On the surface, painting is a relatively simple task–you choose the colors you like, prepare your walls, and roll on a few coats. Whether you’re painting a simple two-bedroom house or an enormous mansion, the process really doesn’t vary too much beyond that. Keeping that in mind, most savvy homeowners want to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to home improvement, and it may seem like a great idea to save money by using the same paint for your interior as you use for your exterior. However, you might not get the results you desire.

The Orlando painting contractors at New Ceilings know paint, inside and out. Here are a few ways that interior paint differs from exterior paint, and why you need both to complete your home:

• Exterior paints have higher resin and pigment content. The outside of your home is exposed to many more detrimental elements than the inside–think wind, rain, sun and debris. That’s why manufacturers increase the amount of resin and pigment in their exterior paints, to give your home a little extra defense against nature.

• Interior paints have lower VOCs. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are the particles emitted from paint over time, stemming from the additives used to make pigments resilient. As interior paints don’t have such concentrated pigment and resins, they have lower VOCs, which can be harmful to your health with prolonged exposure. Many interior paints today are made with the minimum possible amount of VOCs.

• Interior paint is designed to be scrubbed. Believe it or not, interior paint is better able to withstand direct scrubbing without scratching than exterior paint is. The reason is in the resin: flexible resins in exterior paint allow the paint to expand and contract due to weather without cracking, while rigid resins in interior paint don’t need to withstand much temperature change. Your gloss level determines just how hard you can scrub.

While you can find certain midline paints that can pull double duty, New Ceilings’ expert painting contractors recommend selecting separate paints for your interior and your exterior to achieve the most professional look. To learn more or to schedule your free color consultation, give us a call at 407-378-6040 today.