Interior vs. Exterior Paint: What's the Difference?

Interior and exterior paint are made for different jobs. Exterior paint is built to flex with heat and cold and to resist sun, rain and mildew. Interior paint is built to resist scuffs and scrubbing and to have less odor indoors. Use each where it belongs: exterior paint inside isn't made for indoor air, and interior paint outside fades, cracks and peels quickly.

What's different about exterior paint

• Flexible binders. Exterior walls heat up in the sun and cool at night. Exterior paint uses softer, more flexible resins so it expands and contracts without cracking.
• UV resistance. Exterior paint holds its color longer under direct sun, which matters in Florida.
• Mildew and moisture resistance. Exterior paints include mildewcides and are made to shed rain and humidity.

What's different about interior paint

• Harder finish. Interior paint uses harder resins that stand up to scuffs, fingerprints and scrubbing.
• Less odor. Interior paints are made with lower VOCs (volatile organic compounds), so there's less smell while painting and afterward.
• Washability. Interior paint is made to be wiped and cleaned. The higher the sheen, the more scrubbing it takes. See paint sheens explained.

Can you use one paint for both?

Some products are labeled for interior and exterior use, and they work for small jobs like a front door. For walls and siding, choose paint made for where it's going. Interior paint on an exterior wall in Florida fades and fails fast. Exterior paint indoors has more odor and a softer finish that doesn't clean as well.

Quality matters too

Within each type, better paint has more pigment and binder, so it covers in fewer coats, holds its color and lasts longer. See keeping exterior paint looking new in Florida.

Painting in Orlando

New Ceilings paints interiors and exteriors across Orlando and Central Florida with Sherwin-Williams paint chosen for each surface. Every job starts with a free written quote. See interior and exterior painting.