Overview of Exterior and Interior Paint: Whatâs the Difference?
When it comes to painting the exterior or interior of your home, you may find that there are a lot of different types of paint available. So how do you know which is best for each project? Here’s an overview of exterior and interior paint to help you decide.
Exterior paint is typically created with more durability in mind than interior paint, specifically because it needs to be able to withstand extreme weather conditions like rain or sun exposure over a long period of time without fading or deteriorating. It also contains protective elements that work together to form an effective shield against water and other environmental damage that can happen outdoors. As such, it is usually thicker and more durable than interior paint in order to provide this level of protection.
Interior paint, on the other hand, is usually more thin and lightweight due to its less demanding job compared with exterior paints. While still providing some amount of protection against regular wear and tear from things like pets and children passing through the room frequently, its main purpose inside the house is to adorn walls or furniture with color or design features. Due to this reason, interior paints will often have sheens that arenât available for exterior use – finish textures like âmatteâ or âsatinâ – as well as bolder colors designed specifically for indoor settings.
Deciding which type of paint should be used for an upcoming home project comes down largely to function: Exterior paints should be considered if the goal is protection from outdoor elements, whereas internal paints should take priority if beautifying indoors is a secondary consideration. Understanding these key differences between exterior versus interior will help ensure excellent results for any project no matter what kind of surface needs painting!
Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Paint for Your Exterior and Interior Walls
Picking a color of paint for your walls can be really intimidating – where do you even start? Does the color of your bed sheets have to match the color of your walls? What should you consider when selecting exterior and interior paints? This step-by-step guide will help make the decision easier, helping you narrow down the thousands of options so that you get exactly what you want.
Start with exteriors: Choosing a paint for outside usually starts with deciding on one main color and incorporating other complementary hues. Start by diving into a paint storeâs selection to narrow down your options and identify which area needs repainting. As a general rule, light shades are best suited for beams, trims and details like window frames while darker ones model home accents more. However, personal preference is ultimately what matters the most here so go ahead and explore what would work best for the look youâre trying to achieve.
Next up, interior paints: With interior paints however since this is often seen as âyour canvas’, it’s important to pay attention to smaller details such as materials and lighting so that they all blend together harmoniously. When shopping around pick a few sample chips/swatches if possible; these are easy to take home (some stores can provide them for free too!), allowing both yourself -and potentially anyone sharing in the space-, to better judge which colors might work best in different areas of the house/room before buying enough supplies for a major project Commitment . Additionally, if need be special paints used on plaster or wood are also available at additional cost but may not always appear under regular category searches -don’t forget their existence though!
Finally consider using specialty finishes: These add personality, texture or unique qualities like waterproofing; such as those due enamel based products meant solely for bathrooms(a great way countertops!). There are also some primer-like ones that give typical surfaces upgraded looks without actually
A Comprehensive FAQ on Exterior and Interior Paint Selection
Q. What is the difference between exterior and interior paints?
A. Exterior paint is designed to protect your home from the elements, while interior paints are intended to make your living space more attractive and comfortable. Exterior paint usually has higher levels of UV protection, water resistance, and mildew resistance compared to interior paints. It is also formulated differently depending on use; exterior wall paint is usually thicker than house trim paints in order to provide increased protection. Interior paint often contains binding agents that allow it to act as a primer, helping hold pigment and binders together for longer-lasting color retention and an even finish.
Top 5 Facts about the Differences Between Exterior and Interior Paints
1. Durability: Exterior paints are formulated with higher levels of binders and dispersants, making them more durable and able to protect against harsh weather conditions such as rain, snow and extreme temperatures. By comparison, interior paints have less binder and dispersants added, meaning they donât provide the same level of durability or protection from the elements.
2. Colors: While exterior paint colors may be limited due to government regulations â depending on what area you live in â youâll typically find a much wider selection of colors available for use inside your home. Whether that might mean bright accent walls or soft muted tones, interior paint gives you lots of options when it comes to creating an inviting space without the worry about local color codes outside the house.
