Labor Differences Between Interior Painting and Exterior Painting Projects
There are differences between interior painting and exterior painting projects. Of course each specific job will require different steps within the process. Here are a few things that a professional painting contractor might face in any painting project. We will then compare them between both interior painting and exterior painting and see what the differences in labor would be.
Prep Work - Each job will have its share of prep work in order to get ready for a painting job whether interior or exterior. You will still have to tape, get your paint, roller, and brushes ready, set up a ladder or even scaffolding when working in higher areas.Prepping for an interior painting project is often more detailed because there is more to protect. Small items will need to be removed from the work space. Drop cloths will need to be laid down. Furniture will need to be covered. Imperfections and other repairs will also be much more visible since it is in your living space. Exterior on the other hand often requires much more "hard" labor in the form of scraping and sanding, but this prep is vital to ensuring that you have a lasting paint job that will protect your home from the elements.
If your painter doesn't take the time to prep properly, this may create problems that may take quite a long time to fix, which brings us to our next point...
Risk of Damages - There are times when mistakes happen, such as accidentally dropping a can of paint on the floor. This can be devastating especially if you have carpeting. Paint can be extremely difficult to remove from carpet.
Another issue with interior painting projects is the risk of breaking something in the room. It is always good to remove small items completely from the room and cover larger items, such as furniture, to make sure you are protected from the possibility of something getting broken or damaged.
When painting an exterior of a home or business, painters don’t have to worry as much about breaking things (except maybe trampling the flowers in a flower bed or shrubs, or worse, breaking a window.) But if a gallon of paint gets spilled outside, all the painting contractor has to do is wash it away with a water hose.
Paint Fumes - Every painter has their own preference on the type of paint they use for various projects. Most exterior painting projects are done using an Alkyd or Oil based primer and acrylic paint as the top coat. Painters also sometimes use solvent-based paints on interior painting projects such as priming and painting trim, doors, and baseboards among other things.
Working outdoors has its benefits when working with these paints because you have natural ventilation. When working indoors with Oil based paints, it is extremely important to have the proper ventilation and use a mask to protect yourself from the fumes.
Acrylic and other water-based paints can also carry strong odors, too. However, newer more environmentally-friendly low-VOC or even zero-VOC paints are now available such as the new Natura or Aura by Benjamin Moore. These paints don't contain the harmful ingredients that evaporate into the air which cause the odor and are therefore safer to use for you in your home.
Weather - Weather can be a huge obstacle when painting outdoors on any exterior painting project. If you read the label on most paint cans, you will see that you are not supposed to paint when the temperature is under 50 degrees. So, unfortunately, you cannot paint at all outside in the Winter months of areas with colder climates. However, some paints can be applied when temperatures are as low as 35-degrees, so check with your painting professional (see Is it Too Cold to Paint?). Another issue concerning the weather and painting is rain. Rain will delay a project indefinitely (see Can You Paint if it is Going to Rain?). And unless you want to work under a tarp, you are most likely better off waiting until things clear up.
Weather is obviously not an issue when painting indoors. Interior painting projects can usually be done anytime no matter what the weather is outside because the temperature indoors can be adjusted accordingly.
Clean-up - This can differ with every painting job. But for the most part, both interior and exterior painting jobs will have almost the same amount of clean-up. This includes packing up the tools, washing out your brushes and roller skins, and putting ladders away. The only big difference when finishing up a painting project is that with an interior job you will have to fold up the drop clothes and possibly move the furniture back to its original positions.
The main point is to make sure your painting contractor has everything completely prepared before the project is started. If the project is outdoors, your painter will check the weather for that day. If the painting project is indoors where there are items that can be easily broken, your painter will either ask you to remove them from the room or will do it themselves as part of the service they are providing. If your painter is going to be working with solvent-based paint, or anything with a strong odor in your interior space, the painter may ask you to leave the house for the day and will open the windows and likely wear a mask. In any event, a good professional painting contractor will take the extra effort to be completely prepared for the task at hand.
If your painter doesn't take the time to prep properly, this may create problems that may take quite a long time to fix, which brings us to our next point...
Risk of Damages - There are times when mistakes happen, such as accidentally dropping a can of paint on the floor. This can be devastating especially if you have carpeting. Paint can be extremely difficult to remove from carpet.
Another issue with interior painting projects is the risk of breaking something in the room. It is always good to remove small items completely from the room and cover larger items, such as furniture, to make sure you are protected from the possibility of something getting broken or damaged.
When painting an exterior of a home or business, painters don’t have to worry as much about breaking things (except maybe trampling the flowers in a flower bed or shrubs, or worse, breaking a window.) But if a gallon of paint gets spilled outside, all the painting contractor has to do is wash it away with a water hose.
Paint Fumes - Every painter has their own preference on the type of paint they use for various projects. Most exterior painting projects are done using an Alkyd or Oil based primer and acrylic paint as the top coat. Painters also sometimes use solvent-based paints on interior painting projects such as priming and painting trim, doors, and baseboards among other things.
Working outdoors has its benefits when working with these paints because you have natural ventilation. When working indoors with Oil based paints, it is extremely important to have the proper ventilation and use a mask to protect yourself from the fumes.
Acrylic and other water-based paints can also carry strong odors, too. However, newer more environmentally-friendly low-VOC or even zero-VOC paints are now available such as the new Natura or Aura by Benjamin Moore. These paints don't contain the harmful ingredients that evaporate into the air which cause the odor and are therefore safer to use for you in your home.
Weather - Weather can be a huge obstacle when painting outdoors on any exterior painting project. If you read the label on most paint cans, you will see that you are not supposed to paint when the temperature is under 50 degrees. So, unfortunately, you cannot paint at all outside in the Winter months of areas with colder climates. However, some paints can be applied when temperatures are as low as 35-degrees, so check with your painting professional (see Is it Too Cold to Paint?). Another issue concerning the weather and painting is rain. Rain will delay a project indefinitely (see Can You Paint if it is Going to Rain?). And unless you want to work under a tarp, you are most likely better off waiting until things clear up.
Weather is obviously not an issue when painting indoors. Interior painting projects can usually be done anytime no matter what the weather is outside because the temperature indoors can be adjusted accordingly.
Clean-up - This can differ with every painting job. But for the most part, both interior and exterior painting jobs will have almost the same amount of clean-up. This includes packing up the tools, washing out your brushes and roller skins, and putting ladders away. The only big difference when finishing up a painting project is that with an interior job you will have to fold up the drop clothes and possibly move the furniture back to its original positions.
The main point is to make sure your painting contractor has everything completely prepared before the project is started. If the project is outdoors, your painter will check the weather for that day. If the painting project is indoors where there are items that can be easily broken, your painter will either ask you to remove them from the room or will do it themselves as part of the service they are providing. If your painter is going to be working with solvent-based paint, or anything with a strong odor in your interior space, the painter may ask you to leave the house for the day and will open the windows and likely wear a mask. In any event, a good professional painting contractor will take the extra effort to be completely prepared for the task at hand.