Can You Use Exterior Deck Stain In Doors?

Rules were made to be broken as they say and, when it comes to using outdoor paints or stains inside, it’s really a matter of why you want to do it and what you hope to get out of it. After all, outdoor and indoor stains each have their own specifications which makes them particularly useful for environmental applications.

You can use exterior deck stain indoors, of course, but the devil is in the details and depending on what you are using it for, it may or may not be useful. It could also be a waste of time and money so it’s important to know what the details of your specific stain entail before applying it.

The same holds true in reverse as well. It’s not uncommon to use indoor paints or cabinet stains for some exterior jobs, especially if those outside jobs are somewhat protected, such as being under the eaves or inside of a screened-in patio.

What is the Difference Between Interior and Exterior Stains?

One of the most important differences between outdoor and indoor stains is that one is a coat (outside) and one is an application that usually requires an additional topcoat (inside). That’s because exterior paints are designed to be the final coat right out of the can.

Now, that doesn’t mean that an exterior coat doesn’t require more than one coat, because sometimes it does. What it means is that the exterior coat is pretty much all there is to it and once you stain your deck, you don’t need anything else to go with it.

Sealing it is a secondary measure and it’s not the requirement that indoor coats need, such as a topcoat of protective varnish or something similar. There are other, fundamental differences between outdoor and indoor stains that are important to highlight.

Indoor application of an outdoor stain may require you to strip the finish
Outdoor stains have stronger vapors and more harmful additives
Outside stains are designed to be effective against moisture, mold, and mildew
Colors may be a little off
You’ll need a lot of ventilation
Toxicity can last a month

As you can see, the primary concern with using an exterior stain indoors is the potential for affecting people and pets in negative ways, in terms of health hazards. The vapor throughout the curing process is worth and the toxicity is much higher.

The other problem is the fact that the potential toxicity of exterior stains will last for up to 30 days while you wait for them to cure. This toxicity is transferable through both the air you breathe and coming into contact with the stain.

Most of the time, when applying stain indoors, it’s for use on cabinetry. The problem is, the stain that you use outdoors is far more potent, in terms of vapor emissions during the curing process. That calls for a lot of ventilation indoors or for the cabinetry to be stained outside.

You can’t just get away with using a facemask with chemical cartridges, because the vapor emissions can go on for days, possibly weeks.

You also have to consider the color differences. There is a deal of difference in the color brown, engineered for outdoor resistance to UV rays versus the use of an indoor brown engineered for a cool, sun-free environment.

Pros and Cons of Exterior Deck Stains Used Indoors

Some of the cons have already been covered but there are a few good reasons to use exterior deck stains on your indoor wood furniture or cabinetry. It’s not as if it’s never been done before and oftentimes, exterior paints and stains are applied inside without the owner even realizing what they’re doing.

Pros	Cons
Highly durable and long-lasting Water-resistant Only calls for a single coat UV Resistant for sunlit rooms	Heavy vapors Long curing process (30 days) You will have to remove the finish from the product Colors may be off

The problem with indoor furniture that has been installed for a long time, is that it probably already has a finish coat on it. If you are using an oil-based, exterior stain, it’s not as big of a problem, however, even then you will probably still need to exercise caution.

That caution is the complete removal of the existing finish. Outdoor paints, particularly deck stains, are designed to take maximum advantage of highly porous material. It’s how exterior deck stains bond so well with wood.

Inside, however, the finish will have to be entirely stripped off of anything that you’re going to apply the outdoor deck stain to. The highly porous wood is required for the stain to properly bond to the underlying material.

It will have to undergo a long curing process, as mentioned above. The good news is that once the curing process is complete, you don’t have to worry about the toxicity of the materials any longer.

Outdoor and indoor stains are engineered with a curing time and once the curing is done, the toxicity of the additives and any other materials is safe. In general, you will only have to use one coat as well.

Deck staining is designed to coat your deck and cure into a strong, long-lasting protectant while indoor paint usually requires multiple coats to reach that level of longevity. You are more than welcome to add a second coat, of course, which is useful for creating a darker stain.

However, if you don’t need a darker coat, then one coat will almost always be more than enough. When it comes to oil-based or water-based, just remember that the water-based coats are going to require a lot more surface prep than the oil-based, and applying either one means removing the existing finish.

All Things Considered

So, using an exterior deck stain in an indoor setting isn’t some wild and crazy idea that arrived out of left field. It just requires more care than you would typically use when applying an indoor stain.

So long as what you’re applying it to is sufficiently prepped and the safety considerations of ventilation and a long-term curing process are dealt with, you can bring the look of your outdoor deck directly into the home.

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Can You Use Exterior Deck Stain In Doors?