3. Finishes: A range of sheens can be used for both exterior and interior painting projects, but itâs important to note that exterior paints often require some sort of gloss to enhance protection from UV rays or reflect heat away from the building rather than absorbing it all. Special additives can also improve resistance to mold and mildew on the exterior surfaces — all characteristics that arenât usually necessary for a project inside your home.
4. Surface Preparation: Both surfaces need thorough cleaning before any paint goes on; however, those working on an exterior surface will likely have additional steps such as power washing or scraping off flaking paint due to prolonged exposure against changing weather conditions through multiple cycles of wet/dry/freeze conditions over time. Those working inside wouldnât generally encounter these types of issues so their focus would be solely dedicated towards proper preparation prior to painting rather than necessary repairs as well
5 Cost: Although both jobs can vary vastly due to numerous features (size, shape complexity etc.), one should anticipate spending more money on an exterior job when compared with that of an interior job due its nature (more layers will potentially increase labor hours)
Tips for Maintaining the Quality of Your Exterior and Interior Paint
Maintaining the quality of your interior and exterior paint is key to making sure that it provides lasting protection for your home or business. Whether you have a freshly painted home/business or are dealing with paint that is a few years old, there are several steps you should take to ensure the quality of your paint remains intact.
First, take a good look at the condition of your paint job. Are there any chips, flaking areas or fading? In most cases, these are signs that the paint needs to be touched up or even completely reapplied. It’s also wise to take note if any areas appear too glossy or reflective as this could be a sign of wear and tear on existing paint coats.
Once you’ve had an opportunity to assess the severity of repairs needed create maintenance plan. If dealing with worn down areas it can help to give them a subtle honing using steel wool before repainting in order to help smooth off rough edges and restore some life back into them without having to invest in a full-on refinishing job right away.
No matter how well you follow through with regular upkeeps it’s important that any repairs needed be addressed sooner than later in order avoid further damage from getting worse over time due to exposure such weather elements like rain, snow and sunâs UV radiation all which degrade unprotected surfaces over time . Investing properly in painting supplies will also provide better value for money as high quality products can last much longer than cheaper ones plus they tend to require less frequent restorations comparedto lower end choices such as paints made form oil insteadof acrylic resins which offer superior water resistance..
Finally, try not forgetting about common sense do’s an don’ts when dealing with painting projects such as applying thick layers rather than thin ones at one time, overlapping wet brush strokes with already painted surfaces etc… All these minor details help maintain better coveragewhich mean reduce chances for peeling and cracking during future temperature changes
Preparing Your Home for Both Types of Painting
When it comes to a home renovation project, there is no denying the importance of proper preparation. Paint can completely transform a room from drab and dull to vibrant and inviting, but without the appropriate prep work before hand, you may find yourself with less than desireable results. Whether you are tackling an interior or exterior painting project, follow these steps for preparing your home for both types of painting:
Interior Painting: When prepping for interior painting jobs, be sure to clear furniture from the area where you will be working and remove floor coverings such as rugs and mats. Cover other furnishings in the room that cannot be moved with plastic sheeting to protect them during the painting process. If necessary, wash walls with a detergent solution to ensure grease or dust buildup does not interfere with adhesion of the paint or cause any residue problems after drying. If you spot any nail holes on the walls they will need to filled either with dry wall compound or spackling paste depending on their size & depth. Finally repair any cracks within the wall prior to beginnning work.
Exterior Painting: For exterior projects itâs important that all damaged areas are repaired before continuing â loose caulk around windows should be addressed as well as clapboard siding that has dried out over time (replacing rotten sections if needed). Pressure washing is also recommended before applying paint â this ensures surfaces are free of dirt & debris which could affect how well it sticks upon application. Itâs also a good idea to inspect your homeâs trimming & molds prior to beginning any work- replacing anything that might have been deteriorated by rain or wind over time if necessary.
Cleaning off any mildew should also be done as this too could potentially harm adhesion when its applied later on in the process. With both interior & exterior painting projects its imperative to take extra caution in properly prepping your home so that you can achieve optimal results throughout!
