Can exterior paint be used indoors? Exterior paint may seem like a good fit if you need a tough stain-resistant paint for a high-traffic area.
Using exterior paint inside of your home is not advised because of the potentially dangerous chemicals released into the air and because it might not work very well.
It’s critical to comprehend the key distinctions between the two types of paint and the possible drawbacks of using outdoor paint indoors in order to paint your room expertly.
Can You Use Exterior Paint on the Interior?
Given its durability and resistance to fading, interior use of exterior paint may seem appealing. Because of the potentially harmful chemicals released into the air, it is not advised to use exterior paint inside of your home. “The additives that are needed to make exterior paint resilient outdoors are not intended for use inside,” says Mark Savino, YouthfulHome’s Strategic Remodeling Advisor.
If you mistakenly used exterior paint in your house and find yourself googling “I accidentally used exterior paint inside”, there is nothing to worry about. Just prime your walls before applying interior paint. You are protected from the damaging chemicals in exterior paint when the walls have been primed and repainted.
Another commonly asked question is “can I apply exterior paint to my garage.”. Although exterior paint would be acceptable because garages are frequently opened and ventilated, interior paint is still the preferable choice. Additionally, it is best to stick with interior paint if you frequently use or work in your garage.
What’s the Difference Between Interior and Exterior Paint?
Although indoor and outdoor paints initially have a similar appearance, they are engineered differently and produce different results. The binding resins, pigments, and additives used in each paint’s formulation are what distinguish interior paints from exterior paints.
Exterior Paint
Due to the need for exterior paints to be able to expand and contract with changes in outdoor temperature, rigid binding resins are not used in their formulation. Exterior paints are made to withstand a wide range of conditions, from sweltering heat and harsh sunlight to freezing temperatures and the moisture brought on by rain, snow, and sleet. Of course, this is only true within reasonable limits.
The majority of these paints have excellent water resistance. They frequently have UV light-blocking additives (to help them resist fading), and some of them have even been designed with additives to fend off mold and mildew. Furthermore, although these additives may produce deep exterior paint colors that safeguard your siding and other exterior features, they can also be very harmful; however, we’ll get to that later.
Interior Paint
Indoor paint is designed to withstand whatever you and your family can throw at it, whereas outdoor paint is made to withstand everything Mother Nature can dish out. Interior paints are easily cleanable and can gracefully withstand the knocks, scratches, and scuffs that come with everyday life thanks to rigid resins.
Paints made for indoor use also include additives that speed up drying and evenly distribute the pigment. Additionally, they are made specifically to withstand fading, yellowing, and staining.
Downsides to Using Exterior Paint Indoors
Yes, technically, you can use outdoor paint inside because the color application for exterior and interior paints is the same as the color application for interior paint. However, just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Toxic Paint Fumes Are a Risk Factor
Exterior paints frequently contain more pigment because they’re meant to withstand exposure to the elements. In addition, these pigments tend to contain more volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are extremely dangerous to your health even though they produce paint with excellent color saturation and durability.
VOCs are a class of chemicals that are frequently present in the goods we use to construct and maintain our homes, such as paints, paint strippers, cleaning products, pesticides, and various building materials.
Some of the more common VOCs are:
- Benzene
- Ethylene glycol
- Formaldehyde
- Methylene chloride
- Tetrachloroethylene
- Toluene
- Xylene
- 1,3-butadiene
Exterior paint off-gases or releases VOCs into the air as it dries and cures. Despite the fact that the smell will be quite potent, that should not be your main concern. The issue here is that VOCs pose a serious threat to your health.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to VOCs can lead to:
- Irritation of mucous membranes (eyes, nose, and throat)
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Loss of coordination
- Damage to the kidneys, central nervous system, and liver
Even after it dries, exterior acrylic latex paint will continue to release volatile organic compounds, which only makes matters worse. Interestingly, VOCs are so harmful that oil-based paints (known to emit a host of VOCs) have essentially been banned in certain states with high ozone levels.
Exterior paints will release their VOCs into the air when used as intended (outdoors), with no adverse effects. However, you can see where there is a problem if exterior paints are used indoors.
However, producers frequently use organic pigments to create interior paints with little to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), making them suitable for indoor use.
You May Not Get the Best Results
It will probably feel like waiting for paint to dry if you use exterior paint indoors because it needs sunlight to cure. Additionally, the longer it takes your paint to dry, the greater the likelihood that it will scuff, smear, and need to be touched up.
Not the vacuum, kids, or pets, but the elements are what exterior paints are made to withstand. As a result, if there are any scratches, they will stand out like sore thumbs, and stains will be more difficult to remove without damaging the finish.
You’ll probably still be working on the same DIY project in a year or two because exterior paint does not hold up over time the way interior paint is intended to.
Clean Up Could Be Harder Than You Think
Interior paints are typically acrylic latex. They are made to be washable and are water-soluble. While exterior paints are typically waterproof, they are much more challenging to clean up in the event of a spill or splatter because of this.
There is no middle ground; people either adore painting or they dread it. If you’re not on team DIY for this one, you can always hire painters in your area to do it for you.
Conclusion
So, is exterior paint suitable for interior use? Briefly, yes. Should you? In the majority of cases, no. However, if you are aware of the potential benefits and drawbacks of using exterior paint for interior projects and make plans accordingly, you can benefit from the extra resistance that outdoor paints have to offer your interior spaces.
FAQs
What Happens If You Use Exterior Paint Indoors?
The mildew-prevention components in exterior paint can, when used in confined spaces, produce odors and even allergic reactions.
Can Exterior Paint Be Used for Interior Walls?
Technically speaking, you can use outdoor paint inside because the color application for interior and exterior paints is the same. However, you shouldn’t do something just because you can do it.
What is the Difference Between Exterior Paint and Interior Paint?
Since different paints are created for various purposes, they all have unique properties. Mildew and fading are issues that exterior paint is designed to handle. Contrarily, interior paint is designed to be easy to clean and stain-resistant.