Updated: Oct 11
When it comes to painting your home, whether it’s a touch-up, refresh, or full makeover, you need to understand the difference between interior and exterior paint. In Lake County, Ohio, we experience almost every weather condition that Mother Nature has to offer in a calendar year. Choosing the right paint can be the difference between a long-lasting, durable finish, or starting it all over again next year.
What is the Difference Between Interior and Exterior Paint?
The main difference between interior and exterior paint comes from their formulation. Both paints are designed to handle specific environments.
- Interior Paint: No surprises here, interior paint is crafted with indoor projects in mind. It is designed to resist stains, be scrubbed, and hold up against daily wear and tear that happens in homes everywhere. Some of the key elements of interior paint include:
- Resins: Interior paints use resin to help the paint flex for temperature and humidity changes. This prevents cracking.
- Additives: While these paints are less concerned with extreme moisture or UV resistance, they commonly include mildew inhibitors. This is to prevent mold and mildew in areas like a bathroom, kitchens, or basements that often have high humidity or poor ventilation.
- Low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): Interior paints contain fewer harsh chemicals to improve air quality and maintain a healthy environment. This is even more important in spaces where children, pets, or people with respiratory issues exist.
- Exterior Paint: Exterior paints, on the other hand, are made to withstand harsh elements. In Lake County, this means standing up to rain, snow, large temperature fluctuations, and sunlight(sometimes all on the same day).
- Durability: Exterior paints still use resins but these are harder and meant to resist fading, cracking, and peeling from moisture, wind, and UV rays.
- Additives: On top of the same additives in interior paint, exterior paint also has additives like UV blockers and fungicides. This is to stand up to the sun and resist mold on the outside of your home.
- Higher VOCs: These allow the exterior paint to adhere and dry properly as well as increase its durability. While these are harsher chemicals, they are perfectly suited for open, outdoor spaces. This limits any impact on health concerns.
Can You Use Exterior Paint for Interior Surfaces?
I can see where you might think exterior paint is tougher and should be better for all uses like indoor but this is not recommended. Here is why:
- Health Concerns: With higher VOCs present, using exterior paint for interior projects will negatively affect air quality. Over time this can lead to health problems.
- Finish and Flexibility: Exterior paint is tougher, yes, but this is not ideal for a finish on interior projects. You will find that the finish is visibly less smooth and not as appealing to the eye. This could also make it more difficult to clean.
- Durability Issues: Tougher is a choice word when it comes to paint. While it’s perfect for combating the elements, it does not do as flex as well in the indoor climate. This can lead to cracks and peeling.
Can You Use Interior Paint for Exterior Surfaces?
Using interior paint on exterior surfaces is also not advisable. Here is why:
- Weather Resistance: Interior paint isn’t designed to withstand moisture, direct sunlight, or extreme temperatures. If you use this on the outside of your home, the paint will likely fade, peel, and crack very quickly. Especially considering the weather fluctuations we deal with in Lake County.
- No UV Protection: Exterior paint has the additives to handle direct sunlight and UV damage, interior paint does not. Interior paint will quickly break down from the sun’s rays. This will lead to a loss in color, finish, and integrity.
- Mold and Mildew Growth: Due to the lower VOCs that make interior paint safe in your house, it will fall victim to things like mold, mildew, and algae which thrive in outdoor conditions. Especially considering the moisture levels from having Lake Erie in our backyards.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Paint in Lake County
One of the reasons our name is Four Seasons Interior & Exterior Painting is due to the wide range of weather present in Lake County, Ohio. While it has been a few years since the snow stuck all winter, we have historically seen harsh winters and hot, humid summers. For this reason, it is incredibly important to use the correct type of paint and ensure proper application to achieve a durable, long-lasting finish.
- Interior Paint in Lake County Homes: Given the humidity fluctuations indoors during the colder months, high-quality interior paint is needed to handle these changes without cracking or fading. We partner with Sherwin Williams to ensure quality paint with low VOCs that will get the job done right and keep your home safe.
- Exterior Paint for Lake County Weather: From humid summers to frigid winters, exterior paint must be carefully selected to avoid premature damage and long-term finish quality. In Lake County, OH, you need paint with a good moisture resistance and flexibility for the best results.
Professional Painting Services in Lake County
If you are not sure what paint to use on your project, call a Four Seasons Interior & Exterior Painting pro! That link will take you back to the home page where you can click to call our team and get your questions answered. Our painters have lived in the area for many years and fully understand how the Lake County, Ohio climate affects a paint performance. We are happy to discuss your project whether you want DIY tips or to hire our team for your interior and exterior painting needs.
Conclusion
If you are concerned with the longevity and appearance of your home, you must choose the right type of paint for each surface you intend to work on. Interior and Exterior paints are formulated differently due to the differences in demands from each environment. Using the wrong type will not only be a waste of time but you will need to spend more money and effort to do it right and get a quality finish
Looking to update your home in Lake County, Ohio? Contact Four Seasons Interior & Exterior Painting to work with our locally trusted team of professionals for all your painting service needs.
“Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall… We’ll Roll on in and paint it all.”
