What Is The Difference Between Interior And Exterior Latex Paint

When it comes to exterior paint oil based is better at resisting dirt but more commonly water based latex paint is used because it tends to be at least as or more durable than oil based.

What is the difference between interior and exterior latex paint. The binders and additives in exterior paint are designed to withstand harsh conditions and the coating is generally thicker and less decorative than an interior latex finish. When we look around most of the water based interior exterior paints use the word latex on their label. There s not much difference between interior paint and exterior paint anymore said orlando jorge spokesman for tower paint manufacturing co.

Interior paint is made to be scrubbed resist staining and allow cleaning. When starting a painting project it s important to know the differences between the two and choose the right paint. Interior and exterior latex paint have different chemical properties but they do not differ all that much.

Exterior paint may also contain more pigment. Latex paints are water based while acrylic paints are chemical based. Interior latex paint is used exclusively for indoor applications while exterior latex paint is used solely for outdoor applications.

Conversely an interior latex product simply wouldn t last long if you used it to paint the side of your house or a fence because it lacks these heavy duty additives. Because it s chemical based the chemicals in acrylic paint make it more elastic than latex paint. Though interior and exterior paints look similar their chemical properties are vastly different as exterior paint shave to withstand harsh weather conditions heat and snow can cause the exteriors to expand and contract requiring flexion in the paint.

But the real difference between them can be found in the additives and the resin. Before getting into the differences we need to understand the meaning behind the terminology. Even if the color didn t fade in the sun which it probably would the paint itself would deteriorate quickly and you d find yourself repainting in a.

Latex and acrylic paints are water based while alkyd paints are oil based and both interior paints and exterior paints come in both types. The main difference between the two paints is that acrylic paint is chemical based and latex paint is water based. Different paints have different properties and are formulated for different purposes.