety regulations and guidelines. It is important to choose appropriate paints for specific applications to ensure safety and compliance standards are met.